Chapter 6
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Maybe I should have made a move on her that night. Kind of hard to execute with Captain America passed out only three feet away, but dammit, I shouldn’t have let that stop me. I saw how she was looking at me. How hard would it have been to go find an empty bedroom, for godsakes?
I was plagued by my inaction. I kinda didn’t think about anything else the entire weekend. By Monday, I was half out of my mind.
After lunch, we stopped at her locker before heading down the hallway. She pulled a sheaf of papers from her stack of books and asked, “Have you checked out this report we have to do for Mason’s class?”
“Not really,” I said. “I think that booklet spent the weekend at the bottom of my locker, actually. I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”
“Why not?” she asked, wrinkling her nose in bewilderment.
“I don’t know... Shakespeare? I don’t get the appeal.”
Layla looked at me like I was nuts. “Trip, it’s Shakespeare for godsakes! He’s only like the most famous writer ever.”
“Most famous doesn’t always mean best. I mean, look at how popular Growing Pains is. That show sucks.” I didn’t add that I referred to it as Boner Pains.
She put a hand over her heart, faking a chest pain. “Ouch. You don’t dig the pure cheesy awesomeness of Growing Pains? I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.”
I laughed while realizing she’d just set me up with the perfect opening. “Well, friend, you’re obviously the brains of this operation. Maybe we can work on that Shakespeare thing together and you can explain all the numerous ways that I’m wrong—which I know you’re just dying to do. Whaddya say?”
Her eyes lit up as she smiled. “Yeah, sure.”
“Cool.”
I started to think there may have been a chance for us, even though the window of opportunity was only cracked a sliver. But when I saw her get into Cooper’s car after school, it slammed shut.
Dammit.
I had to get this girl out of my mind once and for all. It was just too painful to constantly get my hopes up only to have them crushed at every turn.
Screw this.
As soon as I got to my father’s office, I called Tess.
She answered on the third ring, and I didn’t even say hello before launching in with, “What are you doing tonight?”
I heard the snicker on her end before she purred, “Hanging out with you.”
A smile spread across my face. “That’s what I was hoping. I get off work in a couple hours. Why don’t you give me your address and I’ll swing by when I get through here?”
As it turned out, she lived right in my neighborhood, so I was able to find her house easily enough. I picked her up at six, then headed to the mall.
I pulled into a spot, but before I could even cut the engine, Tess asked, “Is this our date tonight? Hanging out at the mall?”
“No,” I chuckled. “I thought we could get a movie and watch it at my place.”
“We’re here to rent a movie? Why bother with the video place at the mall? We could’ve gone to the one right in town.”
“Nah. The one here is way bigger. It has everything.”
“Okaaay... Then why are you parking in the lot furthest away?” I played dumb and answered her with a shrug which was met with her exasperated sigh. “Pull back out and take a left around Stern’s. I’ll show you the best lot for Totally Videos.”
“Yeah, sure, okay. Sorry. Still learning my way around, I guess.”
That may have been a lie. The thing was, as much as I was trying to keep Layla out of my mind, I wasn’t having much success. In all honesty, I’d been curious to see if she’d gotten that job she was trying for last week, and I’m pretty sure my brain subliminally directed me to park in a spot that would give the best starting point to scour the whole mall.
Subconscious or no, I readily admit that it was a stupid idea.
I mean, even if I happened to spy her in one of the many stores in this place, what the hell did I expect to do about it? I was on a date with another girl, for godsakes.
Brilliant plan, Wilmington.
Just as I was feeling all grateful that I was being denied the chance to carry out my dumb plan, I saw Layla. There she was, right there in Totally Videos. She was sitting in the middle of the floor putting a cardboard display of Pretty Woman together, so she didn’t see us as we bypassed the New Releases and headed right for the Comedy section.
As much as I didn’t want it to, my heart sorta pinged around in my chest at the sight of her. I couldn’t help it. It was completely involuntary.
Tess and I were on opposite ends of the same aisle, scanning the various selections. She let out with an enthusiastic, “Oooh!” as she held up the box for Mannequin. “How about this one?”
I lowered a brow. “Not a chance.” I spotted a better option almost immediately, and held up the box for Spinal Tap. “Now this...” I suggested, tapping the cover. “This is a masterpiece. Have you ever seen it?”
“No.”
“It’s funny. You’ll like it.”
She gave a shrug, capitulating. It didn’t seem like she felt too strongly about it one way or another, which didn’t earn her any extra points in my book; I was a total movie guy.
