looked down at the stack of applications on the clipboard. “This is going to take weeks to get through.”
Angel and I looked at each other and smiled.
“I’ve got two new girls I need you to train for the café,” Mack told me, almost out of breath. “Lindsey and…um…Erica, I think. They’re waiting on you now.” Then he was gone.
I found Bri talking to the new girls. She made eyes at me when she saw I was with Angel.
I introduced Angel and myself to Erica and Lindsey. They seemed friendly and were about my age. Erica’s hair was long and straight and matched her dark eyes. Lindsey’s hair was strawberry blond, her eyes pale blue.
Angel went with off Conner, and Bri and I quickly filled Erica and Lindsey in on what they needed to know as customers began to stream in. The theater was so crowded that it felt like a Friday.
It finally slowed down around nine forty-five. I was heading toward the kitchen when I heard, “Could I trouble you for a refill, ma’am?”
“How long have you been sitting there?” I asked Trent.
“Long enough to see you’ve earned your paycheck tonight.”
“I know that’s right.” I looked down at my achy feet.
“You’d better go finish up before you get fired,” Trent said as Mack walked by.
Fifteen minutes later I was snug inside my favorite Challenger, heading home. Warm air blew through the vents. It was very soothing.
Trent reached up and turned on the overhead light. “Here ya go,” he said, handing me a sheet of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Your freedom,” he said, grinning.
It was a list of cars for sale. “How’d you know?”
“Bri told me in class today.”
“These are all in my price range, and they’re the models I like too.”
“Bri again,” he repeated.
I smiled at his thoughtfulness. “So…what else did you two talk about today?”
He arched his brows. “Stuff.”
“Uh-huh. I see. What kind of
stuff
?”
He shrugged. “Poe. Poetry. You know.”
He eased the Challenger into my driveway and put the car in park. “I’ll take you tomorrow to look at them,
if you want
.” I don’t know how he made that sound seductive, but he did.
“I’d like that,” I almost whispered.
I was quiet then.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No. It’s just that I always thought my dad would help me look for my first car. But please don’t get me wrong. I really appreciate everything you’ve done. And I don’t know a thing about cars. I could really use your help.”
“You’d better get inside. Someone’s waiting on you.” I looked up to see my mom at the window, peeking from behind the curtain.
Mommm!
“See ya tomorrow,” I said then jetted for the front door.
X
60 %
T he next morning Bri was right on time as usual. I said bye to my mom and jumped into the Chevelle. I got Bri up to speed on the latest with Trent, and then she filled me in on the details with Cole.
“I think he’s the one, Ash. Seriously, I could see myself marrying him.”
“That’s OK with me, as long as you don’t mind the three of us rooming next year at college,” I said with a laugh.
“Not a prob. So are we hitting the gym tonight since we don’t have to work?”
“I would, except Trent offered take me right after school to look at cars.”
“You’re welcome,” she said matter-of-factly. “OK, well, you leave me no choice but to begin my new weight-loss regimen,” she said very seriously.
“And what might that be?” I asked.
“It will involve Cole.”
“Oh?”
“It’s called sexercise. Kidding. Don’t have a stroke.”
She turned up the radio and moved her body to the music. I thought we were going to wreck a couple of times, but I was laughing too hard to care.
Before we got out of the car, I asked her, “What else did you and Trent talk about yesterday?”
“Not a whole lot.” She shrugged. “He broke the ice by cracking a joke about how it was very convenient for you to have a chauffeur for a best friend.” She
Angel and I looked at each other and smiled.
“I’ve got two new girls I need you to train for the café,” Mack told me, almost out of breath. “Lindsey and…um…Erica, I think. They’re waiting on you now.” Then he was gone.
I found Bri talking to the new girls. She made eyes at me when she saw I was with Angel.
I introduced Angel and myself to Erica and Lindsey. They seemed friendly and were about my age. Erica’s hair was long and straight and matched her dark eyes. Lindsey’s hair was strawberry blond, her eyes pale blue.
Angel went with off Conner, and Bri and I quickly filled Erica and Lindsey in on what they needed to know as customers began to stream in. The theater was so crowded that it felt like a Friday.
It finally slowed down around nine forty-five. I was heading toward the kitchen when I heard, “Could I trouble you for a refill, ma’am?”
“How long have you been sitting there?” I asked Trent.
“Long enough to see you’ve earned your paycheck tonight.”
“I know that’s right.” I looked down at my achy feet.
“You’d better go finish up before you get fired,” Trent said as Mack walked by.
Fifteen minutes later I was snug inside my favorite Challenger, heading home. Warm air blew through the vents. It was very soothing.
Trent reached up and turned on the overhead light. “Here ya go,” he said, handing me a sheet of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Your freedom,” he said, grinning.
It was a list of cars for sale. “How’d you know?”
“Bri told me in class today.”
“These are all in my price range, and they’re the models I like too.”
“Bri again,” he repeated.
I smiled at his thoughtfulness. “So…what else did you two talk about today?”
He arched his brows. “Stuff.”
“Uh-huh. I see. What kind of
stuff
?”
He shrugged. “Poe. Poetry. You know.”
He eased the Challenger into my driveway and put the car in park. “I’ll take you tomorrow to look at them,
if you want
.” I don’t know how he made that sound seductive, but he did.
“I’d like that,” I almost whispered.
I was quiet then.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No. It’s just that I always thought my dad would help me look for my first car. But please don’t get me wrong. I really appreciate everything you’ve done. And I don’t know a thing about cars. I could really use your help.”
“You’d better get inside. Someone’s waiting on you.” I looked up to see my mom at the window, peeking from behind the curtain.
Mommm!
“See ya tomorrow,” I said then jetted for the front door.
X
60 %
T he next morning Bri was right on time as usual. I said bye to my mom and jumped into the Chevelle. I got Bri up to speed on the latest with Trent, and then she filled me in on the details with Cole.
“I think he’s the one, Ash. Seriously, I could see myself marrying him.”
“That’s OK with me, as long as you don’t mind the three of us rooming next year at college,” I said with a laugh.
“Not a prob. So are we hitting the gym tonight since we don’t have to work?”
“I would, except Trent offered take me right after school to look at cars.”
“You’re welcome,” she said matter-of-factly. “OK, well, you leave me no choice but to begin my new weight-loss regimen,” she said very seriously.
“And what might that be?” I asked.
“It will involve Cole.”
“Oh?”
“It’s called sexercise. Kidding. Don’t have a stroke.”
She turned up the radio and moved her body to the music. I thought we were going to wreck a couple of times, but I was laughing too hard to care.
Before we got out of the car, I asked her, “What else did you and Trent talk about yesterday?”
“Not a whole lot.” She shrugged. “He broke the ice by cracking a joke about how it was very convenient for you to have a chauffeur for a best friend.” She
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