Love Bird.

I picked up the letter taped to the back of the bench, feeling my anticipation grow as I opened the next clue.

There was another letter, and below it was a phone number.

It read:

Well, love, you've found another clue. The number below is your next lead, follow it with an open mind, because this is the start of your puzzle.

Love, Jane.

I looked around, finding a payphone across the street. I pulled out some money and rushed across, popping the coins in the slot. I read over the letter once again, imagining her telling me she loved me with that soft smile that could turn my heart to mush. Geez, I sounded like a girl.

I sighed, dialing the number. It rang two times while I fidgeted nervously on the other end.

The phone picked up, and I heard...nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing, it was as if the phone had been dropped in a crowded street. Children laughed, people chattered, and I could hear the faint squeak of tennis shoes on a slick floor.

So...a crowded place?

"Hello?" I asked, my voice husky with the desperation to hear her voice.

"Have you figured out my clue?" She asked.

I sucked in a relieved breath. "Jane." I whispered.

She chuckled softly. "Hi, love. Did you figure out my riddle?"

"I'm guessing it's somewhere crowded." I shrugged.

"Good. The next clue is in my favorite place in the world, The bakery down by Larson St." She informed. "You'll need to wait until Saturday at three O clock when Benny is working. Give him your name and ID, and he'll have the next clue." 

"Alright. And Jane?" I asked before she could hang up.

"Mhm." She said softly.

"I love you."

Her laugh was like music to my ears. "I love you too."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Why can't we just meet like normal people?"

"Because that's no fun." She replied easily.

"I want to see you." I mumbled.

She giggled. "Well put those clues together and you'll find me in no time."

I was about to argue, but the line went dead.

Grumbling to myself, I set the phone back on the hook and turned around, heading back to my car with the note clutched in my hands.

One thought sent a thrill through my mind as I started my engine.

One step closer.