Jimmy was sitting in an armchair, eagerly awaiting her arrival, when he heard a knock on the door. He jumped up excitedly and opened it, revealing the sight of a disheveled Nancy. She looked exhausted. Her hair hung limply from her head and she was clutching the edges of her coat in a vice grip.
"Are you alright?" Jimmy asked her, taking her by the hand and leading her into the living room. Nancy dropped into an armchair.
"No," she said simply.
"Did something happen at work?" he pressed.
Nancy sighed. She took another sip from her drink and put it down on a nearby table.
"I got fired."
"You didn't!"
"I did."
Jimmy gasped. This couldn't be happening. And just today when he decided to admit his feelings to her. How can he tell her now in a situation like this? What if he screws it all up? His heart began beating faster.
"What for?" he managed to stammer out, despite knowing the answer to his own question.
"I was late for work again."
She stood up suddenly and paced back and forth between two chairs.
"My car broke down so I couldn't get to work on time. My boss, of course, didn't believe me. When I told him what happened, he accused me of lying. He told me that this was not the first time I was late and that he can no longer tolerate it. That's when he kicked me out of the company."
Jimmy remained silent. He wasn't sure what to say. All he could think about was how disappointed she must have been.
"He's right," Nancy continued. "I always arrive late. But this time it wasn't my fault." She turned to face Jimmy, her eyes burning angrily. He wanted so badly to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything will be okay, but the fear of messing things up prevented him from doing so. She walked towards the window and stared outside at the rain. Then she spun around and faced Jimmy once more. Jimmy smiled encouragingly.
"It will be better. You'll find a better job, trust me."
Nancy gave him an appraising look and shook her head. "No. It won't be as easy as that." She let out a deep sigh, then added, "But thank you, Jimmy."
And with that she left. Jimmy sank back into the chair and rested his chin on his hand. If only Nancy would see how much he cares. That afternoon he and his friend Gary met at a coffee shop.
"Did you finally tell her how you feel about her?" Gary asked him.
"She was so sad that she got fired, I just couldn't."
"I think that was just an excuse for you. Admit it, you didn't have the courage." Gary smirked and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Jimmy rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"You're right."
"I think you should tell her as soon as possible. After all, you said your feelings are getting stronger, the question is how much longer will you be able to hide them." Gary raised his eyebrow again. Jimmy sighed. Gary was right. It had taken him almost two months to realize how in love with Nancy he really was. Now that he did, he found himself unable to stop thinking about her. Whenever he saw her, he felt butterflies in his stomach. Every time he saw her smile or laugh it sent chills down his spine. He felt the need to hug her whenever he came across her, kiss her whenever they were alone together and just be near her. He couldn't imagine life without Nancy Wheeler in it. And as hard as he tried, Jimmy never knew how to approach Nancy about his feelings. After finishing his latte and paying for his drinks, Jimmy exited the coffee shop and went home. He'd been thinking all night about what Gary had told him, and this time he was determined to tell Nancy everything. He woke up the next morning around 7 p.m. He got dressed quickly and by 8:30 he reached Nancy's house, when he saw something through the window that broke his heart. Nancy was kissing some guy on the doorstep. They were laughing and seemed happy with each other. Jimmy's chest felt heavy. This was the last thing he ever hoped to see. Broken-hearted, he immediately headed home. That day, Gary called Jimmy countless times. He wanted to hear how it went with Nancy, but Jimmy didn't want to answer the phone. He was unable to talk to anyone because all he could focus on was the way that Nancy kissed the guy.  Jimmy spent the rest of the evening staring at his ceiling and wondering why this happened to him. The next morning, when he had calmed down a bit and collected himself, Jimmy called Gary.
"Why didn't you answer my calls? I was seriously worried." Gary sounded genuinely upset.
"Sorry, I wasn't able to talk."
"From your voice, I would say that things did not go well. Did she turn you down?"
"No," Jimmy muttered.
"What happened then? Why are you in such a bad mood?" Gary pressed.
Jimmy was thinking what to say when he heard a knock on the door. Without thinking twice, he ran over and opened the door. Nancy stood on the threshold of his house, wearing sweatpants and a Turtleneck sweater. Her long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and she wore no makeup. She seemed tired; but her smile was wide, as if she couldn't be happier to see Jimmy.
"We'll talk later." He told Gary before hanging up and turning to face Nancy.