Chapter 10 #2
Fletch shakes his head. “We don’t keep score around here.”
“Helping each other out is what we do in Chance Falls,” Bridger explains.
“I’m starting to see that.” I smile, even more confident in my choice to relocate.
“Look, we’re turning him into one of us,” Dar crows.
Phil’s lip curves up. My heart damn near explodes. I caused this.
Phil stands and gathers the cardboard boxes. “There’s nothing but finishing touches; I won’t make you watch us move pictures and trinkets about.”
Us. One word has my mind running scenarios I know aren’t likely. Evening walks, coffee dates, and dinner at the pub.
“Are you sure?” Dar places a hand on Phil’s arm.
“You know how I am with my work. I can’t relax until I see it to the end.”
The words douse the flames of arousal. That’s all this was to her: a job. I don’t want to be more into a woman than she is into me. I learned my lesson when my ex bailed the minute hard times came.
Brought back to reality, I exchange goodbyes with the others and take the trash out to the dumpster in the back.
The evening air clears my head. Attraction isn’t enough.
There have to be mutual interests and common goals.
I have enough to worry about without complicating things for a physical reaction.
Logically, I know that, but what if it could be more? I need more than a small smile to believe it. Re-entering the store, I watch Phil tilt her head to the left and right.
“Does that make you hungry?” Phil waves at the display. Her cleavage bounces with the movement.
More than you know. “I think it looks good. Are you ready to call it a night?”
She blinks. “Oh. I thought you wanted to finish here.”
Shrugging, I push my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “I can come in early tomorrow and do it.”
“S—Sure.” She hesitates. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’ve taken up enough of your time lately.”
“I thought we had fun.” I hate the uncertainty in her tone.
“We did. I did.” I walk over to her. “I didn’t want to monopolize the rest of your weekend.”
“Oh.” She relaxes. “It’s okay. I’m exactly where I want to be.” Her lips part to reveal a flash of white. The genuine smile changes her entire face.
The space is too clinical and perfect. “We should christen the place.”
“Wow. Forward of you?” she drawls.
“No,not like that.” I rub the back of my neck. “With a movie. The place feels too much like a display.”
“You’re the one who works here.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Choose something you think I’d like.”
“Wow, straight for the jugular?” I run a hand through my hair, considering what I know about her.
“Just putting your talent to the test.” She grins. “You’ve seen what I can do. It’s your turn”
I accept her challenge. “Okay, I got it. No peeking.”
Laughing, she turns to face the street. I jog down an aisle, grabbing an indie classic that screams small-town slumber party. I move behind the counter, and put the VHS tape into the player.
The televisions flicker to life on the wall. Spinning around, she cheers, clapping her hands together. “Alright, it’s ready.”
“You should test the popcorn machine too,” she suggests slyly.
“Are we having a party?” I tease.
“Of two?” she retorts.
“It’s the best kind.” I walk over to the newly installed popcorn machine, load the kernels and butter and press the button to start the machine up.
The FBI Warning and previews end, and the movie begins.
“You did not put this in?” She laughs.
“How did I do?”
“Excellent. We wore this movie out over the summer.” She laughs as the girls graduate from college and head to Myrtle Beach. “I can’t believe you even know what Shag is.”
The smell of popcorn fills the air. We fall into a rhythm, placing the final items on the shelves, meeting in the center of the room. Fluorescent overhead lights flicker.
“You should get that looked at.”
“Weird thing is, I did have an electrician come out. He couldn’t find anything wrong. In the end, he wound up saying the buildings around here have interesting quirks.”
“That’s reassuring, I guess.” She leans against the front counter.
“As long as it isn’t on the verge of shorting out and burning down, I’ll deal with it.”
The popcorn overflows from the round bin, and she laughs. “I love this.”
Her face glows as she places a hand on the red metal frame with the word popcorn written in white. Is this what she was like before life threw her a series of curveballs? Her energy is contagious.
“I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.” Her gentle words are spoken softly. “I forgot what fun felt like. When I first got here, it was a flurry of hospital visits, bedside vigils, and uncertainty. It put me in the captain’s seat of a business I thought was in my rear-view mirror.”
“Why?”
“The townspeople were almost paranoid in their desire to keep everything as it was. They tried to freeze time. Any suggestion of trying new things was shot down and discouraged. I can’t tell you how many times they told me I had dreams too big to fit in our small town.
The Reel’s make-over is the first of its kind on this level.
You might’ve done the impossible, and shown them it’s possible to switch things up while maintaining the same soul. ”
“All I did was ask for help. You brought the vision to life.” I move to the center of the new carpet, and pat the space beside me.
Walking over, she joins me, crossing her legs. “How about we call it a team effort?”
“I’d like that. We work well together.” I lean toward her slowly until our shoulders touch.
The lights above us go wild, and we both laugh.
“I’ve been told recently that this town lets you know when it likes people working together.”
“Oh no, are they sucking you into the founders’ spiel?” She asks playfully.
“I’m open.” I relax, remaining in her space. “Are you?”
A Mona Lisa smile spreads across her plump lips.
“Maybe.”
I am completely screwed