Page 6 of Mud, Love, and Chemistry

“What?” My eyebrows shoot to the sky. “No way.”

Lisa frowns. “Fine.” Turning her back to me, she takes my phone with her and taps the screen.

“Lisa! No! Give me my phone!” I shout as I’m clawing to get around Lisa and trying not to drop my ice cream. Our antics elicit more gawks from the parlor patrons, but I don’t care.

“Too late.” She spins around with the biggest self-satisfied smile on her face.

All I can do is stare at the word “delivered” in my text messages as she hands it back to me. I wait for those three little dots to appear, but they don’t. My heart speeds up, my breaths shallow, and the world around me blurs.

Lisa’s arm around my shoulder pulls me back to reality. “He’ll respond. Relax and enjoy your ice cream.”

“I can’t believe you did that,” Jackie whispers to Lisa as they all walk toward a table.

Neither can I. Or maybe I can, but never thought she’d do something like that to me. She knows I like to think things through. I need to weigh all my variables, compare all my possible outcomes. I don’t act on a whim.

With a sigh, I tuck my phone into my back pocket. He’ll respond. Surely, he will. Either way, there’s no sense in worrying about it yet. Wait for his response, or lack thereof, and I’ll get my answer.

I join my friends at the table. My tension ebbs as I laugh at all the dried mud that has flaked off in a huge dusty mess all around them, but ramps right back up when my phone dings in my pocket. I don’t move, just stare wide-eyed at Lisa, who’s grinning like an idiot. With a deep swallow, I take my phone out and unlock the screen.

“Who is it? Is it him? What did he say about the pic? Did he love it?” Lisa’s rapid-fire questions don’t even register in my brain.

I’m too busy trying to quell the frenzied butterflies in my stomach. The corners of my mouth tick upward as I read Sam’s message.

SAM: Is your last name really Erlenmeyer?

“Are you kidding me?” Lisa asks. “That’s the first thing he says!?”

I chuckle, but it’s laced with disappointment. Part of me was hoping the first thing he’d mention was my picture. I shake it off and I type my response.

BRYNN: Yep, it is. Is that surprising?

SAM: Not as surprising as your picture. Is the ice cream good?

“What’s he saying that’s got you smiling like that?” Jackie asks.

I shake my head. “He asked if the ice cream was good.”

“Tell him it would be better if you were licking it off his chest.”

I tear my gaze away from the phone to gape at Lisa before bursting into laughter. “No. I don’t think I’ll be saying that.” I swirl my tongue around my ice cream and go back to the message.

BRYNN: It’s delicious. Didn’t my picture do it justice?

My stomach clenches as I await his response, those three dancing dots taunting me.

SAM: It did it more than justice. I don’t think I’ve ever been jealous of an ice cream cone before.

Heat rushes to my face, and my smile grows so wide, more mud flakes off my cheek.

“Ooh, now what did he say?” Lisa asks.

I can’t even speak the words, so I turn the phone around to show them. As my three friends read, they all have the same reaction. Intrigue at first, then wide eyes, then the giggles start. Seeing my internal feelings reflected on their faces validates me.

“He’s typing!” Hannah shouts.

I whip the phone around in frantic anticipation. I haven’t responded yet. What more could he have to say? The dots appear, then disappear, only to reappear again. Whatever he has to say, he’s waffling about it.

“They keep disappearing.” I hate the disappointment in my voice.

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