Page 31 of Something Good
He let out a sigh. “For the record, I’m not a fan.” He held up a hand when I tried to interrupt him. “I’m not anti-Sammy. I’m anti-putting yourself in a situation you know has a high chance of fucking you up. But I won’t stand in your way.”
“Thanks, man. I want to say I know what I’m doing, but I don’t.”
“I don’t think anyone does when it comes to this shit.”
I chuckled and stood. “I’m gonna get out of here.”
Jason rose to stand next to me. “Now? The fireworks are gonna start any moment.”
I pulled out my phone and shot off a text to my mom, letting her know I was leaving, then looked at Jason, popping a cocky smile. “I’m gonna go get my boy.”
I pulledinto the nearly empty Walmart parking lot as the fireworks began going off, lighting the night sky in brilliant bursts of color. I didn’t stop to admire them. I was on a mission.
I made my way to the back of the store, head on a swivel for any sign of Sammy. I didn’t see him, but that was okay. I had other business to take care of first.
I perused the selection of sleeping bags and chose a large, navy-blue one, then made my way to the grocery section of the store, where I loaded up on pop and snacks before making my way to the checkout area. Sammy’s blond curls immediately caught my attention on lane four.
With it being a holiday, there was barely a soul in the store, so I sauntered right on up to his register with a broad grin and dumped my items on the conveyor belt.
“What are you doing here, golden boy? I thought you were at the lake.”
“I was. Are you going to ring me up?”
He looked at the pile of stuff sitting on the belt as if he hadn’t even noticed it was there. “What is all this?”
“What time do you get off?”
His eyes flicked over to the display on his register. “Thirty minutes. What’s going on?”
“What’s Jimmy doing tonight? Do you need to go home right away after this?”
“Nah, I finally talked him into getting out of the house. He’s staying with a friend.” He leaned forward, exasperated. “Enough with the questions. Tell me what the fuck is going on.”
I leaned in as close as I could with his checkout station between us. My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty, but I smiled wide, mustering up as much confidence as I could. “I’m taking you out.”
He snorted. “The fuck? Like a date?”
“Yeah. Like a date.”
“I’m not dating material, golden boy. I’m not the kind of guy someone takes home to show off to their mom.”
“Good thing my mom already likes you.”
That seemed to fluster him, and he pulled back, fiddling with a pen, twisting it around his fingers. “I haven’t seen your mom in years. I’m not the same kid she probably remembers.” I hated the hesitancy in his voice, the smallness of it.
“Hey.” I waited for him to look up at me. “My mom will love you now just as much as she did back then.” He didn’t respond, and I was pretty sure he didn’t believe me, so I turned back to the topic at hand. “I’m taking you out, Sammy. We don’t have to call it a date if you don’t want to, but you deserve a break, and I want to give it to you. Let me spoil you a little bit.”
“God, you’re relentless.” He rolled his eyes, but I saw the hint of a smile play across his mouth as he began pulling items across the scanner.
“Does that mean you’re in?”
He picked up the sleeping bag and raised his eyebrows meaningfully. “You going to have your way with me tonight?”
His question flustered me, and I felt my cheeks flame. “Just ring it up.”
He chuckled. “That blush is pretty on you, golden boy.”
I gave him a coy look and fluttered my lashes. “You think I’m pretty?”
