Page 6 of Don't Scare Me, My Love

“My friend and I…” I nodded toward Jack, who pretended not to hear us. “… we’ve already gathered our pitchforks and drummed up the townsfolk.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” The guy laughed as he withdrew his hand.

I left the key where it was as I had twelve more donuts to get into the display.

The guy watched me, taking a few steps back as if that enhanced his view. He pulled out his phone and lifted it to snap a picture of me.

I glared at him. “What are you doing?”

His eyes grew wide. “You said I could take some pictures?”

“As long as I’m not in them.”

He stuck his lower lip out in front of the other. “Oh, sorry. I thought it was clear that I wanted to take a picture of you.”

I still couldn’t tell if it was because he was gay and into me or if it was just weird, straight-guy talk. I glanced at Jack, who pretended not to hear our conversation by inspecting a chocolate bar.

The guy scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. “I can delete it. But…” he turned his phone around and showed me the picture he had taken. “Your face isn’t even visible.”

When I squinted, he moved the phone closer to me. A donut hid my face. The angle at which he had held the camera did indeed make the store look like something out of a movie. Maybe I was never looking at it from the right perspective.

Jack glanced over his shoulder, biting his lips as if he wanted to tell me that this guy was most definitely flirting with me.

I sighed. “Pictureswith a faceare ten dollars. Fifteen if you want an autograph.”

“How much to tell one of your scary stories on camera?”

“Oh my god, I was kidding.”

“Me too, man.” He winked at me with a smile that made it clear this wasn’t just casual guy talk. “I couldn’t pay you even if I wanted to. Though Iwouldlove to hear more of your stories.”

I waved at his phone, trying to save this conversation. “You’re welcome to take pictures. Just… tag the station online. It might bring in some customers.”

“I’ll be happy to do that.” He went to the counter and got his coffee and snacks. “Thanks for being so open-minded.” He wandered around the aisles, examining everything and snapping some interior shots.

Jack and I exchanged glances. He nodded in his direction and mouthed, “Go for it.”

I glanced back and forth between him and the guy. Our excitement wasn’t going unnoticed. The guy put his phone down and looked at us.

“Ask him out on a date,” Jack mouthed, not realizing we were caught.

“What?” the guy uttered, the hint of a smile adorning his face.

Jack’s eyes widened. “Have a good one,” he said, pushing the door open and rushing out of the store.

“What did he say?” The guy asked as we watched Jack jump into his old baby-blue truck, only to hop out again to get some gas.

I shook my head. “Don’t mind him.”

“I swear I heard…” He looked out at Jack and then back at me. He pursed his lips, nodding as if he had an epiphany. “My ears must be getting old.”

We stared at each other for another second before he raised his phone to signal that he wanted to take more pictures. I went back to stacking the last of the donuts while he photographed the Halloween decorations, the faded‘Help Wanted’sign in the front window, and, for some reason, the ceiling fan. When he was done, he headed straight to the back corner where the car accessories were displayed and returned to the counter with a thirty-ounce fuel storage bottle. His cheeks flushed as if he felt embarrassed to buy it.

“What are you planning to do with that?” I asked him because I’ve seen people buy them before. “If you want to get extra gas and store it safely in a shed, I’ll sell it to you, but if you want to carry it around, I’d hardly advise against it. Unless you want it to explode.”

“No, I know. Flammable fumes and stuff. It’s…” His eyes darted to the counter as he took a deep breath. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if we weren’t the only ones in the store. “When I said I was out of gas, I meant itliterally. I need a small starter to get me to the pumps.”

My eye closed for two seconds as I finally understood why he was parked in that awkward position. “Why didn’t you say so? I have a canister in the back I can lend you so you can save some money.”

---