I’m not in the mood for this right now. I am so not in the mood for this.
I look at this guy who’s walking toward the counter with his hands in his pockets. He is undeniably hot. He has a swimmer’s body and he walks like a skateboarder, leaning back slightly like he’s in no kind of hurry. He’s staring at me, like he knows me. Our eyes meet and I feel something inside me flash.
Brad is squeezing my arm and whispering in my ear, “ beep beep beeeeeeeep. ”
The guy is up at the counter now, the corners of his mouth curling up into a slow, sweet smile. Up close, he’s even hotter—wide-spaced eyes the color of wet slate, amazing eyelashes, dark brown hair flopping over one eye. I feel a sudden craving for something, like I’m hungry or thirsty, except not either of those things. He’s still watching me.
“Hey, Ellie,” he says.
Do I know this person? I stare back at him. Feel another flash. No, definitely not. I would not forget this face.
“You don’t remember me,” he says. He blinks. His eyes! I know those eyes!
I feel myself smiling.
“You’re Sean! From the party,” I say. I think back to that moment, at the top of the stairs, that brief and strange moment with the rubber-face guy. This is what his rubber mask was hiding.
Brad lets go of my arm. I hear his sharp intake of breath.
“Hey, buddy.” Sean smiles at Brad, tips his head back slightly, then reaches up and scratches the back of his neck. “What’s up?”
Brad lets out a quick, “Hey.”
I’m back in that moment when we shook hands at the party, when Sean just held my hand there, like it was something so precious. I feel my face get hot.
“Anyway.” Sean looks back at me. “I never got to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“How to play. Hide-and-seek. Remember? See, you almost got it, but you were missing a key element. Here’s how it goes…” He grins. “Okay. First you have to close your eyes and count to ten while the people hide. Then you open your eyes and then, and this is key”—he holds up one finger—“then you seek them. See? That’s the step you were missing, I think.” He smiles again. “The seeking one. You had the opening eyes part down perfectly, though, so no need to feel bad.” He’s nodding, all serious now. “It takes practice.”
I wish I weren’t blushing. “Well, thanks.” I can’t help but smile. “For the help…with that.” I reach up and touch my face. We just stand there, the three of us, staring at one another. I am wholly confused by what’s going on. But at least I’m not quite as sad anymore.
The silence, however, is getting awkward.
“Do you want something?” I say suddenly. “Like…um…a muffin? We have these muffins here. They’re not really that great, but they’re huge. So if you’re into eating a lot of something…”
Sean laughs. “No, thanks,” he says. “But I’d love an iced coffee if you don’t mind. Or you could just give me a regular coffee and some ice and I’ll just mix them together in my mouth.”
I smile again and go to the big refrigerator to get the iced coffee pitcher. I can see Sean’s reflection in the glass, watching me. I pour the coffee, then turn back and hand him the plastic cup, already covered in beads of sweat. He reaches out to take it. Our fingers touch. An electric shock shoots up my arm. And we just stand there like that, holding the cup together, our fingers touching, until I realize it’s time for me to let go.
Brad clears his throat. “Ellie?” he says loudly. He’s using his fake voice, the one that’s an octave higher than his regular one. Oh no. This can’t be good. “Since your shift ends in ten minutes, anyway”—Brad looks at his watch—“if you want to head out a little bit early, that’s fine with me.”
I look at my watch. It’s only three-fifty, I’m not actually supposed to be done with work until seven. I look at Brad. He just stares at me and nods slowly, his eyes open wide. He is
I look at this guy who’s walking toward the counter with his hands in his pockets. He is undeniably hot. He has a swimmer’s body and he walks like a skateboarder, leaning back slightly like he’s in no kind of hurry. He’s staring at me, like he knows me. Our eyes meet and I feel something inside me flash.
Brad is squeezing my arm and whispering in my ear, “ beep beep beeeeeeeep. ”
The guy is up at the counter now, the corners of his mouth curling up into a slow, sweet smile. Up close, he’s even hotter—wide-spaced eyes the color of wet slate, amazing eyelashes, dark brown hair flopping over one eye. I feel a sudden craving for something, like I’m hungry or thirsty, except not either of those things. He’s still watching me.
“Hey, Ellie,” he says.
Do I know this person? I stare back at him. Feel another flash. No, definitely not. I would not forget this face.
“You don’t remember me,” he says. He blinks. His eyes! I know those eyes!
I feel myself smiling.
“You’re Sean! From the party,” I say. I think back to that moment, at the top of the stairs, that brief and strange moment with the rubber-face guy. This is what his rubber mask was hiding.
Brad lets go of my arm. I hear his sharp intake of breath.
“Hey, buddy.” Sean smiles at Brad, tips his head back slightly, then reaches up and scratches the back of his neck. “What’s up?”
Brad lets out a quick, “Hey.”
I’m back in that moment when we shook hands at the party, when Sean just held my hand there, like it was something so precious. I feel my face get hot.
“Anyway.” Sean looks back at me. “I never got to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“How to play. Hide-and-seek. Remember? See, you almost got it, but you were missing a key element. Here’s how it goes…” He grins. “Okay. First you have to close your eyes and count to ten while the people hide. Then you open your eyes and then, and this is key”—he holds up one finger—“then you seek them. See? That’s the step you were missing, I think.” He smiles again. “The seeking one. You had the opening eyes part down perfectly, though, so no need to feel bad.” He’s nodding, all serious now. “It takes practice.”
I wish I weren’t blushing. “Well, thanks.” I can’t help but smile. “For the help…with that.” I reach up and touch my face. We just stand there, the three of us, staring at one another. I am wholly confused by what’s going on. But at least I’m not quite as sad anymore.
The silence, however, is getting awkward.
“Do you want something?” I say suddenly. “Like…um…a muffin? We have these muffins here. They’re not really that great, but they’re huge. So if you’re into eating a lot of something…”
Sean laughs. “No, thanks,” he says. “But I’d love an iced coffee if you don’t mind. Or you could just give me a regular coffee and some ice and I’ll just mix them together in my mouth.”
I smile again and go to the big refrigerator to get the iced coffee pitcher. I can see Sean’s reflection in the glass, watching me. I pour the coffee, then turn back and hand him the plastic cup, already covered in beads of sweat. He reaches out to take it. Our fingers touch. An electric shock shoots up my arm. And we just stand there like that, holding the cup together, our fingers touching, until I realize it’s time for me to let go.
Brad clears his throat. “Ellie?” he says loudly. He’s using his fake voice, the one that’s an octave higher than his regular one. Oh no. This can’t be good. “Since your shift ends in ten minutes, anyway”—Brad looks at his watch—“if you want to head out a little bit early, that’s fine with me.”
I look at my watch. It’s only three-fifty, I’m not actually supposed to be done with work until seven. I look at Brad. He just stares at me and nods slowly, his eyes open wide. He is
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