Hello Stranger(97)

“You owe me eighteen bucks. Plus tax.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why would it occur to me to tell you?”

“But the night I told you about the Good Samaritan. You must have realized I didn’t remember you. But you didn’t say anything.”

“It was awkward at that point. Besides, you were having a moment.”

“Were you”—it was all clicking into place now—“the one who pushed me out of the crosswalk?”

Joe nodded. “Of course.”

All I could do was repeat. “Of course?”

“You were walking away as it happened.”

“And what were you doing?”

“Me? I was checking you out.”

It had been Joe? In the crosswalk that night? “You saw me freeze—and then you ran into the street to save me?”

“Well, yeah. You were about to get killed.”

“But you could have been killed!”

“I didn’t really weigh the pros and cons.”

“You saved me?”

“Nick of time. We were moving so fast, we tripped on a hunk of asphalt at the curb. But I cushioned your fall.”

“Is that how you hit the lamppost?” I tapped my own shoulder. “Your scar?”

Joe reached around to rub the scar on his shoulder like he’d forgotten. “Yeah. Scraped it on a bolt. Ten stitches.”

“So you went to the hospital, too?”

Joe nodded. “Later that night. And then I wandered around the halls to find you and make sure you were okay.”

Joe hadn’t just rescued me. He’d saved my life.

For a minute, all I could do was shake my head.

Then I finally said, “You were the Good Samaritan, too.” No wonder he didn’t look like a stranger.

Joe nodded.

“How is it possible,” I said, gazing at the sight of him in wonder, “that you were everywhere? All along?”

Joe shrugged. “You can’t see when you’re not looking, I guess.” Then he tightened his hold on my gaze. “Anyway. You’re the one who was everywhere.”

It was nonsense, but I knew exactly what he meant.

At that, I grabbed hold of his tie, pulled him down close to me, and pressed my mouth to his.

The second we touched, his arms came around my rib cage and clamped tight, and mine rose up around his neck and did the same thing. I cradled the back of his head with my hands as he ran his over me—back, shoulders, neck, hair. All arms and hands and exploring and holding on.

Both of us just drunk on the bliss of being in each other’s arms at last.

After a few minutes, he paused, breathless, to meet my eyes. “I really need to thank you for leaving that voicemail.”

I met his right back. “I really need to thank you for saving my life.”



* * *



WHEN WE FINALLY walked back to the party, it was winding down.

Daniel was still there, and when he caught sight of us, rumpled, wind-blown, clearly together, secretly holding hands … he gave me a nod of appreciation, like, Mission accomplished.

Mr. and Mrs. Kim waved good night at us from their table, as if they already understood everything that had happened and were sending me their full approval.

But Sue wanted details. She walked up to us and put her hands on her hips. “Where’ve you two been?”

“Oh,” I said, waving absently toward our personal corner, “just over there.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You look suspiciously happy.”

Joe coughed. I smiled and looked down.

“What’s going on there?” she asked, pointing at our clasped hands.

We broke them apart, like we’d been caught.

“What just happened?” Sue asked. “Did you two—? Are you two—? Hey, I know it’s very pretty and romantic up here, but—”

“Funny story,” I jumped in before she got too outraged at the notion of me just giving in to a man who had cruelly ghosted me. “And this is going to sound so crazy…”

“Nothing could be crazier than what’s going through my head right now,” Sue said.

“Wanna bet?” Joe said.

“Remember,” I said, “how I was totally crushing on my veterinarian, but then he stood me up for our first date and then I wound up—how to put it—transferring my affections to Joe from the building?”

“Yes,” Sue said, like, Hurry up and get to the point.

“Turns out,” I said, “as impossible as it sounds…”

Sue put a hand on her hip, like, Move it along.

“They’re the same guy.”

Sue froze. Then she shook her head.

So I nodded mine, trying to help her get there. “The dashing veterinarian, whose face I couldn’t see … and the douchey guy in the building—”

“Hey!” Joe protested.

“Whose face I also couldn’t see…”

I let Sue catch up. “Were the same guy?” she finished for me.

Joe and I nodded at her. Then he grabbed the moment to take my hand again.

“How is that possible?” Sue asked, still shaking her head.