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Textual Encounters (The Christine + Jake Affair)

Page 5

by Morgan Parker


  2:20am:

  I wonder if it was you all along. If six years ago, while I sat on that bed, it was more about a woman I hadn’t met yet, and didn’t even know existed. So your talk of a higher purpose and signs and whatever else, it really resonated me. Eerily.

  2:24am:

  It sounds crazy, I know that. And I’m not suggesting you and I are “soulmates” or anything like that, but I definitely need to meet you. I need to hold you, breathe all of you in, and taste you. Once that happens, I will know. Not whether I should have married my ex-fiancée, but whether or not there is such a thing as true love.

  2:32am:

  Crazy, huh?

  2:35am:

  Text me that I’m crazy, and I won’t bug you anymore. Good night.

  --------------------------------------

  6:13am:

  Oh my.

  6:13am:

  I don’t think you’re crazy.

  6:14am:

  We need to chat, Jake.

  --------------------------------------

  6:16am:

  Now you’re worrying me.

  --------------------------------------

  6:17am:

  I want to figure out a way for us to meet before my next business trip to NYC.

  --------------------------------------

  6:18am:

  Yes, sure, let’s chat.

  --------------------------------------

  6:19am:

  It will have to be later. I have to get ready for work.

  --------------------------------------

  6:20am:

  K.

  --------------------------------------

  11:18am:

  Jake, you free?

  11:24am:

  OK, let me know when you’re free.

  --------------------------------------

  3:15pm:

  Better than free.

  --------------------------------------

  3:16pm:

  What does that mean?

  --------------------------------------

  3:17pm:

  I’m in Toronto.

  --------------------------------------

  3:18pm:

  What!?!

  --------------------------------------

  3:18pm:

  Surprise.

  --------------------------------------

  3:19pm:

  That’s wonderful. How did you arrange this?

  --------------------------------------

  3:21pm:

  Called in sick and jumped on a plane. Booked a hotel for 2 nights... so, it’s either your place or mine this weekend.

  3:31pm:

  You still there?

  --------------------------------------

  3:35pm:

  In a meeting.

  --------------------------------------

  3:35pm:

  OK. I’m settling in at the Royal York. Right next door to your office!

  --------------------------------------

  4:02pm:

  Wow, this is really happening... I’m suddenly nervous.

  --------------------------------------

  4:03pm:

  You? Nervous? That’s a lie if I’ve ever read one!

  4:05pm:

  Still there?

  --------------------------------------

  4:10pm:

  I’ll let you know once I’m free. Gotta run.

  --------------------------------------

  4:18pm:

  Was this a mistake?

  --------------------------------------

  4:21pm:

  Are you crazy? Not at all.

  4:22pm:

  I’ll make sure to be out of here at 5. Will meet you in the lobby at 505.

  --------------------------------------

  4:23pm:

  Can’t wait.

  4:24pm:

  Let’s meet at the round staircase railing in the lobby. You’ll see it, just keep walking through the lobby.

  --------------------------------------

  4:25pm:

  Yes, I know the staircase you’re referring to.

  --------------------------------------

  4:26pm:

  Good, see you in a bit.

  --------------------------------------

  4:26pm:

  Looking forward to it.

  --------------------------------------

  4:27pm:

  Me too.

  --------------------------------------

  5:02pm:

  Just leaving now.

  --------------------------------------

  5:02pm

  OK.

  --------------------------------------

  Saturday January 19, 2013

  --------------------------------------

  2:00am:

  Did you make it back to your apartment yet?

  --------------------------------------

  2:02am:

  Actually, I’ve been staying at the new hotel for the past few nights. The apartment was above my pay grade, remember?

  --------------------------------------

  2:03am:

  They didn’t waste time moving you. I thought it wasn’t supposed to happen until the end of the month.

  2:04am:

  I wish you had let me walk you home. Toronto might be safer than NYC, but I saw on the news that there was some serious murdering going on here last year.

  --------------------------------------

  2:05am:

  Yikes. Maybe you should swing by tomorrow to pick me up. I’ll let you get shot.

  --------------------------------------

  2:06am:

  If that is what it takes to get another kiss like the one you gave me tonight, then I’ll walk through Baghdad.

  --------------------------------------

  2:07am:

  Don’t get shot.

  2:08am:

  You’re a decent kisser yourself, funny man. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been kissed like that.

  --------------------------------------

  2:09am:

  I felt completely at ease, which is unlike me when it comes to those first kisses.

  --------------------------------------

  2:10am:

  At ease? I felt something else, and it wasn’t ease ; ).

  --------------------------------------

  2:11am:

  Oh, that. It was a pencil, I assure you.

  --------------------------------------

  2:12am:

  I liked that pencil pressing up against my thigh. If I had known you had it, I would have drawn something nice for you while we waited for our appetizers.

  --------------------------------------

  2:13am:

  Sorry. You, uh, aroused that reaction in me...

  --------------------------------------

  2:13am:

  Aawww, ain’t that cute... Mr Funny Man is embarrassed.

  --------------------------------------

  2:14am:

  Go ahead, rub it in.

  2:14am:

  Pun intended.

  --------------------------------------

  2:15am:

  Maybe that’s something we can work on tomorrow when you swing by my hotel. See if our next kiss is as good as tonight’s.

  --------------------------------------

  2:16am:

  In a private setting, I will make sure it’s not just me who gets a little turned on when we kiss.

