Popcorn Love

by KL Hughes

  “Hey little man. I missed you,” she said, tickling Lucas’s belly. She then looked up at Elena and softly added, “Hi.”

  “Good morning, dear. Quite the coincidence running into you today.”

  “Wanna see dinosaurs?” Lucas squeaked as if he had just had the most brilliant idea of his young life.

  “Uh….” Allison didn’t have a clue what Lucas was talking about.

  “I am taking him to the museum,” Elena said. “He loves the fossil exhibits.”

  “Oh right. Gotcha. I like that place too.”

  “Come see!” Lucas pleaded as he bounced on her thigh and squeezed her hand.

  “Oh, Lucas,” Elena said. “I’m sure Allison is rather busy with her own Sunday plans.”

  “Nah, I’m good actually.” Allison bounced her knee with Lucas atop it. “I’d love to see the dinosaurs with you guys. I mean, unless you don’t want me to come, which is totally cool. I wouldn’t take offense or anything. I can understand wanting to spend time with your kid, just the two of you.”

  Lucas had apparently chosen to hear only the beginning of her answer, because he yelled his excitement, jumped to his feet, and tugged on Allison’s arm before she ever finished speaking.

  “No, it’s fine,” Elena said. “Vivian is meeting us there anyway.”

  “Oh, well okay.” The blanket and book were quickly shoved back into Allison’s backpack. “Let’s go then.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind, Allison?” Elena placed a hand on Allison’s arm to hold her back. “I noticed you were reading. I would hate to interrupt your day simply because my son is overeager. You are more than welcome to decline his demanding invitation.”

  Nudging Elena’s shoulder, she shook her head. “It’s fine, really. I’d take you guys over books any day, and hey, that is seriously saying something. I love books.”

  A faint hint of pink painted Elena’s cheeks as she nodded. “Very well.”

  Lucas hopped up and down beside them. “You have to hold hands!” he shouted.

  Without really thinking about it, Allison slipped her hand into Elena’s, only to see Lucas’s face immediately scrunch in confusion. Elena cleared her throat, the pink tint of her cheeks now a deep crimson. She laughed as Lucas loudly explained, “No, Alson, you have to hold hands WITH ME!”

  “Oh, uh, right.” Allison released Elena’s hand and swiped her own through her hair. “Um, yeah, because that makes so much more sense. Duh, Allison.”

  Lucas squished himself between the two women. One of his tiny hands slipped into one of Elena’s and the other into one of Allison’s, and they walked together like that all the way to the museum.

  * * *

  Elena met Vivian at the main entrance of the museum while Allison and Lucas remained with the fossil exhibits.

  “Where’s Lucas?”

  “Well, hello to you, too.” Elena pecked her on the cheek. “He’s with Allison.” They linked arms and made their way inside.

  Blonde brows knitted together. “Who the hell is Allison?”

  “That would be the young woman that you found to be my babysitter for Lucas.”

  “Oh!” Vivian clucked her tongue and nodded. “Right. I remember now. Wait, you’re paying your babysitter to go to the museum with you? Babe, that’s just sad.”

  A manicured hand swatted her arm. “No, of course not. She was reading in the park, and Lucas saw her and invited her along. I think he may idolize her a bit. He went on and on about her during breakfast and in the car.”

  “So you like her?”

  “What?” Elena asked. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean exactly what I asked. Do you like her? As a babysitter? What else would I have meant?”

  “Oh!” Elena nodded. “Oh, yes. Yes, she is a wonderful babysitter. You know how shy Lucas can be, but he took right to her.”

  “See? I am good at picking people.”

  “For babysitting, perhaps. You should apply that skill to your choices in dates. I would rather not end up with another Brice.”

  “Hey!” Vivian nudged Elena’s side with her elbow. “Give me a chance. You have only gone on one date, and the guy had excellent potential. How was I supposed to know he was a jerk?”

  “Douche.”

  Vivian cackled. “Come again?”

  “Allison called him a douche.” Elena shot her a wry grin.

