Thomas & January (Sleepless 2)

“Now, get out of here. I bet you haven’t even packed.”

I offered him a genuine smile and stood. I shook his hand and Jason and I left together toward the door.

“Three, two, one...” Jason said under his breath. I eyed him warily.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Peter added, before lighting up a cigar. We stopped just outside his door. “January MacLochlainn will be shadowing you.”

I knew my mouth must have hung open from the look Peter gave me, but he had shocked the hell out of me. Jason quietly shut the door behind us. I bent quickly to open the door, to assure Peter that she would not, but Jason held me back.

“Now, now,” Jason said. “Don’t be hasty. Do you really want to ruin any chance of a permanent position in a permanent city?”

I hesitated slightly but reached for the door again.

“Stop it, you idiot,” he said, pushing me toward the elevator.

We rode in silence, a ridiculous grin plastered on Jason’s face.

“What the hell is so funny?” I asked him, pissed beyond belief.

“Nothing. Like I’ve said all night, nothing.”

I tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep thinking of the fact that I was going to have to share tight quarters with the minx from Austin, enduring her hellishly beautiful face and her sharp tongue. Why did life have to be so damn complicated for me lately? She was going to make it impossible to concentrate. I didn’t want to have to train her, endure her, and fight for the position Peter was lording over my head, all the while running into Jonah at the festivals, particularly Paris’ “Windmill Music Festival,” I knew we both would immediately consider for new talent.

After a measly three hours sleep, I awoke groggily and extremely irritable. I showered, attempted to let the hot water seep away my terrible mood but it didn’t work. I dressed in my usual attire, tossed my oversized canvas duffel bag over my shoulder and headed for the train. I sat relaxed on the train, listening to my iPod and shuffled through songs but stopped short when I heard a song I’d never put in my queue. I sat up a bit and listened carefully.

Neil Sedaka’s Calendar Girl played, making me curse myself when the line “January, you start the year off fine...” rang clearly through my ears.

Damn it, Jason!

I took my cell out and began a text.

REALLY, JASON? HOW DID YOU EVEN ORCHESTRATE THAT? JUST REMEMBER, PAYBACK’S A BITCH

Five minutes later, my cell buzzed with the simple message.

HA HA HA HA HA

Jerk.

The airport was surprisingly packed for four a.m., but I still had no trouble whatsoever finding January. She stood a head taller than every woman there. She was also more beautiful than any other woman there. I approached her slowly before I noticed the equally tall asshole standing beside her. Not the mailroom guy, though. Still, jealousy burned through me with a vengeance, pissing me off even further.

“I will,” I heard her say before hugging the guy fiercely around the neck. “I love you. I’ll ring you when I get there.”

The guy kissed her cheek before leaving her through the sliding doors. Ha! A peck on the cheek! Sucker!

That’s when she noticed me and she checked her glassy eyes. She stood taller, her back erect, and followed me with cold, hard eyes.

“Tom,” she gritted, the word polluted with hate. I involuntarily cringed.

“January,” I said politely, trying desperately not to rock the boat.

We stood in line to retrieve our tickets.

“Are you two together?” The attendant at the end of the line asked us.

“No,” January said with conviction just as I said, “Yes.” I eyed her harshly. This would go a lot easier if she chilled.

“Just step up to one of the unmanned kiosks,” the guy said.