Chapter 6: Justin

CHAPTER 6

JUSTIN

When the picture of her came through, I stood up so fast my chair fell behind me, and Brad got scared and ran under the bed.

No fucking way. No. Fucking. Way.

My heart was pounding in my throat. She was sitting on a bus bench. A Toilet King bus bench. She was here.

I called her immediately.

“Justin…”

“Are you serious? You’re here?”

I could hear her smiling before she said a word.

I was pacing across my apartment. “Are you just stopping here on your way to Hawaii? Can we meet? I could take you to dinner, I can leave now.”

She started laughing. “Justin.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m here for six weeks.”

I stopped, and a grin ripped across my face. “You skipped Hawaii?”

“Are you surprised?” she asked.

I bit my knuckle and did a silent fist pump in the middle of my kitchen. “Are you kidding me? Where are you staying? When can I see you?”

“I’m on Lake Minnetonka, in a cottage on an island. And I think… tomorrow? Does that work for you?”

I nodded. “Yes. Definitely. That definitely works.”

“Okay. Justin?”

I was beaming. “Yeah?”

“You’re right. Minnesota is beautiful.”