5. 5
Caden found himself thinking about Olivia several times during his shift. He had to keep pushing his stray thoughts away so he could focus on what he was doing but soon enough they found their way back in. By the time his shift ended, and he headed home, he couldn’t help wondering what she was up to. Was she even still awake at this hour?
It was almost midnight by the time he got home and inside. He unlaced his boots and headed for the kitchen, wondering what he had he could eat without too much work. On the way, he pulled out his phone to check for messages. He’d long ago gotten in the habit of leaving it locked up on his bike when he went to work. That way it wasn’t a distraction.
As he flipped through the emails, missed calls and text messages, he spotted one that made his heart seem to skip a beat. He flipped back to the message that had caught his eye.
Olivia: I know it’s weird, but I can’t stop thinking about your offer to go to the wedding with me. It’s sweet. Thank you.
He glanced at the time stamp to see when she’d sent it. Only a half hour before. Maybe she was still up? He typed out a reply and hit send, then opened the fridge. He stared inside for several seconds before closing the door and turning away. Caden stood in the middle of the room for several seconds trying to remember what he’d been doing then wanted to kick himself when he remembered.
Food. He’d been looking for food. What had been in the fridge? He knew he’d just looked inside but couldn’t recall a single thing in there. He couldn’t even guess how much milk was in there. Was there even any milk? With a sigh he turned back around and re-opened the fridge, this time reminding himself he was looking for something to eat. Leftovers, whatever, as long as it was quick and easy.
After a moment he checked the freezer looking for anything he might be able to pop into the microwave but not seeing anything, he closed that and went back to the fridge where he pulled out eggs and other fixings. If nothing else, scrambled eggs would do.
He’d just cracked the eggs into a bowl when his phone chirped an incoming text. Caden tossed the shells into the compost bin, wiped off his hands and pulled out the phone.
Olivia:Yeah, I don’t sleep very much sometimes, working swings does that to you sometimes. This seems to be one of those little sleep weeks.
Caden:I get it on the swings. It’s easier if you are on them straight but it’s harder if you’re not a natural night owl.
Olivia:I did tell you the wedding is Saturday, right? Are you off then? She had told him, and it was his day off so that was no worry. He typed up a response letting her know that then pocketed the phone and went back to fixing his dinner. He popped the bread into the toaster as soon as he poured the egg mixture into the skillet, and a few minutes later was carrying his food into the living room to eat when his phone chirped again.
He sat in the recliner he’d bought after he’d moved in, set his plate on the folding table beside the chair and pulled out his phone hoping for another text from Olivia.
No luck.
This was a message from Miles, the newly named road captain from the Kings.
Miles:You ready for the BBQ on Sunday? Just a reminder that you’re supposed to bring 40lbs of ice and take a shift at the grill.
Caden:I know. I’ll be there and on time.
The reminder made him wonder. He flipped over to the screen with the messages from Olivia.
Caden:Any chance after the wedding you’d like to do something with me, way less formal? I’ve got a BBQ Sunday and I’d love to take you.
He hit send then shoved the phone onto the table and picked up the TV remote and pulled up a movie he’d seen at least ten times from one of the streaming platforms. Now, finally he could eat, he thought as he picked up his plate and sat back.
He finished his meal and set the plate aside to carry back to the kitchen when he got up and settled in to enjoy the movie while he relaxed after work.
It hadn’t been very long, maybe twenty minutes, when his phone chirped again. Checking the notifications, he found another message from Olivia.
Olivia:A BBQ sounds like fun. Tell me what to wear on Saturday. Can’t wait to see you again.
That reminded him.
Caden:How long have you supposedly been seeing me? How familiar do we need to be in front of your family. And do I need a tux? A suit, what’s the dress code?
He hit send again, thinking he probably should have asked about that before he agreed to. A suit he could do, but a tux, he’d have to find one for rent if he needed one.
Olivia:A few weeks, and a suit is fine or even just nice jeans and a dress shirt. It’s a dress nice but not a formal thing.
He let out a sigh of relief. One thing he wouldn’t have to do.