Chapter 5
Laida
We kissed…and I mean, he kissed me. It had been a week, a painfully long week, and I kept replaying that moment in my head. My dreams at night made me pull for Mr. Vibe Right a few times. I hadn’t had sex in forever, and after that kiss, all I wanted to do was climb Jesse like a tree.
My mind was running through all the hypothetical questions, because maybe it was just a kiss, and I was starting to feel crazy.
We’d been drinking. Did he wake up the next day with regret, or was he smitten, the way I was?
Oh god, what if he regretted it? Would he still want to come around? What if he didn’t want to?
I was crashing out and needed to calm down, but I couldn’t.
I was yanking weeds like a mad woman. Who was I kidding?
How could I be with him anyway? He loves his job entirely too much and it’s a dangerous job.
What if something happened to him? Did I want to be with him if it always meant worrying that something terrible could happen to him, or he could die?
Be with someone. I was self-talking like I was already with him.
A part of me kept wondering if I should just text him, but I worried that I might look desperate.
The thought of taking another batch of products to the firehouse crossed my mind to try to get some facetime with him. Quickly, all rationale went out the window because I decided that I was going to his place of employment, like a crazy woman.
***
I put on the cutest outfit that I could find and pulled my hair over my shoulder in a loose braid, because I decided that’s what every respectable girl does when she’s trying to figure out if a boy likes her. Throwing a bunch of products in a box, I made my way to the firehouse.
When I arrived, the building welcomed me with an old, red brick exterior and open, double bay doors.
Jesse’s truck was parked on the street, so I knew he was there.
I grabbed the box of supplies, threw it on my hip, and slammed the creaky, rusted door to my sky blue 1986 Dodge Aries.
I kept chanting to myself, don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous.
When I walked through the open bay door, a man came around to the front of the truck and greeted me. “Hi. Can I help you?”
Squinting, I caught the last name on his tag, “Hiii, Soros, is it?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Is Jesse around?” I must’ve sounded like an interrogator.
“Yup.” Soros walked up to me as he yelled for Jesse, “Harrington! You have a guest!” Turning back to me, Soros asked, “Whatchya got there?”
Remembering the open box I was holding, I stuck my hand inside and pulled out one of the tins of salve.
“Oh, just some more homemade, first-aid supplies for the guys. Remedies for burns, cuts, those sorts of things. I’m an herbalist and own the Dok Champa Apothecary.
” I held the box out to him. He took it with a smitten grin plastered across his face and thanked me.
Hearing a door opening at the back of the bay, I turned to see Jesse walking up to me. “Laida? Are you okay?” He seemed concerned.
“Hi. Yes, I’m fine. I…um…was just…bringing some more supplies.”
Soros didn’t mind intruding on our conversation at all. He stuck his hand out to shake mine and introduced himself, “I’m Ethan. Ethan Soros.”
Smiling politely, I shook his hand and said, “Hi, Ethan.”
Ethan looked between me and Jesse and asked, “Are you two…dating?”
In unison, we say, “No…we…” stopping short of completing the sentence that I’m sure neither of us knew what to say.
Ethan flashed a cheesy grin and asked, “Can I take you to lunch, then… Laida, is it? Beautiful name.”
Oh, the panicked I felt inside. Being asked out by Ethan was the last thing that I wanted.
“Um…uh…” I leered at Jesse, begging for a lifeline.
He looked… well, he looked not happy at all.
Then, his expression changed. He squinted and cocked his head to the side, waiting for me to answer Ethan.
Jesse wasn’t going to save me, and I think he was enjoying it.
I finally responded, “No, thank you, Ethan. I’m… no, thank you.”
Ethan clutched his chest and half-smiled, feigning a broken heart.
Jesse rolled his eyes and finally spoke up, with little enthusiasm in his voice.
“I got it from here, Ethan, thanks.” Ethan walked away as Jesse fixed his eyes on me, inquisitively.
“What’s going on, Laida? Are you sure you’re okay? ”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that I haven’t heard from you, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” That sounded weird, like I was supposed to hear from him, when, in reality, there was nothing, officially, happening between us.
He let a slight grin slip, and said, “You could’ve text, too, ya know. You didn’t have to come all the way down here.”
I thought, Okay, Captain obvious. Of course I could’ve texted. I sounded like a clingy, insecure, crazy woman, when I asked, “Did I do something to upset you?”
He straightened his shoulders and looked perplexed. “What could you have possibly done to upset me, Laida? Why would you think that?”
Suddenly, I was feeling unsure of myself, so I started rambling.
“Well… you kissed me and I thought it was nice, but maybe I’m a terrible kisser and we shouldn’t have done that.
I don’t know anything about you, but you know almost eeeeverything about me, and I haven’t heard from you for a week, again!
That’s strike two for you, slugger, and I… ”
Just then, he cut me off with another kiss, gently caressing the side of my neck, moving his hand to the back of my head until his fingers slid through my hair and brought me in to deepen the kiss.
In front of God only knew who was watching, no less.
When he pulled back, he said, “Laida… you’re a sexy, perfect kisser.
I’m sorry that I haven’t been by or called or text.
It was inconsiderate of me. It’s this new schedule I’m on and I’m still getting used to it.
It keeps me tied up most of the time. But I’ve thought about you and the kiss every day since. ”
“You have?” I was surprised, although I shouldn’t have been.
The grin he showed me was what some might call a pantry-dropping smile.
While I composed myself, he reassured me, “Yes. Every day… every night…” I could feel myself blushing, so I lowered my head, embarrassed.
He gently lifted my chin until our eyes met.
“Don’t look down. You’re beautiful. I love spending time with you.
And I promise to tell you all about me. Honestly, as much as I loved the kiss, it freaked me out a bit, because I hadn’t dated anyone in a long time, but that’s a story for later. ”
He shocked me with his confession, but I appreciated his honesty, too. I offered, “Dinner tomorrow night? I’ll cook.”
“That sounds great.”
“I’m looking forward to it…” I started to walk backwards away from him and toward my car. “Tomorrow then…”
“Tomorrow,” he said and then he caught up to me and kissed me one more time. That time, we were met with a chorus of hollers and cheers from inside the bay. We turned to see about five guys sitting in lawn chairs whooping and laughing. “Fucking hell,” Jesse said with a chuckle.
I giggled, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and said, “Byeeee!” then darted for my car.