Page 13 of Shake Your Love
“Take that back. Better not go teaching anyone looking that good.”
Paige laughs, tipping her head back to wait for the kiss. She knows I am going to press to her lips, Once I pull myself away, I make her promise to come see me at the diner. With a new pep in my step, I climb into my beast of a van, not even caring how loud it backfires or how hard it is to steer it towards the diner.
At the diner, I find myself loving what I am doing. Paige loves food the way I do, and she gave me a lot of confidence about my cooking lately. Commenting on how good my French toast was, how great my waffles were. There were lots of classes I could have taken after I blew my future playing ball. I chose culinary classes because I do love food.
“Imelda,” I call during a rare break after lunch rush. “Think I could…I don’t know, create a few new things for the menu? Or maybe just specials? I would love to try some new things out back here.”
“Why not? Might bring in some new faces, like that pretty girl of yours. How is that going?”
“Good,” I answer with a huge, stupid grin. “Really, so, so good. I am…I cannot believe she wants to dateme. We’ve had the best time together. I never…I mean never really had a girlfriend or anything before. Where could I take her for a fun date?”
“There’s a couple’s night at Skateland tomorrow night. That could be fun. Some awful music on shitty speakers, greasy concession stand food, and people hooking up in corners. Could be a radical time.”
Laughing, I shake my head. Paige is too good for a date night at Skateland. I almost blew things last night by forgetting my wallet. What dweeb forgets his wallet on his first date with the girl of his dreams? Way to impress the super classy babe Iwant as my girl.
Instead of wallowing, I work on an idea for a new special. Imelda tells me to have a good time and says her uncle—the owner of the diner—will love anything I do to draw folks in. Thinking of the coming fall, I decide to go with two soups. A hearty French onion with delicious, melted cheese, and a nutty squash.
Once I finish, the first thing I want is for Paige to taste it. I want her opinion and her input. I think she can make me a better cook. I believe she can make me love it enough that I could do more than flip burgers or scramble some eggs. I could make this a career not just a job I work to get by.
“Hey Chef,” Imelda calls as I prep two bowls to serve to her or her uncle. “You uh…your girl needs you up here, dude.”
Frowning, I round the pass-through, almost dropping the hot bowls of soup. Setting them aside, I rush to Paige, tearing my apron off. Though she is smiling up at me, my sweet girl looks awful.
“Oh, baby, what is it? What happened? Talk to me.”
“Uh…honey, those flowers were the sweetest, nicest thing ever. It’s just…I uh…well, I have these allergies to…well, to almost all flowers and….”
Gulping down the acid on my tongue, I hang my head. I did it again. Made another idiot move. I sent her tons of flowers, thanks to Sara’s suggestion, with cards I signed proudly just a few hours ago. Now here she is, miserable, a mess, and it is all because of me.
Paige’s eyes are swollen and red, her entire face puffy. Even her hands are swollen. Her throat has scratches as if she clawed at her throat, trying to breathe through her allergic reaction. Tears fill my eyes because I am so dumb. So goddamn stupid for trying to do something nice and screwing it up.
“Oh, baby, I am so fucking sorry. It was so stupid…I just...Iwanted to do something nice. Come, sit down, let me do fix it.”
“It was nice. Itisnice,” she fixes her statement, though her swollen lips and stuttered words say differently. My poor girl.
“Can…Imelda, can I take my girl home? I know I was working on those specials…Zach will be in soon…” I stammer, pleading with my words, with desperation in my eyes.
“Go ahead, darling. Take care of your sweetheart. Feel better, girl. He is not always an idiot, I promise you.”
Paige offers her a half a laugh before she lets me gather her up. I load her up in her cute little pink bug, though I have no idea how to drive a stick. Somehow I get us to the Drug Town, scooping up anything that talks about allergic reactions. Racing home, I take her to my place, heading right for the bedroom.
Calling a favor in, I ask Brenden and Blair to get rid of all the flowers I just paid a fortune for that fill Paige’s place. While they do that, I get my girl in a hot bath with some of the powders meant to soothe her hives. Sitting beside her on the cool tile floor, I apologize over and over.
“Oh, honey, stop. You were doing what a boyfriend does. What the best boyfriend would do,” she whispers, combing some hair back from my face. I am a mess, but she is all that matters, and I love taking care of her.
“Is that what I am?”
Frowning at me, Paige tilts her head in the water. My hands drag the sponge over her bare skin, spreading the medicated powders over her wounds. Nodding her head, her blonde hair bouncing on top of her head, she soothes me too.
“Is that what you want to be? I thought…I mean, I thought I was your girlfriend after…”
“I want to be,” I rush to say it. “I never…I mean I said I never dated before, never had a clue how to do this but that we would figure it out. I will screw up,” I wave a hand at the mess I made of this. “But…yeah, I want to be your boyfriend. I promiseI won’t ruin all our dates or make you break out in hives too often.”
Paige smiles, still combing her hands through my hair. It is so peaceful, her touch. It touches parts of me I never thought anyone would want to reach. We sit there for a long time. We don’t talk because we don’t need words. I wash her skin and even wash her hair as she sits back against my chest, soaking my clothes. Not that I mind.
Taking her to bed, I set her down, her skin damp but clear of most of the breakouts. Kneeling at her side, I take the lotion I was told to slather on any hives the soak didn’t take care of. Taking my time, I do just that, feeling her tremble beneath my touch as I spread lotion on her thighs, her breasts, her shoulders, her neck, anywhere I see a spot that might hurt her.
“You’re a good boyfriend, honey,” Paige whispers as I pull a Dukes of Hazzard shirt over her bare body, even though I rather she stays bare.
