Rewrite: Skye Fall.
Jasmine
I listened to the phone ring as I laid down on the bed. Body still damp from my shower, Tallulah was downstairs making phone call after phone call but I had my shoes ready just in case, and my jacket hung on the door.
Tonight was going to be another night of searching for Indigo. As much as I wanted to lay in the bed and sleep the rest of the night away, I didn’t want Lu to feel she was by herself in this. Not after everything she’s done for me so I was just waiting for the signal. In the meantime, I decided to return Percy’s call.
“Hello?” he answered as I laid my head on the pillow with a sigh, listening to his voice on speaker.
“Hi Hugo.”
“Hi Jasmine,” he replied.
Neither of us spoke at first until I cleared my throat.
“How was work? Hows New York?”
“I’m waiting on takeout food to be delivered now while looking over contracts to rewrite. People are dumber than usual these days but that’s another story for another time. Is that woman still there?”
“Your sister? Yes,” I smiled.
“Don’t call her that. I have one and I barely tolerate her,” he said as I laughed, “how is your week going? Is it boring without me?”
I smiled.
“You wish. I’m waiting on Tallulah now before we leave to help find her cousin. I want to sleep but I want to help so…Your father called asking if you were open to having dinner at his house next weekend.”
“I have nothing to say to him.”
“I figured,” picking at my nails as we slipped into a comfortable silence, “do you know when you’re coming back for sure?”
“I have to come down by Friday night or Saturday morning. We’ve been invited to a listening party. That’s why I called earlier. I need you to find us both an outfit for this weekend. I normally don’t go to these things but this client wants to introduce me to a few others and the whole yadi yadi ya,” he dragged on, “networking bullshit. I’ll go to show my face and we’ll leave.”
“You’re in the best place to go shopping Hugo… You should find an outfit for me,” I told him. “If I was in New York with you, that wouldn’t be an issue.”
“Some come up here then,” he said with a serious tone as I glanced at the phone beside me on the pillow, “you should come up here…”
“With you?”
“Who else would it be with? After this party, I have to come right back to New York to finish out the paperwork and meetings. You should come stay with me up here…the Airbnb I have is nice with a great view, here…” moving around on the other line as I listened, “I’m taking a picture to send to you now, show you what I’m looking at.”
“Okay,” I said, sitting up as I waited for the picture, “I have an appointment with Dr. Hampton tomorrow morning.”
“So after that, come up here. I’ll pick you up at the airport myself.”
I clicked on the attachment and smiled at Percy’s bare hairy leg stretched out in front of him at the large windows looking at the massive city full of lights.
“You don’t have to come up here if you don’t want to,” he said with a low voice like he was eating, “I just thought...like you said it would be easier for you to shop and...you know...do the girly stuff yall women like to do. Plus, I’ve gotten used to sleeping by your side again and it feels weird not being able to roll over and feel you next to me.”
I fought back a smile as I laid back down on the bed, blushing to the point of madness.
“You miss me,” I accused softly, “Hugo actually misses me.”
“Don’t make a big deal of it Jasmine, just come up here,” he retorted but I could hear the playful tone in his words.
“I’ll pack tonight if you buy the ticket now,” I said. I could only imagine him doing a silent fist pump in the air before clearing his throat like he suddenly found some self control.
“There is a restaurant I want to try, I’ll see if I can get us some reservations for Thursday night. If not, we can order out and lay up.”
I heard a sudden shriek of laughter before the rumbling footsteps came rushing up the stairs. Tallulah poked her head into the bedroom, waving for me to come on.
“I may have a lead best fran!” she yelled excitedly, “let’s go!”
“I have to go,” I told Percy with a sigh, “are you going to be up later?”
“Probably not...I have an early meeting tomorrow but call me anyway so I know you made it home. I’ll answer,” he said in mid chew, hearing smack on the phone, “and text me what the hell is going on.”
“I’ll keep you posted throughout the night,” I smiled as we both said our goodbyes before hanging up.