stuff every day, and you can’t give me a tiny little thought about Bakersfie ld?”
“I think you know the answer, Nova.”
“That I want to go?”
“Yes. But I think what you’re struggling with is this young man that you seem to be throwing into the mix. Maybe you’re not sure how things are going to turn out with him, but I think you want them to turn out well. I think you’re actually measuring your desire to intern against your desire to have a relationship with Austin Gaines.”
I had to sigh because it was true, but I didn’t know if I was being stupid about it or not. My grandfather seemed to think that Austin was interested in me, and I had that feeling too, but I was afraid to let it go anywhere. What if I really did have a chance to move forward with my career goals? What if a relationship messed it all up?
I decided right then and there that college and a career were more important to me, and that Austin wasn’t going to be added to the mix. I couldn’t add him to the mix. I was grateful for meeting him, and I was thankful for the opportunity that I could poss ibly have to intern for a DVM , but I felt like there were only two doors I could open right now, and I was going for the door that led to my career. It had been my intent all along, and I was frustrated that I’d allowed myself to be distracted from my goal.
When the next Friday rolled around, I was almost a basket case. I pretty much threw myself into work and school (even more so if that was possible), just because I didn’t want to make a decision about Bakersfield. I wanted the answer to be easy, and I even made weird little bargains with myself like, “If Austin calls me, I’ll go to Bakersfield.” I knew it was a silly gamble because he didn’t even have my number, but I think I really wanted something to jump out at me and tell me to go.
Austin did arrive at the café just before two o’clock that Friday. I was just finishing up my shift when I saw him enter, and I was really ticked with myself because of how I felt when I saw him. Even Levi didn’t make my heart skip a beat like that and the guy had kissed me a few times . I liked kissing Levi, and he knew that, but he al so knew that we weren’t a couple. We both spent time with other friends and other people, and didn’t expect any commitments from one another. It was more of a good friendship than anything, and I was happy just taking things slow with him.
But Austin was another story. I’d barely spent any time with him at all , but I felt like there was somethi ng weird going on between us. S omething I couldn’t explain. Being that I’d decided on my career for now, those feelings really unnerved me.
I couldn’t help staring at him when he met Meryl at the counter and the two of them went to a booth to sit down. I was refilling water at table six as I watched Austin hand Meryl a piece of paper. She looked it over, said something to him, and he nodded his head. Then he handed her another sheet and—
“Hey, what the—?”
I was still pouring water, but it was no longer going into the glass.
“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed. Mostly it just went on the table and the floor near me, but the guy looked pretty annoyed. “I’m sorry, let me grab a towel…”
Thankfully Robin handed me one on her way by, so while I quickly cleaned up the water mess, I continued to apologize to the guy and his wife.
“Nah, it’s okay,” he finally said. He’d used a pile of napkins to stop the water from running off the table into his lap, so I was thankful for that.
Once the incident was resolved , I headed to the register to cash out table eight, and by then I almost shouted for joy when Phoebe arrived to take my place.
I was in the back clocking out when Meryl approached me.
“Your lunch date is waiting for you,” she told me.
She hardly cracked a smile so I wasn’t sure what to think. I never did go over the whole story with her like I had with Robin
“I think you know the answer, Nova.”
“That I want to go?”
“Yes. But I think what you’re struggling with is this young man that you seem to be throwing into the mix. Maybe you’re not sure how things are going to turn out with him, but I think you want them to turn out well. I think you’re actually measuring your desire to intern against your desire to have a relationship with Austin Gaines.”
I had to sigh because it was true, but I didn’t know if I was being stupid about it or not. My grandfather seemed to think that Austin was interested in me, and I had that feeling too, but I was afraid to let it go anywhere. What if I really did have a chance to move forward with my career goals? What if a relationship messed it all up?
I decided right then and there that college and a career were more important to me, and that Austin wasn’t going to be added to the mix. I couldn’t add him to the mix. I was grateful for meeting him, and I was thankful for the opportunity that I could poss ibly have to intern for a DVM , but I felt like there were only two doors I could open right now, and I was going for the door that led to my career. It had been my intent all along, and I was frustrated that I’d allowed myself to be distracted from my goal.
When the next Friday rolled around, I was almost a basket case. I pretty much threw myself into work and school (even more so if that was possible), just because I didn’t want to make a decision about Bakersfield. I wanted the answer to be easy, and I even made weird little bargains with myself like, “If Austin calls me, I’ll go to Bakersfield.” I knew it was a silly gamble because he didn’t even have my number, but I think I really wanted something to jump out at me and tell me to go.
Austin did arrive at the café just before two o’clock that Friday. I was just finishing up my shift when I saw him enter, and I was really ticked with myself because of how I felt when I saw him. Even Levi didn’t make my heart skip a beat like that and the guy had kissed me a few times . I liked kissing Levi, and he knew that, but he al so knew that we weren’t a couple. We both spent time with other friends and other people, and didn’t expect any commitments from one another. It was more of a good friendship than anything, and I was happy just taking things slow with him.
But Austin was another story. I’d barely spent any time with him at all , but I felt like there was somethi ng weird going on between us. S omething I couldn’t explain. Being that I’d decided on my career for now, those feelings really unnerved me.
I couldn’t help staring at him when he met Meryl at the counter and the two of them went to a booth to sit down. I was refilling water at table six as I watched Austin hand Meryl a piece of paper. She looked it over, said something to him, and he nodded his head. Then he handed her another sheet and—
“Hey, what the—?”
I was still pouring water, but it was no longer going into the glass.
“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed. Mostly it just went on the table and the floor near me, but the guy looked pretty annoyed. “I’m sorry, let me grab a towel…”
Thankfully Robin handed me one on her way by, so while I quickly cleaned up the water mess, I continued to apologize to the guy and his wife.
“Nah, it’s okay,” he finally said. He’d used a pile of napkins to stop the water from running off the table into his lap, so I was thankful for that.
Once the incident was resolved , I headed to the register to cash out table eight, and by then I almost shouted for joy when Phoebe arrived to take my place.
I was in the back clocking out when Meryl approached me.
“Your lunch date is waiting for you,” she told me.
She hardly cracked a smile so I wasn’t sure what to think. I never did go over the whole story with her like I had with Robin
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