bunch of trash floating around in front of you?”
“I don’t know, she’d probably think it suited me.”
Meryl gave me a half serious look and shook her head, smiling. “Go on, go home. Nothing’s going on here.”
Glancing at the clock, I knew I still have three hours before I was off. “Really?”
“On one condition: you vent your skills alone at home. All right?"
I smiled as I pulled off the green apron tied around my waist. “I promise.”
I tucked the apron in the space under the counter before I made an exit, being quiet as Meryl suggested.
“Don’t want Lisa in a worse mood than normal,” she mumbled before I left.
Outside it was almost just as quiet as the store. A slight breeze blew as I crossed the lot to my car. I glanced across the street at the movie rental place, noticing the blinking lights around some old posters in the window. There was movement inside, and I watched in a kind of paranoid frenzy as Linden walked out.
My first instinct was to duck and run for my car, but instead I averted my eyes to my hands as I fiddled with my keys. He was wearing big round sunglasses, so it was impossible to tell where he was looking. I hoped my bangs would be enough to hide my nervous gaze. I wasn’t sure what to do—say hi or keep going to my car?
Linden solved the problem for me when he called out my name. I looked up as my heart gave an obnoxious little jolt. He walked across the street while I waited by my car, wondering why I’d been so nervous before. I thought I was over that.
“Hey,” Linden said when he stood a few feet away. “Just get off work?”
“Yeah, Meryl let me out early. It’s been pretty slow,” I replied as the wind picked up, almost drowning out my voice.
“Yeah, warm weather slows people down,” he said, brushing his hair out of his face. I got a brief look at the tattoos on his arms, but I concentrated on his face again. I didn’t want to stare, but this was the first time I’d seen him in a short sleeve shirt.
“So, what have you been up to?” I asked, wanting to launch into conversation. In the wind, silence made me nervous, and I could feel the intense gazes from someone in the store behind me.
“Not much, just fixing up the house. I’ve made some pretty good progress,” he said, looking very pleased with himself. “You should see it. You busy now?”
He leaned forward and nudged my arm, grinning. How could I not give in?
I agreed to follow him back to his place. Of course I saw Meryl and Lisa’s faces in the store window, both failing to look casual when I glanced their way. Anyone who had seen us talking would gossip, but for now I didn’t mind.
I followed Linden’s rusting little car down the listless streets, pulling off onto the hard-packed unpaved road at the end of town. There were new potholes and ruts from all the rain, and my car bounced around even as I tried to avoid the worst spots. Glancing up at the sky, I noted it was clear, though some gray clouds hovered in the distance where the sun was setting. They glowed pink and orange under the darkening sky, and I wondered if the stars were more visible out here.
I parked beside Linden’s car when we reached the house, and I sighed as I killed the engine. The whole house was tinted orange in the light, and the windows seemed to pick up the slight pink hues. As I stepped out of my car, I noticed a wooden wind chime hung on the porch that hadn’t been there before. It must have been one of his new additions.
“Come on, come on,” Linden said rapidly, jogging towards me from the other side of his car. “If we hurry, we can see the sun set.”
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me with him towards the porch. I ran after him, trying to keep up as he dashed up the stairs. He pulled me through the house, up the stairs and down the hall to the window with the stairs, which were already pulled down. Flinging the window open, he squeezed through, still holding onto my wrist. I managed to get
“I don’t know, she’d probably think it suited me.”
Meryl gave me a half serious look and shook her head, smiling. “Go on, go home. Nothing’s going on here.”
Glancing at the clock, I knew I still have three hours before I was off. “Really?”
“On one condition: you vent your skills alone at home. All right?"
I smiled as I pulled off the green apron tied around my waist. “I promise.”
I tucked the apron in the space under the counter before I made an exit, being quiet as Meryl suggested.
“Don’t want Lisa in a worse mood than normal,” she mumbled before I left.
Outside it was almost just as quiet as the store. A slight breeze blew as I crossed the lot to my car. I glanced across the street at the movie rental place, noticing the blinking lights around some old posters in the window. There was movement inside, and I watched in a kind of paranoid frenzy as Linden walked out.
My first instinct was to duck and run for my car, but instead I averted my eyes to my hands as I fiddled with my keys. He was wearing big round sunglasses, so it was impossible to tell where he was looking. I hoped my bangs would be enough to hide my nervous gaze. I wasn’t sure what to do—say hi or keep going to my car?
Linden solved the problem for me when he called out my name. I looked up as my heart gave an obnoxious little jolt. He walked across the street while I waited by my car, wondering why I’d been so nervous before. I thought I was over that.
“Hey,” Linden said when he stood a few feet away. “Just get off work?”
“Yeah, Meryl let me out early. It’s been pretty slow,” I replied as the wind picked up, almost drowning out my voice.
“Yeah, warm weather slows people down,” he said, brushing his hair out of his face. I got a brief look at the tattoos on his arms, but I concentrated on his face again. I didn’t want to stare, but this was the first time I’d seen him in a short sleeve shirt.
“So, what have you been up to?” I asked, wanting to launch into conversation. In the wind, silence made me nervous, and I could feel the intense gazes from someone in the store behind me.
“Not much, just fixing up the house. I’ve made some pretty good progress,” he said, looking very pleased with himself. “You should see it. You busy now?”
He leaned forward and nudged my arm, grinning. How could I not give in?
I agreed to follow him back to his place. Of course I saw Meryl and Lisa’s faces in the store window, both failing to look casual when I glanced their way. Anyone who had seen us talking would gossip, but for now I didn’t mind.
I followed Linden’s rusting little car down the listless streets, pulling off onto the hard-packed unpaved road at the end of town. There were new potholes and ruts from all the rain, and my car bounced around even as I tried to avoid the worst spots. Glancing up at the sky, I noted it was clear, though some gray clouds hovered in the distance where the sun was setting. They glowed pink and orange under the darkening sky, and I wondered if the stars were more visible out here.
I parked beside Linden’s car when we reached the house, and I sighed as I killed the engine. The whole house was tinted orange in the light, and the windows seemed to pick up the slight pink hues. As I stepped out of my car, I noticed a wooden wind chime hung on the porch that hadn’t been there before. It must have been one of his new additions.
“Come on, come on,” Linden said rapidly, jogging towards me from the other side of his car. “If we hurry, we can see the sun set.”
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me with him towards the porch. I ran after him, trying to keep up as he dashed up the stairs. He pulled me through the house, up the stairs and down the hall to the window with the stairs, which were already pulled down. Flinging the window open, he squeezed through, still holding onto my wrist. I managed to get
Similar Books
