Worth Saving(18)

“Ugh. Since you went out of your way to make up that ridiculous story, I guess so. But what about your friends you came with?”

“They’re big boys. They’ll be fine without me,” he replies, then he signals for Brian to come back to the table, and talks to him like they’ve been friends forever. “What’s up, Brian? I’ll have whatever she’s having, including whatever that drink is. Looks like a Sprite, so let’s roll with that. Cool? Cool. Alright, thanks, bud. Good talk.”

When Brian nods and walks away, I have to laugh.

“Do you two know each other,” I ask with a smile.

“Nah, I just read his nametag. Why?”

“Never mind,” I say, shaking my head.

“So, Layla, how’s work treating ya’?”

“Same as it always does,” I reply, trying not to really think about the details of my job. “Last night was good, though. Nice and quiet.”

“Yeah? Well, that’s good. Now that I’m completely in-processed, I’m free and clear of work for a long while. I get to just go out and enjoy some time off. Maybe I’ll cruise around and go absolutely nowhere. Maybe I’ll drive to Texas. Maybe I’ll walk to Florida. Layla, I have so much time on my hands, I don’t even know what to do with it all. I mean, holy shit balls.”

I fight back a smile. “Lucky you.”

“No doubt,” he chirps back.

Brian brings our food over to the table and drops off Austin’s Sprite. Everything looks great, and my stomach is roaring in approval and impatience.

“Wow, this looks awesome, Brian,” Austin says with a smile that’s too big to be natural. Brian tells us to let him know if we need anything else, then he leaves us.

There’s silence for a while as we both dig in. I’m so hungry and everything tastes so good that I almost forget Austin is there for a while. We glance at each other from time to time, which makes me feel awkward, but we don’t say much. We just eat.

Austin scarfs down his food at twice the speed I do, and sucks his Sprite down to the bottom before I can get halfway done with mine.

“Do all military men eat that fast?” I ask, between chews.

“Yeah, it’s kind of branded into you at the academy. You had to eat fast or you didn’t have time to eat at all. That stuff stays stuck in your mind. I thought for a second that Brian was gonna come back over here and take my plate away before I was done, so I had to get it down before he had the chance.”

I giggle to myself.

“Brian is over there helping out that other table. I think you were safe,” I joke.

“Hey, you never know. It’s the big muscle-y ones you have to look out for. They’re squirrelly.”

I accidently let out a laugh that I quickly try to pull back in.

“Do you do that on purpose?” Austin asks as he pushes his plate to the center of the table, already done.

“Do I do what on purpose?”

“Try to keep yourself from laughing?”

Shit, he’s on to me.

“Umm, I don’t know. I guess so . . . I don’t know,” I say, the words coming out mumbled and confused.

“Do you hate laughter?”

I pinch my lips together to keep from laughing again. “I don’t hate laughter.”

“I figured not,” he continues. “So, I’m just wondering why you keep trying to keep yourself from smiling or laughing.”

“I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression, I guess,” I answer in the most honest way I can.

“For me to get the wrong impression? What impression is that, by the way?”

I let out a sigh.

“Look, smiling and laughing can be misleading, and I don’t like to lead people on. It’s just best to keep people at a distance.”

“Wow,” he exclaims, raising his eyebrows. “That must be really lonely.”

“Yeah, well at least that way I know nobody is being set up to get hurt in the long run.”

“I see. So, is that your way of protecting other people, or your way of protecting yourself?”

“Maybe a little bit of both,” I admit.

“Interesting. Very interesting. So, what do you like to do for fun, Layla?” he asks, moving right past what I just said like he didn’t even hear it.

“What do I like to do for fun?” I repeat, shocked by the question after what I just said. “Umm, wow. I, uhh, I don’t really know. I’m usually pretty busy with work.”

“Come on, everybody has something they like to do.”

“Okay. I like to draw, even though I’m not very good at it. I used to like to play sports, but I don’t get the opportunity to do it much anymore.”

“What’s your favorite sport?”

“I like basketball.”

“Pro or college?”

“Pro.”

“What’s your favorite team?”

“The Bulls.”

“Who’s your favorite player?”

“Derrick Rose.”

“Isn’t he always hurt?”

“Hey,” I snip. “He’s been a little banged up, but he’s back now, so you better watch what you say about Derrick. That’s my crush, right there.”