Kissing in Cars (Kiss and Make Up #1)(14)

"Okay, I'll do it then."

"Do what?!" I damn near shout, exasperated.

"I'll flirt with the next guy that walks in that door. Even if he's, like, super old."

"That's the dumbest thing you've said all day. Plus, what if the next guy that walks in the door is a kid?"

"Well, if he's like, twelve then that would like, totally make his whole year."

"Oh my god you're so ridiculous..."

At that moment, the bell from the door jingles and I groan.

Lord help me.

I can hear the faint sound of Erin greeting the new customers, and resume unpacking the box of insulated Under Armour shirts that sits half empty on the floor. I look around for a clear surface, and remove a stack of resort maps. The shirts still have to be taken out of their clear plastic bags, put on hangers, and tagged.

Ugh, this is the part of the job that I hate.

Just then, my phone buzzes in the pocket of my apron. It's a text from Tasha.

how late do u work?

I reply: done in 2 hrs. why? and slip the phone back into my pocket. It buzzes again almost immediately.

Tasha: scrimmage starts in 20 min. She's talking about the hockey pre-season scrimmage the Ravens have this afternoon against the prep school in a nearby city, and Tasha just happens to be dating a guy from their team.

Me: there's no way I'll make it. it'll b over long b4 i get done if its just a scrimmage.

Tasha: ok. will save seat just in case.

Me: thnx. Even though I know there's no way I'd make it, and really no way I'd go even if I could. Besides, what I what hardly matters since I'm stuck here at work until my shift ends.

For the next two hours, I stay in the back room and unpack boxes. Shirts, socks, and even a box of ski masks. Since its getting closer to October, the weather might be warm enough to sit at the lake for the day, but ski season will be upon us in a matter of weeks. Erin doesn't help at all, of course, but rather she's been up front accosting the few customers that actually wander in. One couple comes in to pre-order ski jackets, and some poor random man comes in to pick up the snowboard bindings he had tightened (I'm really grateful I wasn't up front for that little exchange if Erin's still playing her "boredom buster").

By the time 5:00 rolls around, my stomach is growling.

I text Jenna: im starving.

Stuffing the phone in my messenger bag, I head out to my Jeep and sit waiting in the parking lot at the base of the grassy ski hill. I haven't even put the key in the ignition yet, because if Jenna texts me back and wants to grab something to eat with me, then I'll have to turn an entirely different direction once I get out of the parking lot.

So I wait.

My phone buzzes.

Jenna: we literally just ate. still @ mcdonalds. want me to grab something with you anyways?

I type back: no worries. running to grab mongolian, its been an age.

Jenna: no value menu?one dollar, hollar!

Me: i'll just go sit in a corner somewhere. alone...

Jenna: don't talk to any perverts.

Me: darn I was planning on it.

Sighing, I start my ignition and quickly lean over to feel around inside my bag to see if there's a book I can read while sitting at the restaurant. Kyoto Grill is one of my new favorite places to eat; basically you build your own stir-fry and slap everything you picked out to eat onto a 500 degree stone. The only problem I have is the bowl they give you to fill is never big enough! I literally have to pile all the ingredients on my bowl until it resembles a mini-mountain. Then, my vegetables always topple off before I make it to the chef, and that's pretty embarrassing. But the food is fantastic (in my opinion) not to mention healthy, and since the place is relatively new it's never crowded.

On a few occasions I've been the only patron there.

So not twenty five minutes later, I'm all set in a corner booth at Kyoto: a steaming hot plate of stir-fry, a somewhat racy teen romance (that Jenna borrowed to me, of course), and my iPod. I set my phone on the table and put in my ear buds, deciding that maybe a mellow playlist would be best - after all, I can't really read if I've got Drake blasting in my ears.

I take a few bites of my dinner, which is a combination of noodles and vegetables that taste amazing, and open my book to the ear-marked page. I don't read very often, but this book has managed to keep my interest. Then again, give me the name of one teenage girl who can resist a story about a good girl secretly crushing on the schools bad boy... Clever girl that I am, the irony isn't lost on me.

My phone buzzes.

Jenna: find a pervert with a long noodle?

Me: lol. leave me alone i'm eating.

Jenna: don't choke. and text me so I know you survived.

Me: Yes mom :p

Jenna: don't talk 2 stranglers.

Jenna: dammit autocorrect! *strangers.

Giggling, I stuff my mouth with a fork full of rice noodles. They're so delicious I close my eyes and moan out loud - every bite is totally worth the torture of a day spent working with Erin. In my opinion, it's a reward that's been truly earned.

And I mean to savor it.

As I start the beginning of a new chapter in my book, the steady stream of music pumps from the iPod, through my ear buds, and into my ears. I casually bop along to the rhythm of "You should have (kissed me)" by Glorianna. I just can not get enough of this romantic playful song, even though it's an older song. I'm the type of person who, when they really like a tune, they listen to it over and over, and that's why I've listened to this one...oh...about a thousand times.