anything.
“Kate? You there?”
“Yeah, okay,” she said. “No worries. I know you’re still trying to figure out the Ty thing. I’m sorry too. Did you see? I put them back out.”
“Yeah. Thanks. It’s just a symbol, I know, but it’s all I seem to have these days.”
“I should know all about that,” she said. “Hey, I gotta go. There’s been another one of those bank robberies, over on Third this time. I’ll see you tonight, Abby.”
“Be careful,” I said before she hung up.
I felt a little better. But I needed to get it together. I needed to expect more of myself.
***
“He’s going to kill himself,” Mo said as she slammed the old coffee grounds into the recycle bin. “And right before his big break. Dude is thinking with the wrong body part on this one. You might want to talk to him.”
“Heard that, Negative Nancy,” David yelled at her. He was standing far over in the corner of the café, talking with some customers.
“How did he do that?” I said, lowering my voice.
“He’s all ears when he wants to be. Hey, fool, can you hear this? You’re the last person on the planet who should be skiing.”
Even though she was a little harsh, Mo had a point. Since I had known David he had been allergic to the outdoors and any form of physical activity. I had a hard time picturing him up on Mt. Bachelor.
I wiped down the counter and moved back over to the register to help a customer. After I took the order, David wandered back and leaned up against the glass pastry case, his arms crossed and his back toward Mo.
“Tell Ms. The Song Remains the Same that I’m not even talking to her anymore,” he said. “Clearly she doesn’t know the first thing about learning something new and challenging yourself.”
“Ha!” she shouted over the whirl of the foam machine. “This has nothing to do with challenging yourself. This is about that ski instructor who stops in for espresso.”
David just held up his hand and looked away, batting his eyelashes.
“And by the way, shouldn’t you be focusing on your acting right now?” she said. “Oh, wait, I guess you are. Acting like an idiot.”
I took the order from the next customer, a regular who was a professor at the college. He was always nice and smiling and friendly, especially to me. He ordered a pumpkin spice latte like usual, and dropped a dollar in the tip jar. David gave me a look as he walked down to wait for Mo to make his drink.
“Stop it,” I whispered, following him. “You’re crazy. He’s like 35.”
“A hot 35. Okay, but I get it. Maybe a little short. But don’t tell him I said that. He’s like one of my biggest fans.”
“Of course he is,” I said.
“No, he really is. He teaches English and loves the theater. He goes to all our productions. He said I was really good.”
“You are really good, David. You don’t have to take some professor’s word for it. A lot of people tell you the same thing.”
“You’re right. Anyway, I realize that my timing might not be the best regarding ski lessons. But when love comes a knockin’ you best not keep it waiting. But I get the feeling Patti Smith over there doesn’t know the first thing about love either.”
“Hey, lover boy, Patti Smith knows plenty about love,” Mo said. “Just ask Fred Sonic Smith.”
“Okay, I don’t even know,” David said, looking at me. “In any case, I’ve been skiing before. When I was a kid. I was told I’m very flexible. And believe me, I’ve had loads of practice since then. I mean, being flexible.”
He laughed and went back and reached below the counter, turning up the music as he eyed Mo.
“But, Abby Craig, I wouldn’t mind a lesson or two if you have the time,” he said in a soft voice. “You know, just to get me up on my feet. I don’t want to come across as a total beginner with Sven. I want to look, you know, sporty.”
Now I laughed. I didn’t really know how sporty looked, but I was pretty sure David
“Kate? You there?”
“Yeah, okay,” she said. “No worries. I know you’re still trying to figure out the Ty thing. I’m sorry too. Did you see? I put them back out.”
“Yeah. Thanks. It’s just a symbol, I know, but it’s all I seem to have these days.”
“I should know all about that,” she said. “Hey, I gotta go. There’s been another one of those bank robberies, over on Third this time. I’ll see you tonight, Abby.”
“Be careful,” I said before she hung up.
I felt a little better. But I needed to get it together. I needed to expect more of myself.
***
“He’s going to kill himself,” Mo said as she slammed the old coffee grounds into the recycle bin. “And right before his big break. Dude is thinking with the wrong body part on this one. You might want to talk to him.”
“Heard that, Negative Nancy,” David yelled at her. He was standing far over in the corner of the café, talking with some customers.
“How did he do that?” I said, lowering my voice.
“He’s all ears when he wants to be. Hey, fool, can you hear this? You’re the last person on the planet who should be skiing.”
Even though she was a little harsh, Mo had a point. Since I had known David he had been allergic to the outdoors and any form of physical activity. I had a hard time picturing him up on Mt. Bachelor.
I wiped down the counter and moved back over to the register to help a customer. After I took the order, David wandered back and leaned up against the glass pastry case, his arms crossed and his back toward Mo.
“Tell Ms. The Song Remains the Same that I’m not even talking to her anymore,” he said. “Clearly she doesn’t know the first thing about learning something new and challenging yourself.”
“Ha!” she shouted over the whirl of the foam machine. “This has nothing to do with challenging yourself. This is about that ski instructor who stops in for espresso.”
David just held up his hand and looked away, batting his eyelashes.
“And by the way, shouldn’t you be focusing on your acting right now?” she said. “Oh, wait, I guess you are. Acting like an idiot.”
I took the order from the next customer, a regular who was a professor at the college. He was always nice and smiling and friendly, especially to me. He ordered a pumpkin spice latte like usual, and dropped a dollar in the tip jar. David gave me a look as he walked down to wait for Mo to make his drink.
“Stop it,” I whispered, following him. “You’re crazy. He’s like 35.”
“A hot 35. Okay, but I get it. Maybe a little short. But don’t tell him I said that. He’s like one of my biggest fans.”
“Of course he is,” I said.
“No, he really is. He teaches English and loves the theater. He goes to all our productions. He said I was really good.”
“You are really good, David. You don’t have to take some professor’s word for it. A lot of people tell you the same thing.”
“You’re right. Anyway, I realize that my timing might not be the best regarding ski lessons. But when love comes a knockin’ you best not keep it waiting. But I get the feeling Patti Smith over there doesn’t know the first thing about love either.”
“Hey, lover boy, Patti Smith knows plenty about love,” Mo said. “Just ask Fred Sonic Smith.”
“Okay, I don’t even know,” David said, looking at me. “In any case, I’ve been skiing before. When I was a kid. I was told I’m very flexible. And believe me, I’ve had loads of practice since then. I mean, being flexible.”
He laughed and went back and reached below the counter, turning up the music as he eyed Mo.
“But, Abby Craig, I wouldn’t mind a lesson or two if you have the time,” he said in a soft voice. “You know, just to get me up on my feet. I don’t want to come across as a total beginner with Sven. I want to look, you know, sporty.”
Now I laughed. I didn’t really know how sporty looked, but I was pretty sure David
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