Page 35 of Semi Sweet
Once more, I looked into his eyes, trying not to cry. He smiled at me warmly and I found myself trying to figure out why my life mattered to this guy from Aspen so much. “I don’t have any couches to crash on anymore. I’ve burned a lot of bridges and what I didn’t destroy, Evan wrecked for me.”
Sean ripped a page out of his tiny notebook and wrote something before he slid it on the table towards me. It was an address and a phone number. “I have a couch.”
“Sean–”
He shook his head. “Look, I know I mauled you in that bus stop shelter a few weeks ago, but that’s really not me. I got carried away and drank a bit too much myself. I’m not looking to steal you from him. Don’t get me wrong, I would love being with you. I would treat you like you deserve, but it’s a decision you have to come to on your own. It’s just an offer as a friend. Now you have an option.”
I could have said so many things. I could have been angry or offended. I could have reached across the table and kissed him. Instead, I admitted, “I’m afraid of how I feel about you.”
It was growing stronger and stronger. If it was tangible, it would have scorched me at the touch.
“I understand,” he answered. “But I’m here for you. Whatever you decide.”
Chapter Eighteen: Opportunities
Whenwewerefinishedwith our coffee and dessert, Sean and I paid the bill and headed back out into the night. It was just about the time I’d be getting out of my class and heading to the train. I was coming from a different direction than I normally did, which meant a different and hopefully less creepy train ride home. Sean insisted he would ride the train with me anyway. As we waited for the next train to arrive, I rapidly fired off my questions about everything.
“Why do you have photos taped to the wall at Cash Value Market?” The platform began to vibrate as a train made its approach.
“Think of it like a vision board. What I’m working towards and why I’m working towards it.”
I nodded, satisfied with that answer. “How did you decide what cupcakes to send me?”
Sean smirked. “I am observant. I got to be creative for the first time in forever, so it was like a challenge of how to impress you.” The train screeched to a stop in front of us and as soon as the doors opened, we got on board.
“So I have to know,” I said as we found two seats in a car. “How much did Beth and Max know?”
Sean laughed. “Oh, they knew everything. I would not have been able to pull it off without them. Even a few of my other clerks had inklings of what I was up to.”
“I’m going to kill them.”
“It’s not their fault. It was you or their boss–who would you be more afraid of?”
I thought of Russel and some of the tasks he made me do. I could potentially see myself aiding him in a crusade like Sean’s if he had ordered me to and the thought made me shudder. I hoped the man sitting beside me was kinder to his employees. “I guess you're right.”
“They are pretty fond of you, too, you know.”
That news made me smile harder. “Looking for a department transfer?” I half joked. “I'm a hard worker and I never snoop in Russel’s things.”
“I’ll think about it. I guess.”
We spent the rest of the ride talking about my writing. I shared about how I was polishing up my young adult post-apocalyptic manuscript and admitted I was hoping having my foot in the door at the Rocky Mountain Press might help me get a publishing deal. I mused about how they probably had some sort of connection if they couldn’t take me on as a client due to a conflict of interest. Sean seemed legitimately interested in my prospects, which I was completely thrown off by. I was used to writing in secret so Evan wouldn’t yell at me. I was surprised how quickly the ride went. The conductor announced we’d arrived at the Oakland Station before I knew it. Soon we were standing on the platform and Sean was waiting for the train that would take him across the city to his apartment.
“I hope you aren’t too disappointed that the mystery of your cupcake admirer is over,” Sean said, hands in his pockets.
“Only a little. It was the highlight of my day.”
“What are you going to do with yourSemi Sweet page?” He turned to face the tracks to hide his expression, which looked both embarrassed and proud at the same time.
My eyes went wide. “You know about that?”
“I’m a follower and I have commented on every photo,” Sean admitted.
“OH MY GOD, get out of here,” I groaned. “I guess the world doesn’t have to know who you are even if I do. But that means you aren’t getting credit for your work.”
The blue line’s breaks screeched as it rolled into the station. “I will someday.” He elbowed me. “Goodnight, Olivia.”
He turned to leave, but I couldn’t end the evening like that. “Wait!”