As we walked toward the front of the store, I faked a look of surprise. “Hey! Layla!”
Her teased hair was pulled into a weird ponytail that made her head look like a Trojan war helmet. She still looked gorgeous, though.
“Hi Trip. Hey Tess.”
Tess offered a hello before wandering off to flip through a display of movie posters.
“So,” I said to Layla. “I guess you got the job. Cool.”
Her nose crinkled to answer, “It’s really not, but thanks.”
“No, it’s cool. It’s gotta be better than working at my father’s office.” Before my brain could fully form the thought, my mouth was asking, “Hey, are you guys hiring?”
“Here?” she asked, incredulously.
“Yeah, why not?”
Stop it, Wilmington. What the hell are you doing?
She brushed a loose strand of hair back into her clip. “Okay. Let me check.” She unfurled herself from her seated position and headed through a curtain near the back of the store.
“Hey, Tess. I’m gonna be a few more minutes,” I explained, making my way to the front register. “Why don’t you pick out some candy and I’ll meet you over here when you’re done?”
She gave a shrug. “Okay.”
I put Spinal Tap on the counter as Layla emerged from the back room waving a single sheet of paper. “My manager didn’t say whether they were looking for help, but he gave me an application. Good sign, I guess?”
She stepped behind the counter and placed the paper in front of me.
“Got a pen?” I asked.
“Oh yeah. Sure,” she answered, rummaging around in the top drawer. “Here.”
The application was pretty straightforward. No surprises here. Name, date, social security... The same old boring questions.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
No.
When would you be able to start?
Immediately.
Would you be open to taking a delivery position?
Yes.
I pulled my driver’s license out of my wallet to copy the numbers. I still needed to get a New Jersey I.D. issued, but I was pretty sure my Indiana one would suffice for now.
Layla was busying herself at the register as I filled out the last questions on the form. But she took a break from checking out my movie to ask, “Are you sure you want to work here? I’ve only been here a few hours and I’m ready to quit.”
I didn’t look up from my writing as I grinned and busted her chops, “Baby, that’s half the reason I’m applying here. You need me.”
She snort-laughed before offering, “I’d run if I were you. You can still save yourself.”
“Too late now, sweetheart. Here you go.” I scribbled my signature at the bottom of the paper and handed it over.
She scanned over the page before her eyes met mine. “You’re sealing your fate, here. You realize that, don’t you?”
My lids tightened as I shot her a fake dirty look. “What do I owe you?”
She told me, I paid, she counted out my change.
“So,” I started in. “I was thinking... You want to get together sometime?”
Layla’s eyes immediately shot to Tess, making me feel like a humongous jerk. Did she actually think I was such an ass that I’d ask her out in front of another date?
It was bad enough that yeah, I had been kind of flirting with her, and I readily acknowledge that it was a pretty stupid and rude thing to do. But I couldn’t control it. Hell, I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Layla was playful and cute with a fun sense of humor. Conscious or no, I couldn’t help but get sucked into her charms. She was just so goddamned flirtworthy.
However, with my date standing a mere twenty feet away, I figured I’d better make it clear that my intentions were strictly aboveboard. “For our report,” I blurted out guiltily, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
I couldn’t discern whether the look on her face was relief or disappointment. I hoped it was the latter. “Oh, yeah. Sure. How’s tomorrow for you?”
“You don’t have to work?”
“No...” she trailed off, biting her lip. “But there’s a problem. I don’t have my license yet. Can we do it at my house?”
Heh heh.
I bypassed pouncing on her easy setup, and instead answered casually, “Sounds good. I’ll grab you after school and just drive you home.” I started to walk out, then remembered I was with someone. “Hey Tess. How’s that candy search going?”
Tess pursed her lips and shook her head. “Nothing’s jumping out at me. We all set?”
“Yep.”
We exchanged goodbyes and made our way out of the store.
As we walked out the exit doors to the parking lot, Tess asked, “What took so long?”
“I filled out a job application.”
“There?”
“Yeah, why not?” I shrugged, digging out my keys. “Hang out and watch movies all day? It’ll be fun.”
I unlocked her door and held it open while she climbed into the passenger seat. “It’s a high school job.”
I leaned against the open doorway, my eyes tightening, challenging her. “I’m in high school.”
She picked an invisible piece of lint off her jean skirt as she answered in the flattest tone imaginable, “Yeah. I know.”