Page 10 of From the Ashes
“No, not really. I didn’t know what I wanted to do until recently. I was in a different field before that.” Shit, even I knew that being an enforcer wasn’t something common, and telling her the truth now feels like jumping off a plane without a parachute. Yet I don’t want to lie to her.
“I see,” she says, playing with her fingers. I want to rest my large palm on them ‘cause she seems nervous and has no reason to be.
“What about you?”Small talk is about learning about other people and their interests.I reminded myself of Dr. Parks’s words.
“I’m a nurse at the Coverton Hospital, the big one not so far from here.” She points briefly at the window. “It’s nice, I workin the elderly branch. It’s not easy every day, but I have kind patients, so it’s worth it.”
A light smile paints her face. Genuine, I’d say. So she likes her job, good for her. I nod while the waitress puts the milkshakes and pancakes on the table. I grab a fork and hand it to her. “Dig in.”
“Oh, I didn’t order them. It’s for you.”
“You said you were hungry, if I recall.”
“Thank you. Um, okay. Actually, I am, I didn’t have time to eat breakfast this morning.” She digs into the pancakes, her lips are moving in a very distracting way. I’ve never found eating particularly attractive, but those lips and the cherry lipstick she had put on are definitely doing something to me.
“Busy morning?”
“Yes, I dropped my son off at my sister’s, then I had to check all my to-do list boxes,” she stops, looking straight at me, “sorry, I’m talking too much. What about you? Did you have a lot to do this morning?”
“Why did you stop talking?” I tilt my head.
“What?”
“You were in the middle of your sentence, then you stopped.”
“Oh, um, I don’t want to bore you with my life,” she shakes her head, “I’ve been told I sometimes talk too much, so…whatever.” Must have been her ex because no normal person would tell her that. Fuck him, I like hearing about her day, and actually, I like listening to anything she shares with me. The woman could read a fucking computer manual and I’d still be hanging on to her every word.
“So you like to make lists?” I try to go back to what she wanted to say. She chuckles, the sound bouncing on the walls like a melody.
“I’m a hard-core to-do list expert.” She sips her milkshake, then licks her lips as if the motion of her tongue would have noeffect on me. I squeeze my fork so hard the metal bends. “I like being organized, well, that’s kind of a must-have when you’re a single mom.” She explains. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to tend to a little person alone.
“Do you, um, do you have hobbies or…? I suck at dates. I don’t really remember how this whole thing works,” she apologizes, pulling a strain of hair behind her ear. I wish I could take her in my arms and tell her that I suck at it too ‘cause women are only interested in me for what I have to offer for a night, so words and all, yeah, no clue how to navigate that either.
“I like when you do that,” I admit, watching her silky chocolate hair move in slow motion.
“Do what?” she asks, furrowing her brows.
“When you touch your hair.”
“Oh,” she mutters, her lips forming a halo as I watch her pupils dilate.
Dilated pupils. Good sign.
“And I like that you say what you think.” She smiles. “You’re direct. It’s… I like that.”
She liked that. SHE LIKED THAT?
I remain stoic as something starts pounding fast in my ribcage. “To answer your question, I do have hobbies. I like working out and watching movies, all types. Blockbusters and independent small films.” She nods, her eyes studying me slowly, taking in every inch I have on display. I don’t mind. I like that she’s watching me.
“What about you?” I ask.
“A few. Working out too. I don’t go to the gym, though, it’s mostly videos I find on the internet that I do in my living room. But my favorite thing is baking. I started last year, and now I make special cakes for my son and his cousins, with characters from movies and decor and stuff.” She blushes.
So the blushing thing is good.
Noted.
Noticing that she has a bit of milkshake on her finger and no napkin to remove it, I spot some on the table behind her and stand to get her one. And just as I stand, her body jerks at my movement, her arm lifting to protect her face. I freeze, then sit back down as fast as I can, giving her space.
