Finally...My Forever - Kristi Pelton Page 0,2
swinging door. Only moments passed before she came back through, hugged the girl behind the ice cream counter and strode around the corner, nearly crashing into me.
“Sorry,” she said, stepping around me. “And, thank you, for speaking up back there.”
Creepily, I followed her out. An enormously large hoard of bugs flew around the bright, parking lot lights in the late summer night sky. As I watched her walk up the drive to the sidewalk, I wondered where she was going.
“Excuse me.”
She spun around, holding both her hands up in a protective stance. Trying to make her feel better, I held mine up too.
“What do you want? I swear, I have no money. Literally none.”
I chuckled. “I don’t want your money.” I heard her sniff, and I suspected she was crying.
“Thanks for trying to stand up for me in there.” She sniffed again. “I appreciate it.”
“I think you should have slapped her before karma,” I teased. I took out my handkerchief that I had never ever used in my life and handed to her. My father would be proud.
“What is this?”
“It’s a handkerchief,” I explained.
“For what?”
“Your tears. Your nose. Whatever you want.”
Her guarded stare bore into me even in the darkness. “What did you want again?”
The idea hit me literally as it was coming out of my mouth. “I have a proposition for you.”
“What is it? I don’t do sex for money.”
I laughed. “Understood. I need help and you clearly are going to need money.”
“What kind of help?”
“A date, of sorts.”
She pursed her lips and squared up, sizing me up and down. “You need help getting a date? Seriously? You are a gorgeously hot dude. You could probably have any girl you wanted. Why would you possibly need to buy a date? I mean, what do you really want?”
“I have a few questions for you first but then I’d like to make you an offer. May I buy you a drink?”
A car pulled in the parking lot and drove between us.
“I don’t drink.” She turned to walk away. I quickly closed the distance between us.
“Freebie,” I said, chuckling as I repeated what her name tag had read. “You don’t drink. Fine. Do you eat? Dinner?”
She paused, obviously trying to figure out what was really going on. “I don’t know you. Why would I go to dinner with you?”
“I’m completely safe. You have my word.” I flashed my smile her way, hoping it would work on her like it seemed to work on every other woman I came into contact with.
“Said like the world’s best serial killer. Honestly, I need to hurry or I’m gonna miss the bus. I’m not trying to be rude.” She started to walk away.
The bus? This girl didn’t have a car. I followed her, hurrying to catch up with her, stammering as I went.
“I…look…I know this sounds weird. I’m not even sure what I am doing right now. You’ve honestly entertained this conversation longer than I expected and I thank you for that. You see…I have to go to a wedding. She’s my ex. Actually, I’m in the wedding. Dear God, this sounds ridiculous.” I swiped down my face with both hands, suddenly embarrassed at how stupid this must sound to her. Could I be more pathetic?
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Shocked at her response, I stared at her in disbelief. “You will?”
She shrugged. “You had my back in there. You didn’t have to say anything. I owe you one. And besides, at least I won’t have to ask for a day off at work. However, I’ll probably need a dress.”
“Done. You can have a couple.”
“I think one will do. What’s the date of this shindig?”
More nervous than I should have been, I shoved my hands in my slacks pockets. “Well, before you say yes, you should know there is a slight catch.”
“You’re gay? It’s not all that surprising. You’re almost too good looking to be straight.”
This time I pursed my own lips. “No. I’m not gay.”
“So, what’s the catch? Seriously, I’m gonna miss my bus.”
“If you are gonna trust me enough to go to a wedding with me, could you trust me enough to give you a ride home?”
Lightning flickered in the sky behind us as a soft rumble of thunder rippled through the quiet between us. A storm loomed all around. Maybe more than we realized at the time.
“Just so you know. Camera. Camera. Camera. Camera.” She pointed to four different cameras within a block radius of where we stood. “The government sees you with me.”
“The government?”
She laughed,