We had fallen asleep tangled up in each other, and that’s how I awoke, blearily looking for a clock to tell me what time it was. I sat up carefully so as not to wake Jack, but couldn’t help but gaze at his sleeping face. He looked even younger in repose, his dark hair tumbled across his forehead. I whispered, “What time is it?” and silently a clock was projected next to the bed. It was a little after 9:00 a.m.
I pulled on my tunic from the night before and quietly made my way out to the kitchen. He’d be wanting coffee when he woke up, as did I. I prepared that within a couple of minutes and took two mugs back to the bedroom. Jack was beginning to stir, and I leaned down to kiss his cheek, rough with stubble. His eyes opened slowly, and he smiled.
“Best way to wake up, ever,” he mumbled, and in response I held out his mug of coffee.
He sat up and kissed me first before taking it. I sat down next to him and crossed my legs primly. I had been hoping he wouldn’t think my behavior the night before was too brazen. But he seemed perfectly comfortable in my bed, and with the fact that we’d picked right up where we left off.
“So, I know the perfect neighborhood to go shopping in,” he said, and I relaxed right away. As usual, Jack was at ease in his own skin, in any situation, which always set me at ease too.
“It’s kind of an immigrant’s village. People from all over the world live there, which is pretty interesting. It’s the closest thing to a melting pot in this city. It reminds me of New York a little. You’ll like it.”
I was feeling nostalgic for my old stomping grounds, so I found myself looking forward to our trip.
“Would you like to shower first?” I asked Jack, and he gave me an impish grin.
“Nope. We’re doing that together this morning.”
I met his gaze boldly, although I felt myself becoming my usual crimson shade. “Then finish your coffee quickly, mister.”
I sashayed my way into the bathroom, making sure my legs were fully on display, my usual shyness a thing of the past, this new body something to be proud of. I giggled when I heard him rush in after me, and we spent another hour taking our time in the shower.
Afterward, we were both dressed and composed enough to venture out into the world, and I felt a great sense of relief to have a guide with me this time. Jack knew where he was going, and I could relax. He seemed much more at ease in the city than I did, and I was thankful he had been here longer than I had. We boarded a train to go to the shopping district he had described to me. No one seemed to care that we held hands and kept our heads close in conversation while the train rocketed through the city. We were totally alone, as far as we were concerned.
Jack had noticed how cold and immaculate my apartment was and insisted we spice up the décor. We got to the district and upon disembarking the train I noticed the atmosphere was entirely different from that of the rest of the city. The buildings were just as tall and imposing, but the people and street vendors were reminiscent of the parts of Manhattan that had remained above sea level. I smelled roasting meat and other spicy aromas, and people were milling around in crowds that seemed much less organized than elsewhere in the city. I noticed the people were more ethnically diverse. A range of colors and accents bombarded my eyes and ears, and I grabbed Jack’s hand in delight. His white teeth flashed, and he said he knew I would like it.
We wandered around, looking at the wares on sale. I was seeing things from my own era, and things from eras long before mine. There were also pieces of art and textiles that were native to this part of Africa—or what had once been Africa, I reminded myself. I was drawn to a tent that showcased clothing that was much more to my taste, and I longed to buy the entire selection and replace these comfortable but plain tunic sets with outfits that were more colorful. I was excited to see some jewelry as well, and the woman selling it smiled at my exuberance over her wares. I felt my earlobes and realized my ears were no longer pierced. This was a surprise, although I should have realized I’d not have old marks and body modifications from my previous life. Still, though, I told Jack I wanted to find a way to remedy this.
He laughed and told me how upset he had been to find his tattoo was missing. “I don’t think I ever showed it to you. It was one of those drunken college night dares. A dolphin on my ankle—so predictable!”
We wandered around looking at items that might make my apartment feel less like a hotel room, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him haggle, although his demeanor was as friendly as ever. I realized he mostly just enjoyed interacting with the people, and this is what made him such a fantastic physician. After milling around for a bit, breathing in the aromatic humidity, I settled on a dress that reminded me of something I would have worn in my other life, and a necklace to match it. The dress was turquoise and black, both colors I had always loved to wear. The necklace was coral and turquoise, similar to something I’d once owned. Jack bought me a rug and several knickknacks for the apartment. They were all items from people who seemed to know the history of this part of Africa, and I was grateful for the flair and color they would bring to my space. After a good chunk of time, though, Jack grew bored with the market and growled in my ear, “I’m hungry, kid.”
I blushed when I realized he didn’t mean just for food.
We made our way back to my apartment, and, although I feigned protest, we didn’t get around to eating lunch for a while. While we lay sprawled across my bed, I asked him when I could see his bachelor pad.
“I’ve got a shift that starts tonight around 8:00 and goes ‘til 8:00 tomorrow morning. Maybe after I get some sleep you can come over.” He was lazily drawing circles on my bare shoulder. “Do you feel better about the city after today?” he asked.
I said that I did. “What happens when I start work?” My question implied my fear that we wouldn’t have time together.
“We’ll just figure out a schedule. Simple. Don’t worry so much, jungle woman.” He jokingly referred to my upcoming job, knowing I was looking forward to it despite being nervous about it. Although we’d briefly talked about my assignment, we hadn’t devoted much time to discussing our careers. We’d been busy doing other things.
“Do you think we’re going to be OK here?” I asked, and it was the first time I was really telling him how frightened I had been since waking up. “I mean, it’s just all too good to be true, isn’t it?”
He drew me close and whispered, “Wherever you are, there I’ll be. And that’s got to count for something, doesn’t it?”
I sighed contentedly in response and relaxed into the crook of his arm. We didn’t move from that position for a long time.