Chapter 10 #2
It takes a second for him to answer but then a resigned sigh is leaving his lips. "I need to-"
I'm not proud to admit that I tune him out, my own existential crises eating me from the inside and then I'm bouncing up from the floor.
"I just remembered I got to do. . . Stuff.
I have to go home." I aim for the door with quickening steps and Asher calls out, confusion coating his tone thickly. Which is quickly replaced by amusement.
"This is your house."
"Lock up when you leave." I say over my shoulder as I run from my problems.
I don't hear him reply or come after me as I race out of the house and into my car, driving towards the theatre.
I don't remember a single turn on the drive here.
No roundabouts. No stop signs. No landmarks.
Just the feeling of my chest caving in and my hands gripping the steering wheel like if I loosened my hold, I'd float off the road entirely.
I park crooked, jump out of the car, slam the door and lock it without looking back.
A woman near the entrance stares at me like I've lost my mind.
She's not wrong.
I barrel into the theatre, force my breathing to slow, then immediately wonder why the hell I'm running to Asher's sister about Asher.
Because she's my best friend.
Because I kissed her brother.
Because I need advice from the one person I absolutely cannot tell the truth to.
I stop dead in the middle of the foyer.
Breathe out.
Turn toward the exit.
"Ivy?"
My entire body freezes.
I turn, pasting on a smile just as Charlotte steps out from behind the popcorn counter, her face lighting up.
"What are you doing here?" she grins. "Finally applying for that job?"
I shake my head and her smile fades anyway. Her eyes sweep me from head to toe - efficient, observant, far too good at reading me. She's always been like that, could read me like an open book. Knew what I was thinking before I'd say it.
"What's wrong?"
I try to swallow my nerves.
Fail.
I drift closer to the counter, resting my elbows on the sticky laminate. "You busy?"
She snorts. "Always. We're permanently understaffed and my manager thinks I'm a machine."
Right on cue, I hear the doors open behind me and the sound of children.
Charlotte groans, her eyes flickering from me to the forming line. "Perfect. You're helping."
"I- what?" My eyes widen, looking from her to the group of people that just entered and seeing more on their way.
She grabs an apron and tosses it at me. "Put that on. Smile. Don't say anything."
"I don't work here."
"You do now." She gives me pleading eyes. "Please."
I open my mouth to protest, then someone clears their throat behind me. I sigh and send Charlie a look that tells her she owes me. She beams.
I turn to the person behind me as I slip on the apron and make my way behind the counter.
"What movie?" Charlottes voice is sweet. I move slightly behind her, grabbing things as people ask, making drinks and filling containers of popcorn until the line dwindles to nothing.
I smell like salt and butter when Charlotte finally turns to me.
And somehow, it helps. My heart slows. My shoulders drop. It doesn't last long.
Charlotte leans in, voice low. "Okay. Talk."
I exhale. "You know how I told you about Dain?"
She nods immediately with a roll of her eyes. "Mm-hmm. The human embodiment of disappointment. Put on this earth to prove to women that men are pigs-"
"Anyway." I cut off her rambling with a smile. "And how I said I wished there was, like... a guidebook?"
She tilts her head. "Are you writing one?"
I huff a laugh, wishing it was that simple. "No."
Her eyes widen. "Did you find a fuck buddy?"
I swallow and then wrinkle my nose. "I hate that phrase."
"But did you?"
"He's not a fuck buddy."
She bounces on the tips of her toes. "But you found a guy to teach you things?"
I wince. "Kind of."
"It is a guy." Her ponytail slips as she leans closer. "It can be a girl, by the way. I can share you."
"It's a guy."
"Damn." She squints at me. "Who?"
I look away. My stomach drops.
This is it. This is the moment to tell her.
She straightens, narrowing her eyes on me. "Oh,"
And for one horrible second, I think she already knows.
"Ohhh." Her face lights up. "A secret."
I glance back, heart in my throat.
She grins. "Okay, mysterious. I'll allow it. But I expect details eventually."
Relief crashes through me so hard my knees go weak.
"So," she prompts, "how'd this happen?"
I choose my words carefully. "He heard some stuff through the gossip mill. Asked me to tutor him. Said he'd... help me too."
"Transactional sex education." She nods. "Efficient."
"The problem," I blurt, "is that he's really cute."
She gasps dramatically. "Rude."
"I thought I could be impartial," I rush on, "but we kissed and now my heart's doing that stupid thumpy thing and I can't eat and-"
"Oh no," she cuts in, eyes lighting up. "You have a crush."
"No, I-" I stop, mind blanking, eyes widening.
Charlotte nods with a grin, brows raised. "You have a cute little crush."
I groan. "Please don't say it like that."
"You remember Will?" she says immediately.
I grimace. "Unfortunately."
"The date. You didn't eat for a week. He thought you were dieting."
"He left halfway through and said I needed therapy." I mumble dejectedly.
See I have this issue. Crush equals nerves. Nerves equal lack of appetite. Lack of appetite means I cannot eat.
She winces. "Okay, yeah. This tracks."
I sag against the counter. "I don't want to mess this up. I can't have a crush-"
"Why not?"
I can't answer that. I sigh.
"Well," Charlie says gently, "take it slow. If you feel yourself getting too attached, pull back. Or - novel concept I know, talk to him."
Before I can reply, footsteps echo.
Charlotte's eyes go wide. "Manager." She hisses the words so low I hardly hear them.
"What?"
She grabs my wrist and yanks. "Under. Now."
I barely have time to process before I'm crouched beneath the counter, knees tucked, trying not to laugh as she smooths her apron and straightens.
"Hey!" her manager says. "Busy earlier?"
"Nonstop," Charlotte replies sweetly. "Handled it. As always."
"Good." Footsteps fade.
Charlotte drops down beside me, giggling.
I press my forehead to my knees, laughing silently. "I cannot believe you just did that."
"Ride or die," she whispers.