  “College kids.”

  “You do realize that we are only five years older than her, yes?” Elena bumped her side. “You forget that it hasn’t been long since you and I were those college kids.”

  A wistful sigh escaped Vivian’s lips. “Yeah, those were the days. Though, even in college, you never would have used the word ‘douche’.”

  Elena squeezed her friend’s arm and pointed across the room where a woman with long blonde hair and her back to them stood in front of a massive dinosaur skeleton. Lucas was tucked against her side as she held him and pointed up at the bones.

  Scanning over Allison’s body, Vivian raised a brow at the ribbed tee, skin-tight jeans, and scuffed black boots. “Christ,” she muttered. “That’s the babysitter I chose?”

  “You didn’t meet her?” Elena asked, surprised.

  “No, I put an ad on Craigslist and she called me. I only spoke to her on the phone but she sounded sweet.”

  “She is.”

  “Yeah, and she apparently does Pilates all day long every day,” Vivian said, her tone envious. “Look at her legs.”

  Elena nodded as they both stared at the babysitter. “She is quite in shape. You should see her stomach.”

  Without another word, Elena took off toward Allison and Lucas, leaving Vivian to stare. “Wait, what?” she said. “When did you see her sto—Elena!”

  * * *

  “Momma, look!” Lucas pointed up at the massive dinosaur skeleton, his eyes wide even though he had seen each and every dinosaur in this museum multiple times.

  With Lucas still bouncing on her hip, Allison whirled around and saw Elena standing there with another woman beside her. Elena cooed at Lucas: “I see, baby. Which dinosaur is that?”

  “That’s Rex,” Lucas told her before stuffing his fingers in his mouth and sucking on them while he continued to stare up at the skeleton.

  Both Elena and Allison chuckled before Elena motioned toward the other woman. “Allison, this is my friend, Vivian Warren, the one you spoke to about the babysitting position.”

  Allison’s gaze shot to the blonde at Elena’s side. “Oh right, yeah.” Smiling, she stuck out her free hand to shake Vivian’s, while her other arm remained firmly tucked under Lucas’s bottom. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Vivian.”

  Vivian slipped her hand into Allison’s and shook it gently. “You as well, Allison. I see you and Lucas have become fast friends.”

  “Oh yeah.” Allison nodded. “We’re besties.”

  Vivian reached out to pat Lucas’s arm. “Hey buddy.”

  His head never turned but his small hand pointed up again as he said, “Aunt Viv, look!”

  “I know!” Vivian feigned excitement. She then turned her attention back to Allison. “So, how is college life treating you? You’re at NYU, correct?”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” Allison said. “Got a bed and food and a bunch of people obligated to carry on conversations in class with me, so it’s all good.”

  The three women laughed together before Vivian asked, “What is your major?”

  “Social work.” Lucas tugged her to the side when he dove toward his mother, who caught him and transferred him from Allison’s hip to her own. He pointed to the places he wanted to go, and Elena carried him accordingly, leaving Allison and Vivian to follow.

  “Fascinating,” Vivian said. “Now, let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?”

  “Sorry?” Allison asked. “What good stuff?”

  “Elena’s date.”

  “Oh that. She wasn’t too hard on you, was she?”

  “Should sh
e have been?” Blue eyes narrowed. “Or was she merely exaggerating?”

  “I can hear you, dear,” Elena sing-songed from a few feet in front of the two of them.

  “Congratulations, babe. Your ears are functioning.”

  It was obvious the two women had been friends for a long time.

  Allison shoved her hands into the rigid pockets of her tight jeans. “Uh, she only talked about it a little bit before I left, but yeah, the guy sounded like bad news.”

  “Thank you, Allison.”

  Vivian rolled her eyes at Elena’s words and ignored the glare shot her way when she said, “You know, Allison, if she’s not paying you to be here today, then you don’t have to have her back. You can tell me the truth.”

  “No, it really did sound like a bad date,” Allison said. “You can do way better.”

  “You hear that, Elena? She doesn’t even know me, and yet she already has faith in my skills.”

