His phone buzzed at nine the next morning. James was wrapping up the leftover work from the overnight shift, which had thankfully been more paperwork than monsters, and thinking about exactly what kind of enormous breakfast sandwich he was going to eat before passing out for the next twelve hours. Amelia was back now to take the day shift, and she glanced over at the sound before going back to her own work. 

Expecting McGovern, James instead saw a text from an unfamiliar number. 

unknown

Hi James, it’s Meredith

How was he supposed to answer? Asking her to dinner immediately might be too forward, but was he supposed to just say hi back?

James

Hi

Well, he had a good run. He regretted that the second he hit Send. 

James

Thanks for texting

What was wrong with him? He wasn’t even this awkward texting McGovern. And God dammit, why was he repeatedly thinking of McGovern right now?

Meredith

Do you have a sec to talk?

Was she breaking up before they even went out? James hadn’t really dated in almost a decade, but that seemed like a new record. 

“Right back,” he said to Amelia, who nodded as she drank her coffee and glared at her email. 

He went into his office, closing the door before he realized how weird that looked when he and Amelia were the only ones here. And how she was going to immediately figure out what had happened and mock him endlessly for it.

He answered Meredith’s text, then sat on the couch, heart pounding. She called a moment later. 

“Hi,” James almost stammered. 

He was so good in the field, why was he a wreck everywhere else?

“Hey,” Meredith said, sounding much calmer than he felt.

“Um, what’s up?”

“It’s my day off,” she said. “Sorry I didn’t text before, I worked so many hours the past few days that I totally lost track.”

James laughed, the tension in his chest easing slightly. “I understand that,” he said. “I’m heading out of work in a couple minutes and I’m going to bed as soon as I get home.”

And now he’d immediately mentioned bed. Rusty didn’t even begin to cover this. 

“So listen,” Meredith said. “I think you’re really cool, but I have to be honest with you.”

His stomach sank, and he almost didn’t hear the next part. “I’m moving to Australia in three months,” Meredith continued.

His brain took a moment to catch up with the words. “Ah,” he managed.

“Yeah,” Meredith said. “So I didn’t want to, you know, go out or anything without telling you.”

“So you want to go out?”

She laughed. “That’s what you’re getting out of me telling you I’m moving halfway around the world?”

“I mean, it sucks,” James said. “Not for you, of course. If you want to move, that is. And like, that’s awesome and so cool. I’ve never been to Australia, but maybe someday.”

Somewhere in the distance, his bank account was laughing. But he needed to stop rambling before he started making travel plans with this woman he didn’t actually know. “Anyway,” he cut himself off. “Would you want to get a coffee or something before you leave? No pressure, of course.”

“Yeah,” she said, with a surprised sounding laugh. “If you still want to, I’d love that.”

“Great!”

“When?”

The eternal question. “I’m so tempted to say today, but I can’t,” James said. “I’ll fall asleep at the table, I’m getting off an extra long shift.”

“Honestly, that’s a relief because there’s no way I could either. I’d try, but I wouldn’t be nearly as fun as I’ll be after some sleep.”

He had the wild idea to ask if they should make that their date, just taking a nap, but managed to shut up before it got out of his mouth. “So I’m working a lot this week,” he said.

“Me too. I’m off Tuesday though.”

“I’m on all day Tuesday and probably in the evening.”

“Do you have any days off?”

“I have tomorrow night into Monday afternoon, but I’m babysitting my nieces tomorrow night.”

“I’m working Monday at noon.”

They threw back and forth a few more times, but none of them matched up. Once they started to get two weeks out, James stopped them.

“How about Monday morning?” he said. “I have the girls till two AM, but I’ll sleep over there and we can have breakfast before you go to work. Does that work for you?”

He braced himself for her answer. “Yeah,” Meredith said after a beat. “That’s perfect.”

“And I won’t get creepy or possessive,” James said, aware that he was straddling the line of creepy just saying that. “I mean, if we decide to see each other for a little while. I know you’re leaving.”

“I actually appreciate that,” Meredith said. “I had a few dates this year that were… anyway, I appreciate hearing that directly.”

Oh good, maybe his fucking weirdo thing was actually charming. “Casual is fine with me,” he said. “If we don’t go to breakfast and realize we hate each other. But wait, one thing first.”

After watching Gabriella’s anguish over the whole thing with Elliot, he had to get it out of the way as early as possible. “What’s that?” Meredith asked.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

Meredith burst out laughing before the words were completely out of his mouth. “Uh, yeah,” she said. “Obviously I believe in ghosts. What, do you think I think you’re just fucking around at the Foundation?”

James laughed too, aware his relief was obvious. “I mean, you’d be surprised?” he said, then interrupted himself with a yawn. “Sorry,” he said. “I should go though. Want to do eight o’clock Monday morning? Anywhere you want.”

“Anywhere I want,” Meredith mused. “Alright, I’ll text you.”

They hung up a second later and James couldn’t stop the stupid grin on his face as he looked around the office, the space suddenly looking a bit brighter and less awful. He had a date. He’d met the hot delivery woman, had the guts to give her his phone number, and he had a date.

Even though she was moving to Australia. But honestly, maybe that kind of relationship was for the best. Casual and fun. Clearly not going to transition to long-distance, not the way Meredith was talking. 

And now he badly needed to go home. 

James picked up his bag and went out to the living room, where Amelia was now sitting with Bradley, discussing both the night shift and James’s not-at-all-mysterious phone call. She looked up and grinned expectantly when she saw him.

“So?”

“So we’re getting breakfast Monday morning.”

She pumped a fist over her head, nearly knocking her awful apple ginger tea off the table. “Yes!”

“She’s moving to Australia though.”

“That’s kind of far. But still, that’s awesome!”

He glanced at Bradley, who nodded. “Great,” he said flatly. “Congratulations.”

Judging by the large takeout coffee beside him, Bradley was still waking up, not that James ever took offense to his lack of interest in James’s personal life. “Now I’m going home,” James said. “I’m not even going to bother asking you not to tell anyone.”

Amelia held up her phone, where a text to Madelyn was already sent. Which meant Graham would also know by the time he got home and Gabriella probably already knew via cousinly osmosis. Whatever, they could tease him all they wanted. He had a date.

---

CONTINUE TO CHAPTER 20