It was hard having him gone. I’d become so used to Jack’s physical presence that his absence was unavoidably felt and missed on a daily basis. I was thankful for e-mail, Facebook, and our cell phones, but nothing replaced his actually being here. It was weird too, being the one left behind. Jack moved, his life now filled with new experiences, friends, teammates, and adventures. But I was still here, doing the same things I did before he left, seeing the same people, living pretty much the same life.
Yeah. It was definitely weird being the one left to live in the memories of what used to be. Fortunately for me, I kept myself busy with my new summer internship. I’d finally convinced my parents to let me bring my car to school for the summer, since I needed to drive to and from work five days a week. They agreed, but only with the understanding that once the fall semester started, my car had to return to its dust-collecting spot in the driveway.
Seriously? Who were these people claiming to be my parents? They felt like such strangers with whom I had absolutely nothing in common, least of all common sense.
My personal ringtone for Jack blared as I sat outside with my co-worker, Lesslie, watching the surfers during our lunch break. I fumbled through my purse looking for my phone, a smile plastered across my face. “Babe!” I shouted as soon as I answered.
“Kitten,” his voice purred in response. “I miss you so much. How’s the internship?”
“It’s so freaking cool. I love it. I’m learning so much.” Seagulls cawed in the background as I pressed the phone closer to my ear so I could hear Jack better.
“You’ll have to tell me all about it when you get up here.” Jack’s voice was upbeat, his excitement confusing me.
“When I get…what?”
“I wanna fly you up for the weekend.”
“Really?” I shot Lesslie a glance.
“Yes, really. I’m pitching on Saturday night and I want you to meet the guys. And I fucking miss you like crazy.”
“I miss you too.”
“Check with your boss to see if you can take Friday off. E-mail me and let me know what he says, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll ask as soon as I get back from lunch,” I responded, suddenly not hungry anymore.
“Maybe you oughta remind him that your boyfriend has a bit of a temper, so he probably shouldn’t tell you no,” he teased with a laugh.
“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely make sure to threaten him. That stuff usually works on normal, sane people.” I rolled my eyes, safe in the knowledge that he couldn’t see me.
He laughed and I pictured his face in my mind. “Seriously though, if he says no, I’ll fly you out after work on Friday night or first thing Saturday morning, okay?”
“Okay! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! Thanks, babe.”
“Me too. Talk later, love you.” I could hear Jack’s smile in his voice as he said good-bye. I smiled back and dropped my hand holding the phone, before tilting my head toward Lesslie.
“Was that your superstar boyfriend?” she asked with a grin, her straight brown hair blowing in the breeze.
“Uh-huh,” I responded, my mind a million miles away as I thought about what to pack for the weekend.
“So what are you asking about after lunch?” She elbowed my arm.
“If I can take Friday off or not. He wants to fly me up there for the weekend.”
“Oh, Tom’s not going to care. Offer to work a half day, and he’ll tell you to take the whole thing off.”
“Really?”
“Really. Don’t even stress about it,” she said and I exhaled with relief. “That’s sweet of your boyfriend to fly you up. Most guys probably wouldn’t want their girlfriends around, let alone pay to bring them there.”
I stiffened. “Why would you say that?”
“Oh, I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that I know that scene. And there are a lot of girls waiting in the wings to get in on that action,” she said with a crooked smile.
“The groupies.” I nodded my understanding.
“Yeah.” She nodded back, frowning her disapproval.
“I know. I’ve already dealt with my fair share of them at school. They’re pretty brutal.” I winced at the memory.
“And those girls are nothing compared to the ones who chase after the professional ball players. Consider the girls in college amateurs and strap your big girl pants on, ’cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.” She gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze.
“How do you know all this?” I asked, my thoughts drifting.
“I used to photograph a minor league team in town. I saw a lot of things I wish I could un-see.” She laughed with a shudder. “I’m just saying be careful. I’m sure your boyfriend’s a stand-up guy and all, it’s just those girls definitely aren’t.”