New Beginnings

The apartment was small, one bedroom and overlooked the bustling streets of Chicago. Although somewhat run down, its small flaws and bruises were successfully hidden by artistically placed drapes and screens, depicting a colorful mixture between Asian and Indian cultures. Payton adored her apartment. It didn’t matter to her that she lived a street away from the busy markets and a few blocks away from the business district, or that as soon as six thirty came around in the morning car horns blared and the screaming and yelling of road rage began.

Her Japanese screens acted like a small buffer from the noise by the windows and blocked out the view a fourteen year old boy had of her room thanks to a telescope. The vibrant array of cushions and drapes in the living room, kitchen and study swept her off into an Indian oasis and offered a sense of tranquility when she lit her incense.

There was very rarely a problem with her neighbors with noise or screaming, a precious commodity in the city, and it was cheap for the area it was in as well, yet another thing she was grateful for. Close to the shop, close to the college, it was all a blessing, apart from how close it was to her parents however.

They lived in the apartments over the street from her, on the top floor, unlike Payton who lived on the eighth. They drove their neighbors’ nutters with their music and nosiness. Not to mention how often they visited. She was often thankful to collapse on her bed just after closing the door behind them, and what a bed it was.

Solid oak carved into a flat base and an elegant Japanese headboard. It was large and her mattress thick and firm. On rainy days she lay curled in her mountains of pillows and cushions, cocooned in her goose-feather quilt, typing on her laptop and studying, or just simply watching films.

She didn’t worry about using the ceiling lights in her apartment, instead choosing to use laps and fairy lights artfully placed to use the colored drapery to create a glow. The bedroom was covered in the fairy lights and lanterns, rigged to dim if she turned the knob. The book store may have been her heaven, but her home was her private sanctuary, and it was very rare if she ever brought a man home.

Curled up in her blanket, Payton luxuriated for the first time in weeks for being able to sleep in. Letting out a stretch, she stared up at the ceiling, her hair a tortuous riot of curls and waves, left to dry on their own unbound, rather than in the tight braid she usually wore. The red numbers glowing from her alarm clock told her it was still early, barely eight in the morning.

Yawning, she slipped out of bed, untwisting her green pajama pants and black tee shirt. Her kitten, Nonie, blinked up at her from the bed before falling back to sleep, uninterested in what his owner was doing. Picking up a hair tie, Payton pulled her hair up into a knot and walked into the kitchen, the bleary sunshine offering plenty of light. She turned on the kettle and radio, soothing blues music drifted into the apartment.

She was glad that she decided to close the store for the day, they all needed it. Her mother and father probably wouldn’t be pleased, but they had given up all management of the store to her and they had made plenty of money to cover the day’s probable costs. Pouring hot water into a mug with a tea bag, she leaned against the counter and took tentative sips while she watched the people below her rush to work.

The door bell rung suddenly, scaring her, causing her to slop hot tea over her hand. Swearing quietly, Payton grabbed the tea towel on the bench and dried herself off, ignoring the stinging burn as she rushed to the door. Opening it, she was met by a messenger boy.

“Yes?” she asked him.

“I have a package for you, ma’am,” the boy was barely seventeen, “If you could just sign here please?” Signing the form, she was left with a rather small brown package.

Closing the door, she tore open the envelope and peeked inside. A small box and some pass-looking papers fell out with a letter.

To Payton Thompson,

The Chicago Blackhawks would like to thank you for allowing us to use your store for the book signing on behalf of Mr. Keith. In return we would like to offer you a seasonal pass to our home games to both yourself and your employees. Again thank you for making yourself available to us and hopefully we can have future business together.

Sincerely

Chicago Blackhawks

Rolling her eyes at the letter, she placed the passes on the coffee table and turned her attention to the small box left in the envelope. The letter hadn’t mentioned anything about it, and Payton was cautious. It was a jewelry box that much she knew, black with a gold border and the Blackhawks logo stamped into the center of the vinyl. Opening it, another slip of paper fell to her feet and revealed a delicate watch. The silver band glinted in the day light, with its gold detailing in the center shining innocently. The face was simple, white, with gold strokes noting the hour and again, the Blackhawks logo, outlined in gold as well.

It was beautiful in its simplicity. Payton hadn’t had anything like it before, just the usual cheap twenty dollar watches bought at the mall. Her fingers traced it lightly, unsure if she should take it out and put it on her wrist. Thankfully it was one of the watches that the links expanded to slip over the wrist and tighten, so she didn’t have to worry about it falling off. Dipping down, she picked up the other note at her feet and unfolded it.

Payton,

I wanted to thank you personally for everything you had done for us yesterday, and for helping me out. I wasn’t sure what to get you, but your brother mentioned that you hadn’t had a watch on the few times that we had met, so I thought that you would like something to this effect. If it doesn’t fit, or you don’t like this style, let your brother know and I’ll exchange it for something else. I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate everything that you’ve done and that I hope we meet up again, sometime very soon.

From Jon.

She started at the paper in shock. Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks Captain, bought her a watch as a thank you gift, and was willing to change it if she didn’t like it! A furious blush stole across her cheeks, of course she liked it, she loved it! She just couldn’t believe that he had done that for her. Grabbing the phone, she dialed her friend, Julia, slipping the watch around her wrist.