can’t hear anything. Did I leave too quickly?
I ask myself. Now I realize what I did. I walked away from the man
who saved my life and helped me when I needed the help the most. No hug,
no phone number exchange, nothing. Emilie, see what you did?
Sorry, Jack.
“Next, please.” I hear the girl say. I look
around. “It’s your turn, miss,” the man behind me smiles.
“One way to Miami, please,” I say.
“One hundred and seventy three dollars,” says the
girl.
“What?” I can’t believe my ears. “Isn’t that one
hundred and nineteen dollars?”
“That’s when you order from the Internet.”
“Can I order from the Internet then?”
“Sure you can. But the bus is leaving in five
minutes. They are finishing boarding.”
What am I going to do now? I don’t have an Internet
access service on my iPhone. I have only the basic phone service.
It was Jack who showed me the special Internet rate on his iPhone.
But he left already.
“Next,” the girl looks at the man behind me.
“Oh, please, I still need my ticket,” I try to smile.
“One hundred and seventy three dollars,” the girl repeats.
I pull out all the cash and hand them to the girl.
She begins to count. “One hundred and thirty nine,” she stops and looks
at me.
I dig into my purse and find a few coins.
The girl gives back my cash and says, “Next.” Her
voice is ice-cold.
I’m not happy but I don’t have time to get angry. I
pull out my Visa and hand it over. I need to get this ticket before the
bus leaves.
The girl reaches for the card. Her nails are all
paint purple, my favorite color.
Suddenly, a big hand grabs the card and pulls it away from
my hand.
I freeze. Robbery! I almost black out.
This is my last chance to go to Miami. Who is this stupid thief anyway?
Can’t he see I’m all broken? I turn my head and see the thief.
It’s him. Jack. “Come on, let’s go,” he drags
me out of the line.
“What are you doing?” I struggle.
A security guard strolls close, “What’s up?” He
stares at Jack like he could be on America’s Most Wanted List.
“My girlfriend,” Jack grins.
The security guard turns to me, “You okay?”
“My girlfriend,” I grin.
The security guard locks his eyebrows.
“Er, um, my boyfriend. Yes, Jack,” I grin again.
The security guard unlocks his eyebrows and strolls away.
Jack points at the corner and moves his mouth. I
turn and look. Camera . That’s what he is trying to tell me.
I follow him to walk outside. “Jack?” I ask, the
moment we are out of the Greyhound property.
“Look, this is a rip off,” Jack hands back my Visa.
“Let me give you a ride to Miami, okay?”
“You said New York, Jack.”
“I changed my mind.”
I feel so happy. “Jack, are you doing this just for
me?” My cheeks turn red.
“Oh, heck no,” Jack says right away. “I’m going there
anyway.”
I’m so disappointed. I wish he had lied, “Oh,
yeah, I'm only doing this for you, kid.” But he didn’t.
“Oh, well, kind of, okay?” he says. “I’m going to
Orlando. So, I am going to give you a quick, extra ride from Orlando to
Miami.”
Why Orlando? Is he going to the Disney World for his
“business”? Well, that’s his business secret. I shouldn’t be that
nosy.
Soon, we hit the highway.
“Jack, why did you come back to get me?”
“Me coming back?” Jack chuckles. “I never
left.”
“But I heard the engine starting.”
“Come on, there were hundreds of cars around.”
“But your 4x4 sounds different.”
“Is that a Lamborghini?”
Silly, Emilie. Jack is right. There are
so many 4x4s in New York.
Unfortunately, the fact was miles away from romance.
But he did
I ask myself. Now I realize what I did. I walked away from the man
who saved my life and helped me when I needed the help the most. No hug,
no phone number exchange, nothing. Emilie, see what you did?
Sorry, Jack.
“Next, please.” I hear the girl say. I look
around. “It’s your turn, miss,” the man behind me smiles.
“One way to Miami, please,” I say.
“One hundred and seventy three dollars,” says the
girl.
“What?” I can’t believe my ears. “Isn’t that one
hundred and nineteen dollars?”
“That’s when you order from the Internet.”
“Can I order from the Internet then?”
“Sure you can. But the bus is leaving in five
minutes. They are finishing boarding.”
What am I going to do now? I don’t have an Internet
access service on my iPhone. I have only the basic phone service.
It was Jack who showed me the special Internet rate on his iPhone.
But he left already.
“Next,” the girl looks at the man behind me.
“Oh, please, I still need my ticket,” I try to smile.
“One hundred and seventy three dollars,” the girl repeats.
I pull out all the cash and hand them to the girl.
She begins to count. “One hundred and thirty nine,” she stops and looks
at me.
I dig into my purse and find a few coins.
The girl gives back my cash and says, “Next.” Her
voice is ice-cold.
I’m not happy but I don’t have time to get angry. I
pull out my Visa and hand it over. I need to get this ticket before the
bus leaves.
The girl reaches for the card. Her nails are all
paint purple, my favorite color.
Suddenly, a big hand grabs the card and pulls it away from
my hand.
I freeze. Robbery! I almost black out.
This is my last chance to go to Miami. Who is this stupid thief anyway?
Can’t he see I’m all broken? I turn my head and see the thief.
It’s him. Jack. “Come on, let’s go,” he drags
me out of the line.
“What are you doing?” I struggle.
A security guard strolls close, “What’s up?” He
stares at Jack like he could be on America’s Most Wanted List.
“My girlfriend,” Jack grins.
The security guard turns to me, “You okay?”
“My girlfriend,” I grin.
The security guard locks his eyebrows.
“Er, um, my boyfriend. Yes, Jack,” I grin again.
The security guard unlocks his eyebrows and strolls away.
Jack points at the corner and moves his mouth. I
turn and look. Camera . That’s what he is trying to tell me.
I follow him to walk outside. “Jack?” I ask, the
moment we are out of the Greyhound property.
“Look, this is a rip off,” Jack hands back my Visa.
“Let me give you a ride to Miami, okay?”
“You said New York, Jack.”
“I changed my mind.”
I feel so happy. “Jack, are you doing this just for
me?” My cheeks turn red.
“Oh, heck no,” Jack says right away. “I’m going there
anyway.”
I’m so disappointed. I wish he had lied, “Oh,
yeah, I'm only doing this for you, kid.” But he didn’t.
“Oh, well, kind of, okay?” he says. “I’m going to
Orlando. So, I am going to give you a quick, extra ride from Orlando to
Miami.”
Why Orlando? Is he going to the Disney World for his
“business”? Well, that’s his business secret. I shouldn’t be that
nosy.
Soon, we hit the highway.
“Jack, why did you come back to get me?”
“Me coming back?” Jack chuckles. “I never
left.”
“But I heard the engine starting.”
“Come on, there were hundreds of cars around.”
“But your 4x4 sounds different.”
“Is that a Lamborghini?”
Silly, Emilie. Jack is right. There are
so many 4x4s in New York.
Unfortunately, the fact was miles away from romance.
But he did
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