From Me, With Her Name

From Me,With Her Name

Chapter 2 – The Agreement

The sound of rain pattered gently against my window as I sat at my desk, staring at the email on my laptop screen for the hundredth time.

I’m coming to London next week. Just for two weeks. We have to meet, Tina.

My chest tightened as I reread his words. Two weeks. After twenty years of typing back and forth, I hid behind Tina’s name, Jeremy would be here, breathing the same air as me. The reality of it made my stomach twist in excitement and dread all at once.

I picked up my phone and dialed Tina’s number before I could talk myself out of it.

She answered on the third ring, her voice bright as ever. “Vanessa! What’s up? It’s too early for your serious voice.”

“Tina… Jeremy’s coming,” I said, skipping straight to the point.

“Jeremy?” Her voice dipped with confusion, as though I’d just mentioned an old classmate we hadn’t seen since primary school, which, technically, was true. “Which Jeremy?”

I closed my eyes briefly. “Jeremy Brooks. Our Jeremy. From when we were kids in Lagos. The one who moved to the U.S.”

There was a pause. Then a laugh. “Ohhh. That Jeremy. Wow, I barely remember his face. Tall? Skinny? Always wearing those check shirts?”

I smiled faintly. “That was him. And… well, he thinks he’s been writing to you all these years.”

Tina’s laugh came again, light and careless. “Right, because you’ve been the one replying. You’re still on that?”

I swallowed. “Yes. And now he’s coming here, and he wants to meet you. Not me. You.”

There was another pause, then the faint sound of Tina moving around in her flat. I imagined her in her silk robe, coffee in hand, her hair perfectly messy in that effortless way she mastered.

“So… what’s the big deal?” she asked casually. “We meet him, have a drink, chat a bit, done.”

I hesitated. “He… knows me, Tina. Not you. I’ve told him everything, my favourite books, my bad habit of staying up late, the time I almost missed work because I was feeding stray cats…”

“Vanessa,” she cut in, her tone warm but amused, “you want to meet him. That’s what this is really about.”

My silence was answer enough.

“Okay,” she said finally, “we’ll do it. I’ll play the part, smile at him, and you… You’ll just have to watch and keep the secret.”

Her words settled heavily in my chest. “Right. Watch.”

“Come on,” she teased, “it’s just a meet-up. You’ve been fine keeping this charade for twenty years; what’s a couple of weeks?”

I wanted to believe her. But deep down, I knew this would be different. This time, he wouldn’t just be words on a screen.

The week passed in a blur. Work was a distraction, and I barely managed to hold on. I spent hours wondering what Jeremy looked like now, if his smile still made his eyes crinkle the way I remembered. I also thought about Tina, how easily she could charm a room without even trying.

By Friday evening, we were in her apartment, picking out her outfit for the meeting.

“Not too formal, right?” she asked, holding up a cream blouse against her frame. “Or should I go with this?” She dangled a fitted red dress in front of the mirror.

“Maybe… something in between,” I said, trying to sound neutral. My hands fiddled with the hem of my jumper.

She grinned. “You sound nervous.”

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“No, you’re not.” She tossed the dress on the bed and walked over to me. “Nessa, I know you’ve liked him forever. But remember to him, I’m the one he’s been talking to.”

Her words stung, even though I already knew them to be true.

Saturday afternoon arrived too quickly. The café Jeremy had suggested was in Covent Garden, a cosy spot with warm lighting and shelves of books along the walls.

We got there early. I watched people come and go, my leg bouncing under the table. Tina, of course, was calm, scrolling through her phone, sipping her latte.

Then the door opened, and he walked in.

Jeremy.

He was taller than I expected, his hair darker, his jaw more defined. His eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on Tina, they lit up in recognition. Or what he thought was recognition.

“Tina,” he said warmly as he reached the table.

She smiled, standing to hug him. “Jeremy. It’s been a long time.”

He laughed softly. “A lifetime.” Then he glanced at me, his smile widening. “And you must be… Vanessa, right?”

My breath caught. He remembered my name.

“Yes,” I managed. “It’s… really good to see you.”

The three of us sat, the air thick with unspoken truths only I was aware of. As Jeremy and Tina began to talk about ‘shared memories, ’ she barely recalled. I sat quietly, my heart pounding.

Every time his gaze flickered to me, I wondered if he could sense that the person he’d truly known for twenty years was sitting right there, behind her polite smile.

And for the first time, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep the truth hidden.