Chapter 11
BURTON
After I’ve washed off the Italian smell and thrown a load of laundry into the washer, I settle into my bed and hold the coupon book out in front of me.
Laney looked so embarrassed when she gave it to me, and I wasn’t sure why. No one has ever done something like this for me, and it’s an opportunity to spend more time with her. How could I not like it?
My phone rings, and I pick up even though I don’t recognize the number. Maybe I’m a little too distracted as I picture us walking around a farm. “Hello, this is Burton.”
“Hi, Courtney Burton? This is Sherrie Randall from the Clean it Up Project. You applied to help us on a few projects around the Salt Lake area?”
I freeze, trying to reconcile all that she’s telling me with reality. I never signed up for anything, at least not in the past few days.
“How do your applications work? Are they on paper, or electronic?” I ask. “I just can’t remember doing it.”
“Everything is electronic these days, sir,” she says.
I tap my finger on my lips and try to think of something. “Which email was used?”
There’s a pause and then she says, “Um, courtquackamoo—”
“Got it.”
Connie.
“I think my sister put in the application.”
“No problem. We’re hoping to get some help this Friday and Saturday. Would you be available on one of those days?”
It’s only Tuesday, so my brain has to focus as I remember my upcoming shifts at the restaurant. “Yeah, I can do Saturday.” I might as well do some service since Connie did the hard part of arranging it. Although she could’ve told me she sent in the application.
“Perfect. We’ll have you meet at an address that I’ll send you when we hang up from this call. Be there by seven in the morning on Saturday, and you’ll head out from there.”
“What time will we be done, and do I need to bring anything with me?”
“The bus usually comes back around six in the evening. If you have any work gloves, that would be ideal. Everything else will be provided.”
“What is it we’re scheduled to do?” I ask, trying to plan. “And am I allowed to recruit people to come with me?” It wouldn’t hurt my roommates to do a little service. But do I want them breathing down my neck if I meet someone at this cleanup?
Meet someone when I’m in dirty work clothes and smell like body odor from sweat? Connie’s messed with my brain too much this time for that to even be a possibility.
“I don’t have the project details here, sorry. And we usually have a full bus. If they’d like to come, have them meet us at the project, and I can send you the address, or apply for the next one.”
“Okay, thank you.”
I set the alarm already for Saturday morning on my phone. I’m going to have to be up early to get there on time.
I’m not sure what else to do. My body is tired, but my brain is still buzzing with everything that’s happened today.
I open the coupon booklet again and smile. I take a picture of the running buddy coupon and text it to Laney.
I’m calling this one in for tomorrow. What time?
She doesn’t respond for a few minutes, but when the text comes through, I’m smiling.
How about 7:00 am?
Awesome. I’m working on hydrating now, coach
I take a sip from my steel water bottle and lean back. Maybe I’m just new at this, or I haven’t had the right woman to text, but this connection with Laney is something I haven’t experienced before. And while part of me is nervous about making anything too serious, I want to see where it leads.
Hopefully not to brokenheartsville.