All We Can Do Is Wait(11)

Davey said, “You know it!” and flexed his biceps. This was all part of an elaborate flirting ritual between the two of them that Alexa would soon grow to know well. (A year later, Alexa sometimes found herself thinking about Davey, about how he was long gone by now, out on a boat in the middle of some faraway ocean somewhere. It made her sad. And a little jealous.)

Courtney, quite unlike her brother, seemed cool and just a tad scary, sitting there flicking around on her phone, barely paying attention to the new employee being introduced to everyone.

“Hi, Courtney,” Laurie said, a little note of menace in her voice, a challenge, a needling.

Courtney looked up, gave a big fake smile. “Hiiiii, Laurie. I like your earrings,” she said, pointing to the big silver hoops dangling from Laurie’s ears. Alexa couldn’t tell if the compliment was fake or genuine. It was something she’d always wonder about Courtney and Laurie’s relationship, whether they were friends or frenemies or what.

“Thaaaaanks, Court,” Laurie said back in a sickly sweet voice. (Clearly this was a routine they did.) “They’re from Claire’s.” Both girls laughed. “Anyway,” Laurie said, “this is Alexa. She’s new.” She lowered her voice and leaned in toward Courtney, as if telling a secret about Alexa, even though Alexa was standing right there. “Her parents have a house in Wellfleet.”

Courtney raised her eyebrows and gave Alexa a look up and down. “Fancy. Well, welcome to hell.” She raised her phone to Alexa as if to toast, while Davey chimed in, “Yeah, welcome!”

As Alexa got to know Courtney, she saw that she had an edge about her that was probably the result of something bad in her past—there were rumors about a father in prison for murder—but which also gave her an aura of maturity that all the other Grey’s kids gravitated toward. She was the group’s de facto ringleader, her cute, slightly oafish brother her genial henchman. Courtney talked about moving to New York City to become a fashion designer, but the last Alexa had looked on Facebook, Courtney was waiting tables at one of the old seafood restaurants in Newport, Rhode Island. It was closer to New York than Eastham was, at least.

And then there was Kyle, sweet and fey, who would become Alexa’s closest friend that summer, and probably the best friend she’d had since she was a little kid.

The first time she met Kyle, Alexa wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. It was her second day of training—he’d been off the day she met most of the other employees. Alexa was at the counter, stabbing at the cash register with a finger, trying to make it do what she wanted it to do, practicing before the midday rush. Courtney was supposed to be training Alexa, but she’d wandered off to go flirt with some customer, an older guy, in college maybe, in salmon-colored shorts with sunglasses hanging around his neck on Croakies. Alexa was feeling desperate and frustrated, like she was already screwing up, when she heard a voice behind her.

“You have to press ‘pound six’ then ‘enter.’”

“Huh?” Alexa said, turning around and seeing Kyle. He had an immediate softness about him, and she felt instantly relaxed in his presence.

She did what he said, and with a ring, the cash register drawer opened.

“Awesome, thank you. I’m new here.”

Kyle laughed. “Yeah, I know. Laurie told me about you. You’re Alexa, right?”

Alexa nodded, put out her hand and shook his.

Kyle looked up at the clock by the door. “Hey, we should take our break before it gets crazy in here. Courtney can watch the register. Court!” he called out. Courtney turned from flirting with the guy wearing Chubbies, and her face brightened when she saw Kyle. (He had that effect, Alexa would come to learn.) “Hey, baby,” she cooed, striding over to give him a hug, suddenly seeming warm and kind.

“Have you met Alexa?” she said, again like Alexa wasn’t even there.

“Yeah, I just showed her how to steal money from the cash register.”

“Fabulous,” Courtney said. “Oh my God, did you see who I was talking to?” She pointed to the preppy bro, now looking a little annoyed to be kept waiting.

Kyle’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, is that . . .”

Courtney let out a loud laugh, throwing her head back and clapping once. “Yes! Can you believe it? He got kinda fat?”

Kyle looked over at the guy, thin tank top hanging over somewhat bloated muscles, skin deeply tanned already, from lacrosse or sailing or something. “I dunno, he still looks pretty good to me.”

Courtney rolled her eyes. “You’re so gross.” She turned to Alexa. “He’s so gross.”

“We’re gonna go on break,” Kyle said. “I’m training her for the rest of the day, Nate said.”

Courtney shrugged her shoulders. “Cool. Sounds good.”

Alexa turned and headed for the break room, but Kyle motioned to her to follow him. “The break room’s miserable; let’s sit outside.” He poured himself an iced tea from the huge dispenser next to the even bigger tub of iced coffee, and then they went out the back door by the kitchen, out to a ratty picnic table. Kyle sat down, draped himself over the table, took a long, contemplative sip of his iced tea. An eyebrow raised above his sunglasses. “So you’re from Boston?”

Alexa sat down across from him. “Um, yeah. Yeah.”