nodded at them both, wondering if he should offer to
shake their hands. Or kiss their knuckles. Or something. He didn’t know proper
etiquette, and he’d also never had a need to before today. He settled on a
polite nod, still aware of his sweaty palms.
A moment of awkward silence and exchanged glances passed,
and then Mary spoke up again. “Olivia, could you help me go place a bet? I
wanted to put a few dollars on the next race. It’s one of my father’s horses.”
Olivia scrunched up her nose. “You need me to
help with that?”
“Yes, Olivia,” Mary added, punctuating the words with a
glare.
“But we just came from that direction. Why
didn’t you place the bet when we were by the booths?”
“I only just now thought of it,” Mary said.
“And actually I’ll come too,” Mikey said, grinning at
Calvin. “Calvin asked me to place a couple dollars on the next race for him
too.”
And then he winked. Calvin almost laughed at the absurdity
of it all. Mechanically he pulled the wadded bill and change out of his pocket
and handed it to Mikey.
“Let’s go before the lines get too long,” Mary said, still
glaring at Olivia.
“Oh, alright,” Olivia said, exasperated. “Are you coming,
Em?”
“Actually I think Em should stay here,” Mary said, her voice
taking on a note of incredulity. “To make sure to save us a spot when we get
back.”
Olivia shrugged. “Okay.”
To her credit, Emily was staring off at the track and
pretending like she wasn’t paying attention. Mary practically dragged Olivia
away, and Mikey disappeared after them.
Calvin leaned against the rail next to her and fought down
his panic reflex. He glanced over at her and smiled. She glanced at him and
smiled. Their eyes met. He quickly looked away.
Calvin looked back. Emily quickly looked away.
“So…” Calvin started.
He cleared his throat.
Emily waited patiently. Calvin was grateful for that. The
announcer was starting the calls for the next race. In a few minutes they would
begin the parade, walking the horses in front of the stands.
Calvin tried to think of something to say.
Anything really.
A sentence, maybe.
“So I never got the chance to thank you for the other
night,” he said finally, then cursed himself. Of course he’d
already thanked her. And that wasn’t what he wanted to say anyway.
“Oh…it was no problem.”
“And I’m sorry about your dress. Come to think of it, I hope
you managed to get the stains out but I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to. And if
you weren’t able to get the stains out then I suppose you’d have to get a new
dress. But that was a very nice dress.”
And now that he started talking, he couldn’t get himself to
shut up.
“Thank you but I’m not terribly worried about it. My father
used to own cows so I’ve done that sort of thing fairly often. Though not in
quite a few years. If I’d known a horse was in foal I would have worn different
clothes when I went to Mary’s.”
Calvin nodded. A tense moment slipped past. Probably thirty
seconds, but it felt like an hour. They exchanged another awkward glance.
“One of the horses I train is in this next race.”
“Yes, Mary told me.”
Of course Mary did. Why wouldn’t she? And what kind of
statement was that anyway? Calvin didn’t know if he’d meant to impress
Emily or was just idly talking. He felt like such an idiot.
Should he ask her about the weather? Her family? He didn’t
know. He didn’t know, in fact, anything about her other than she was beautiful
to look at and listen to and he wanted to spend more time with her.
The entire situation was ridiculous and getting worse. If he
asked her out, of course she would say ‘no’. They didn’t even know each other.
He should give up now, while he was behind.
“What did you name her?” Emily asked suddenly. Her voice
ripped him from his panic and Calvin quietly gathered his thoughts.
“Her?”
She giggled. “The baby from the other
shake their hands. Or kiss their knuckles. Or something. He didn’t know proper
etiquette, and he’d also never had a need to before today. He settled on a
polite nod, still aware of his sweaty palms.
A moment of awkward silence and exchanged glances passed,
and then Mary spoke up again. “Olivia, could you help me go place a bet? I
wanted to put a few dollars on the next race. It’s one of my father’s horses.”
Olivia scrunched up her nose. “You need me to
help with that?”
“Yes, Olivia,” Mary added, punctuating the words with a
glare.
“But we just came from that direction. Why
didn’t you place the bet when we were by the booths?”
“I only just now thought of it,” Mary said.
“And actually I’ll come too,” Mikey said, grinning at
Calvin. “Calvin asked me to place a couple dollars on the next race for him
too.”
And then he winked. Calvin almost laughed at the absurdity
of it all. Mechanically he pulled the wadded bill and change out of his pocket
and handed it to Mikey.
“Let’s go before the lines get too long,” Mary said, still
glaring at Olivia.
“Oh, alright,” Olivia said, exasperated. “Are you coming,
Em?”
“Actually I think Em should stay here,” Mary said, her voice
taking on a note of incredulity. “To make sure to save us a spot when we get
back.”
Olivia shrugged. “Okay.”
To her credit, Emily was staring off at the track and
pretending like she wasn’t paying attention. Mary practically dragged Olivia
away, and Mikey disappeared after them.
Calvin leaned against the rail next to her and fought down
his panic reflex. He glanced over at her and smiled. She glanced at him and
smiled. Their eyes met. He quickly looked away.
Calvin looked back. Emily quickly looked away.
“So…” Calvin started.
He cleared his throat.
Emily waited patiently. Calvin was grateful for that. The
announcer was starting the calls for the next race. In a few minutes they would
begin the parade, walking the horses in front of the stands.
Calvin tried to think of something to say.
Anything really.
A sentence, maybe.
“So I never got the chance to thank you for the other
night,” he said finally, then cursed himself. Of course he’d
already thanked her. And that wasn’t what he wanted to say anyway.
“Oh…it was no problem.”
“And I’m sorry about your dress. Come to think of it, I hope
you managed to get the stains out but I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to. And if
you weren’t able to get the stains out then I suppose you’d have to get a new
dress. But that was a very nice dress.”
And now that he started talking, he couldn’t get himself to
shut up.
“Thank you but I’m not terribly worried about it. My father
used to own cows so I’ve done that sort of thing fairly often. Though not in
quite a few years. If I’d known a horse was in foal I would have worn different
clothes when I went to Mary’s.”
Calvin nodded. A tense moment slipped past. Probably thirty
seconds, but it felt like an hour. They exchanged another awkward glance.
“One of the horses I train is in this next race.”
“Yes, Mary told me.”
Of course Mary did. Why wouldn’t she? And what kind of
statement was that anyway? Calvin didn’t know if he’d meant to impress
Emily or was just idly talking. He felt like such an idiot.
Should he ask her about the weather? Her family? He didn’t
know. He didn’t know, in fact, anything about her other than she was beautiful
to look at and listen to and he wanted to spend more time with her.
The entire situation was ridiculous and getting worse. If he
asked her out, of course she would say ‘no’. They didn’t even know each other.
He should give up now, while he was behind.
“What did you name her?” Emily asked suddenly. Her voice
ripped him from his panic and Calvin quietly gathered his thoughts.
“Her?”
She giggled. “The baby from the other