The apartment needed four things.

One TV stand. One couch. Two dressers.

That was my entire delivery list for the Lower East Side.

The first message went out Saturday. I had already left a voicemail and wanted the delivery service's “titanium” option: purchase the attached list and bring it to me. The items appeared to be in stock at the Brooklyn IKEA.

I asked whether they could deliver around 6 p.m. Monday. I was also available for the rest of Saturday and Sunday if something earlier worked.

Sunday they wrote back that they did not work that day, but Monday at 6 p.m. was available. I confirmed and asked about payment. Cash on delivery.

Then they needed to know whether my original message included my address and phone number. I was at the gym and digging through email on my phone was a pain, so I resent everything.

That second message included the original request, the delivery information, and the item count in the simplest form I could make it. I said I would see them at 6 p.m. or later Monday if they did not need anything else.

I resent the delivery information and the four-line list:

One TV stand. One couch. Two dressers.

The truck was due the next evening. That was the plan. It had not arrived yet.

No furnished-loft reveal yet either. Just a confirmed time, COD, and four pieces that were still somewhere between an IKEA inventory page and my apartment.

Now I wait for the truck.

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