  “Perhaps that is because she doesn’t yet know you, Vivian.”

  “Ah, my best friend.” Vivian winked at Allison. “Her sweetness abounds.”

  “Alson!”

  Allison was still laughing as she stepped up to Elena’s side. “What’s up bud?” she asked Lucas as she elbowed Elena’s side with a conspiratorial nudge.

  “Look!”

  “Whoa!” Allison gasped, making a good show of looking up at the skeleton. “Which one is that?”

  “Aptosaurs.”

  Elena leaned closer to Allison and whispered, “Apatosaurus.”

  “Ah, okay. He’s a big one, isn’t he, Lucas?”

  Lucas nodded as he continued to suck on his fingers and stare up at the skeleton.

  “All right,” Elena said, patting Lucas’s thigh. “Let’s move on. We have a lot of bones to see, and I imagine someone will be hungry soon.” She headed toward the next exhibit, Lucas’s hand already pointing up, while Allison and Vivian trailed along behind her.

  * * *

  Vivian tapped her nails against the kitchen counter as she waited for her coffee to brew. Her phone was pressed between her ear and her shoulder, and it was taking Elena nearly as long to answer as it was taking Vivian’s coffee pot to fill.

  “Hello Vivian.” Elena’s voice greeted her after the fourth ring. “I was just finishing up dinner.”

  “So am I,” Vivian said. “I’m having coffee.”

  Elena snorted. “I know you’ve already eaten. You rarely make it to five o’clock without whining about your growling stomach.”

  “True. I had sushi. So, today was fun.”

  “It was.”

  “Allison seems great.” Vivian was curious as to how Elena would respond. She had noticed how at ease Elena had seemed to be with Allison at the museum, and it had surprised her. Elena had always been rather closed off with strangers, especially where Lucas was concerned. She had perfect manners and could acclimate quickly to different social situations, but she preferred her own circle of people. That much had always been clear to Vivian.

  “She is,” Elena said.

  “You seemed really comfortable with her.”

  “I suppose so, yes,” Elena said. “Why do you mention it?”

  “No reason.” Vivian did her best to sound casual. “You just don’t usually warm up to people that fast, and Allison is obviously your complete opposite. I was just surprised.”

  There was a long pause before Elena spoke again. “She seems to have that effect.”

  Vivian nearly snorted. Allison certainly seemed to have some sort of effect, because she and Elena had made their way through that museum like old friends, or perhaps even something more. She had noticed the way Allison almost unconsciously always stepped to the side to allow Elena to pass through each doorway first, and she even placed her hand on Elena’s lower back a few times when they squeezed through a particularly crowded area. Vivian had gaped the first time it happened and Elena didn’t move away from the touch.

  “She does,” Vivian said. She reached for her coffee pot as the machine finally wheezed out its last few drops and she poured herself a large amount into a waiting mug. “I’m glad she is working out for you.”

  “Me too. Thank you again for finding her even though I suppose she technically found you through Craigslist.”

  “Well, it was my ad, so I’m taking credit.” Vivian let out a soft laugh. “All right. I won’t keep you on the phone. I just wanted to kill time while my coffee brewed.”

  “Glad to be of service,” Elena said, and Vivian made loud kiss noises against the speaker of her phone.

  “Bye, babe.”

  The call ended with Vivian sipping at her coffee and contemplating the other two women. There was obviously some chemistry there, though it was equally obvious that both Elena and Allison were entirely oblivious to it. Knowing Elena, it could take ages for the woman to realize it herself. Vivian decided that she would have to intervene to help the process along. She nearly clapped her hands with excitement, but instead held tightly to her coffee cup and took another hot sip.

  “Where to begin,” Vivian muttered under breath, a smile quirking at the corners of her mouth.

  Chapter Six

  Elena sat at the head of the table in the design room and tapped her nails rhythmically against the hard surface. Wendy had been rambling on for nearly ten full minutes about flower arrangements and centerpieces for the gala to follow the spring show, and such things had always been Elena’s least favorite aspects of planning meetings. It was, however, her job to give final say on nearly all projects; thus, she had to endure.