  --------------------------------------

  2:17am:

  Confession: I was more than a little turned on tonight too. It’s just that I can hide it better than you can.

  --------------------------------------

  2:19am:

  Confession: my hand on your inner thigh was more to see if you really WERE shaking than to see if you were still wearing those tights.

&
nbsp; --------------------------------------

  2:19am:

  Gosh, and here I thought you were going for something else!

  --------------------------------------

  2:20am:

  That’s why you stopped me?! Don’t forget, I AM a gentleman.

  --------------------------------------

  2:21am:

  Gentlemen don’t put their hands where you *tried* to put yours tonight, Jake.

  --------------------------------------

  2:21am:

  So I’m a work in progress. I can admit it.

  --------------------------------------

  2:22am:

  Then it’s a good thing I’m not looking for a gentleman.

  --------------------------------------

  2:23am:

  Perfect, I’ll cancel my gentleman training.

  2:23am:

  You sure you don’t want me to swing by tonight?

  --------------------------------------

  2:24am:

  Tempting, but I’m wiped. By the time you get here, I’m sure I’ll be asleep.

  2:24am:

  Plus, I promised myself to not get too carried away with you on the first night.

  --------------------------------------

  2:25am:

  What about the second night?

  --------------------------------------

  2:25am:

  Right now, I can’t remember what that standard was.

  --------------------------------------

  2:26am:

  Let’s not try too hard to remember it, okay?

  2:29am:

  Still awake?

  --------------------------------------

  2:30am:

  Yes. And my legs are still trembling.

  --------------------------------------

  2:31am:

  I never knew my kiss would have such a lasting effect.

  --------------------------------------

  2:32am:

  Sorry, that effect has worn off... now it’s the memory keeping me going.

  2:33am:

  I’m *so* happy you sent me that text in error...

  --------------------------------------

  2:34am:

  Maybe it wasn’t an error. Just like you said.

  --------------------------------------

  2:35am:

  And your showing up in Toronto today?

  --------------------------------------

  2:36am:

  Combined with that kiss, it’s a sign that we are probably perfect for each other.

  --------------------------------------

  2:38am:

  Jake?

  --------------------------------------

  2:39am:

  Yes.

  --------------------------------------

  2:41am:

  I need to sleep this off.

  --------------------------------------

  2:41am:

  OK.

  --------------------------------------

  2:42am:

  Come by tomorrow?

  --------------------------------------

  2:42am:

  Of course.

  2:43am:

  Before or after your dinner?

  --------------------------------------

  2:44am:

  After.

  2:44am:

  Good night.

  --------------------------------------

  2:45am:

  How do I know where to go?

  2:49am:

  Still there?

  2:51am:

  I think what we’ve got going on here is unique, Christine.

  2:51am:

  Unheard of.

  2:55am:

  Sleep well.

  2:57am:

  I’m going to see about finding a gym.

  --------------------------------------

  8:35am:

  Did you find a gym?

  --------------------------------------

  8:36am:

  I broke into the hotel gym. Worked out for a couple of hours in the dark.

  --------------------------------------

  8:36am:

  Is that pencil still trying to poke through your pocket?

  --------------------------------------

  8:37am:

  Haha.

  8:37am:

  How did you sleep?

  --------------------------------------

  8:38am:

  Not well. You kept teasing me in my dreams.

  --------------------------------------

  8:38am:

  In a good way?

  --------------------------------------

  8:39am:

  In the best way possible.

  8:40am:

  Except I’m exhausted now. Don’t know how I’m supposed to make it through my dinner party tonight.

  --------------------------------------

  8:41am:

  You better not cancel on me!

  --------------------------------------

  8:41am:

  Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. 8:00pm won’t come fast enough.

  --------------------------------------

  8:42am:

  At least YOU have something to do between now and then.

  8:43am:

  I’ll be Mr. Tourist. See what the CN Tower is all about, maybe see more of that Distillery District where we had dinner last night and made out like two high school kids.

  --------------------------------------

  8:44am:

  If you ever meet my colleagues, you’ll quickly see that doing the tourist thing is far more exciting than sitting at dinner and listening to their bullshit talk.

  --------------------------------------

  8:45am:

  That DOES sound a little boring.

  --------------------------------------

  8:45am:

  On the positive side, that kind of meeting will set the standard rather low for you.

  --------------------------------------

  8:46am:

  Perfect. I’ll bring my B-game.

  --------------------------------------

  8:46am:

  Oh, really? If I’m not engaged, you’ll be going home early.

  --------------------------------------

  8:47am:

  Trust me, you can’t handle my A-game.

  --------------------------------------

  8:47am:

  Try me.

  --------------------------------------

  8:47am:

  We’ll see.

  --------------------------------------

  8:48am:

  Gotta run. Phone’s ringing.

  --------------------------------------

  8:48am:

  OK.

  --------------------------------------

  10:47am:

  Jake, you around?

  --------------------------------------

  10:50am:

  Just walking, checking out the architecture. Where R U?

  --------------------------------------

  10:51am:

  At the Royal York. Thought I would surprise you.

  --------------------------------------

  10:51am:

  OK, don’t go anywhere. OMW.

  --------------------------------------

  10:52am:

  What is omw?

  --------------------------------------

  10:52am:

  On My Way.

  11:07am:

  Where are you?

  --------------------------------------

  11:07am:

  By the restaurant, sitting in a chair.

 

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