matter. Maybe I am a huge jerk. But I slide further into my booth and hope that he doesn’t stay long.
“Keanna?”
I jump. The cashier calls out my name again, louder this time.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
Now I have to embarrass myself all for the sake of a stupid milkshake. Before the guy can call out my name for a third time, I grudgingly walk up to the register, keeping my eyes only on the guy holding my milkshake.
“Here ya go,” he says, handing it over. “Nice and fresh for you.”
If this were any other time, I would ask how the hell a milkshake can be fresh, but it is definitely not the time. Also, luck isn’t on my side.
“Hey,” Jett says, his voice full of surprise. He’s waiting on his food to be ready, the straw from his soda dangling an inch from his mouth. “It is you. Small world.”
“Small town,” I say, turning to leave.
“Wait.” Jett grabs his bag of food from the guy behind the counter and then takes a handful of ketchup packets. “Who are you eating with?”
“Myself.”
He glances toward the football guys and it’s as if he actually considered that I might have come here with them. “But there’s only one car in the parking lot.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I say. Damn, he brings out the bitch in me.
“Did you walk here from Park’s?”
I nod. This time I do walk away. I’m done with his questions and it’s already humiliating enough being seen here, alone, and homeless. Although I guess he doesn’t know I’m officially homeless right now.
I make it back to my booth and then Jett slides in on the opposite side, dropping the ketchup packets in between us on the table.
“Uh, hello?” I say, scowling. “Can’t you find somewhere else to sit?”
“I’ll level with you,” he says, leaning forward as he removes his food from the paper bag. “You look like you’ve had a shit day. I’ve definitely had a shit day. Probably the worst day I’ve had all year. You’re a friendly face, and, okay maybe not friendly, but you’re sure as hell easy to look at and I’d like to eat dinner here.”
My cheeks become raging hot and I stare at the straw in my milkshake.
Jett continues, “So if you really want to kick me out you can, but I’d like to be in your company if only for a little while.”
Something I don’t quite understand floods into my brain, taking over all rational thoughts. I have been nothing but rude to this boy and yet he is consistently nice to me. I lift my shoulders and take a long sip of my milkshake.
“Fine, but only if you share your fries.”
Chapter 10
Keanna may be the cutest fry eater in the world. Her lips slide to the side of her mouth while she gazes at the fries, carefully choosing one. Then she grabs it and bites the end off. It takes her two or three bites for each fry, when I’m the kind of guy who shoves a handful of them in my mouth at a time.
I’d ordered two large containers of fries to go with my double cheeseburger and after she asked me to share them, I’d happily obliged and dumped both containers onto a plastic tray.
Normally I’d devour them all in a few minutes, but I make myself take my time for this midnight meal. When it’s finished, I’ll have to leave and I am not ready to say goodbye to her again. The very thought that some girl is stuck in my head like this drives me crazy, but right now I’m just going with it.
“So where’s your mom?” I ask after I’ve watched her cutely eat a couple fries.
Her shoulders lift. “I don’t know.”
“Can you call her?”
She shakes her head. “I tried that. No answer.”
“I’m sure she’s okay,” I say. Keanna nods. She’s not very chatty but I want to keep talking. “So . . . did you walk here?”
She stares at the fry she just selected, then turns it over in her hand. Her eyes meet mine and they narrow into thin slits. “What’s it matter to you?”
It’s probably the last thing I should do, but I’m exhausted from
“Keanna?”
I jump. The cashier calls out my name again, louder this time.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
Now I have to embarrass myself all for the sake of a stupid milkshake. Before the guy can call out my name for a third time, I grudgingly walk up to the register, keeping my eyes only on the guy holding my milkshake.
“Here ya go,” he says, handing it over. “Nice and fresh for you.”
If this were any other time, I would ask how the hell a milkshake can be fresh, but it is definitely not the time. Also, luck isn’t on my side.
“Hey,” Jett says, his voice full of surprise. He’s waiting on his food to be ready, the straw from his soda dangling an inch from his mouth. “It is you. Small world.”
“Small town,” I say, turning to leave.
“Wait.” Jett grabs his bag of food from the guy behind the counter and then takes a handful of ketchup packets. “Who are you eating with?”
“Myself.”
He glances toward the football guys and it’s as if he actually considered that I might have come here with them. “But there’s only one car in the parking lot.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I say. Damn, he brings out the bitch in me.
“Did you walk here from Park’s?”
I nod. This time I do walk away. I’m done with his questions and it’s already humiliating enough being seen here, alone, and homeless. Although I guess he doesn’t know I’m officially homeless right now.
I make it back to my booth and then Jett slides in on the opposite side, dropping the ketchup packets in between us on the table.
“Uh, hello?” I say, scowling. “Can’t you find somewhere else to sit?”
“I’ll level with you,” he says, leaning forward as he removes his food from the paper bag. “You look like you’ve had a shit day. I’ve definitely had a shit day. Probably the worst day I’ve had all year. You’re a friendly face, and, okay maybe not friendly, but you’re sure as hell easy to look at and I’d like to eat dinner here.”
My cheeks become raging hot and I stare at the straw in my milkshake.
Jett continues, “So if you really want to kick me out you can, but I’d like to be in your company if only for a little while.”
Something I don’t quite understand floods into my brain, taking over all rational thoughts. I have been nothing but rude to this boy and yet he is consistently nice to me. I lift my shoulders and take a long sip of my milkshake.
“Fine, but only if you share your fries.”
Chapter 10
Keanna may be the cutest fry eater in the world. Her lips slide to the side of her mouth while she gazes at the fries, carefully choosing one. Then she grabs it and bites the end off. It takes her two or three bites for each fry, when I’m the kind of guy who shoves a handful of them in my mouth at a time.
I’d ordered two large containers of fries to go with my double cheeseburger and after she asked me to share them, I’d happily obliged and dumped both containers onto a plastic tray.
Normally I’d devour them all in a few minutes, but I make myself take my time for this midnight meal. When it’s finished, I’ll have to leave and I am not ready to say goodbye to her again. The very thought that some girl is stuck in my head like this drives me crazy, but right now I’m just going with it.
“So where’s your mom?” I ask after I’ve watched her cutely eat a couple fries.
Her shoulders lift. “I don’t know.”
“Can you call her?”
She shakes her head. “I tried that. No answer.”
“I’m sure she’s okay,” I say. Keanna nods. She’s not very chatty but I want to keep talking. “So . . . did you walk here?”
She stares at the fry she just selected, then turns it over in her hand. Her eyes meet mine and they narrow into thin slits. “What’s it matter to you?”
It’s probably the last thing I should do, but I’m exhausted from
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