  She sighed, laying her hand down flat against the table and drawing the room’s attention away from Wendy, who had let her terrible tendency of going off on tangents take over, and back to her. “Let’s not turn this into an ordeal, Wendy,” she said. “I said simple and elegant, and neither should be difficult to accomplish. I want the hanging pieces for the outer edges of the banquet hall—nothing bushy or heavily scented.”

  Wendy rapidly scribbled down notes as Elena spoke. She nodded along and muttered, “Oh, of course,” and “Absolutely,” after every other word.

  “Centerpieces equal size to the dinner plates and lower than eye level,” Elena continued. “Tell Gregory I want clear vases, not gold, no matter how popular they are right now, and I want a splash of color in the arrangements—a splash not a spate.”

  “Only a splash?”

  Elena closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath through her nose before turning to Elliot and arching a brow at the man. “Yes, a splash, Elliot,” she said. “I presume you have an objection?” He always did.

  The man had been a pain in Elena’s ass since her first day on the job, and Elena didn’t have to guess why. He ranted about it enough in break rooms and between cubicles that everyone knew—he believed he deserved her job more than she did. Elena had overheard all his complaints before—family privilege, wealth, sex appeal. He had even gone as far as to suggest sexism, as if women had professional advantage over men. It was ridiculous, and for him to claim any sort of privilege won Elena the position, given that he was a white male and she was a Latina woman, made her laugh. She had earned her job.

  “Well,” Elliot said, adjusting his square gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, “bright colors are appropriate for spring, wouldn’t you say? Given the line-up for the show, I would say even more-so.” He glanced around the table pointedly and then smirked as he turned back to Elena. “I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say I’m concerned that just a ‘splash’ of color might not be enough to match the season.”

  She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. She knew Elliot didn’t care about the damned floral arrangements. He simply liked to voice dissent any time Elena made a decision. He seemed to gain an immeasurable amount of glee from challenging her, and Elena found it not only annoying but also pathetic.

  Rather than throw her phone at his head like she wanted, Elena simply stared him down in a tense silence. When he began to
visibly squirm, she let out a long sigh and said, “We are about fashion, Elliot, not flowers.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “The arrangements should complement the season, not match it,” she said. “Or are you suggesting that we fill a room of designers in designer clothing with centerpieces that draw attention away from them?”

  “Well…”

  Elena turned to the rest of the table and cleared her throat. “Would Elliot be correct in speaking for you all then?” she asked. “Do you share his concern?”

  Every other employee at the table quickly jumped to reassure that they didn’t have any issues with a splash of color. Peter, who was probably her sweetest employee but also her most timid, even looked like he was on the verge of crying. The more people made to reassure her, the more uncomfortable Elliot became, and Elena reveled in him getting a taste of his own medicine.

  She turned back to him and smirked. “Reassured, dear?” she asked, her amusement evident in her voice.

  With pursed lips, Elliot avoided her eyes, and Elena smiled. “Excellent,” she said. “Now, if there are no other concerns, let’s move on to the next order of business.”

  Her phone vibrated as Nia stood at the other end of the table and began addressing an issue with construction in one of their upcoming shoot locations. Elena glanced at the screen to see a text from Vivian. She slid her finger over the screen to unlock it and quickly read the message.

  Date tonight! Call your babysitter!

  Elena sighed but made a mental note to call Allison before turning her attention back to Nia.

  * * *

  Allison sprinted out of her dorm building, her hair disheveled and her clothes wrinkled. She spit a wad of toothpaste onto the grass as she took off across campus. She was already fifteen minutes late for her Narratology exam.

  She cursed when her phone rang. Tugging the shrill device from her pocket as she ran, she glanced down and saw Elena Vega flashing across the screen and smiled unconsciously as she tapped to answer it. But as soon as she put the phone to her ear, Allison looked back up to see that she was headed straight for a pole.