Autumn rolled her eyes. “You said you were going to.”
“Guess I forgot, so you’re gonna have to,” Leah smiled.
Autumn groaned, but while Nikki and Leah joked with her, I found Levi’s number on Autumn’s phone.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m going to text him—”
She ripped the phone out of my hands. “You most certainly are not.”
“Why? Gimme the number, Autumn. I’ll just text him from my phone then, and he can think I’m the one that wants to see him.”
“Fine,” she growled. “Here’s Dillon’s number instead.”
I shrugged and then sent a text to Dillon, seeing if he and Levi wanted to meet up with us. I got a reply a minute later confirming that they’d join us in thirty minutes.
“Now Dillon can think you want him,” Autumn teased.
“Well he can think that all he wants, but I just like him as a friend.”
“Levi is definitely the better looking brother,” she said.
I shrugged. “I think they’re both cute, I’m just not interested in either of them that way.”
“You’re just not interested in guys period,” she smiled. “I’m beginning to wonder, you know.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m definitely interested. I just don’t have the time to invest in a boyfriend right now.”
“Maybe you’re looking at that the wrong way. Maybe you need to find yourself a rich guy so you don’t have to work so much. Right, girls?” she asked Nikki and Leah with a huge smile.
“Yep, hello Sugar Daddy, goodbye apron,” Nikki replied.
“Sugar Daddy,” I snorted. “Yeah right.”
“Okay, he doesn’t have to be an old guy, but maybe just someone in their late twenties that has his Masters and a great paying job. That way he’s already made some decisions in life and is a little bit settled. Get those selfish years behind him. No more college guys that are still attached to mommy and still don’t know what they want to be when they grow up.”
“Amen,” Leah and Autumn said at the same time.
“I told you my cousin thinks you’re pretty hot,” Leah added. “He’s twenty-six and has a pretty good job.”
“Doing what?” Autumn asked.
“Uh, accounting or other financial stuff? I don’t exactly remember.”
“Ugh, boring!” Autumn replied.
“He’s actually pretty cute,” Nikki informed us. “I’d go out with him, but apparently I’m a little…wild for him.”
She glared at Leah and Leah laughed.
“I didn’t say you were wild,” Leah told her. “I said that you’re a little on the outgoing side.”
“Ahem, wild,” Autumn coughed.
Nikki smiled at the accusation but said, “It just means that he’s really, really boring, Nova. Don’t fall for the cute ones if they’re really lame.”
“You guys call me lame all the time,” I retorted.
“Oh sheesh, we’re just joking!” Nikki said. “You’re really fun when we actually get to spend time with you. And what’s even better is that you’re a great set-up for the rest of us. You reject the guys, and they come crawling to us as a last resort.”
“Oh, speak for yourself!” Autumn exclaimed.
It was funny because out of the four of us, Nikki really did attract the most attention. She was your typical blonde bombshell. Autumn and Leah were also blondes but on the darker side, but they weren’t five-ten and super slim like Nikki was. Autumn was of average height with short hair and an athletic build, but Leah was pretty short and curvy. Seeing Nikki and Leah together was kind of a funny site, but they were best friends and seemed to make it work.
Me, on the other hand… I was the only brunette of the group. Even though Autumn and I were about the same height and build, the rest of our appearance was pretty opposite. I had long hair and dark brown eyes, and Autumn was a golden blonde with piercing blue eyes and a few freckles. I guess our group as a whole offered quite the variety, so it was no wonder there always seemed to be guys around us.
Even now, as we began our game, Nikki was talking up a storm with two guys that were right next to us. They weren’t that good-looking, and they may have been close to thirty, but Nikki liked to charm anyone she could. I think that’s who Autumn tended to get her dating techniques from lately, which is why I wasn’t too big on accepting her advice.
Levi and Dillon arrived shortly after that, and then Conner even came when we started a second game. His family gathering had ended early (or he’d cut out early, I wasn’t sure which), and he quickly took up his role of playing Nikki’s doting manservant. Those two were a mystery to me, and I still didn’t understand their relationship. Autumn claims the two were just friends with benefits, but I was leaning more towards Conner being the fool that Nikki kept stringing along.
“Are you going to the movies with everyone?” a voice asked me.
I brought myself back to the moment and looked at Levi sitting next to me. He was leaning over, putting his street shoes back on just as Autumn motioned for me to take my last turn.
“Uh, I’m not really sure…” I told him as I stood.
“Well you should. I mean I’d really like it if you came,” he added with a smile.
I returned the smile but almost dropped the ball that Autumn seemed to dump into my hands unexpectedly. I knew she heard his last comment and she looked pretty annoyed. Levi had been talking to me for most of the night, but it was generally just basic conversation. We were all having fun as a group, but I didn’t understand why Autumn still thought playing hard to get was a good idea. I even encouraged her to casually invite him to the movies, and she refused. Finally it was Leah that brought it up and everyone seemed to agree.
But I’d always gotten along with Levi pretty easily. We first met him and Dillon a couple months back at a New Year’s Eve party, and since Autumn made friends with Levi first, we just kind of let her own the friendship. But now she was barely talking to him, so what was the poor guy supposed to think?
“I’m not mad at you, Nova,” she told me later as we entered the movie theatre together. “I mean I am a little,” she admitted, “but not because you did anything wrong. Does that sound dumb?”
I always loved Autumn for her honesty.
I chuckled and said, “No, I understand. But Autumn… You’ve got to talk to the guy. Playing the indifference card isn’t helping you out right now. He’s talking to me because I’m willing to talk to him.”
“No, he’s talking to you because he really likes you,” she replied with a playful frown. I was about to disagree but she stopped me with, “No, I can tell. And I’m fine with that, I really am, I’m just trying to shift gears on the fly right now and it’s tough.”
I chuckled at her ever-so-serious yet playful nature. She was biting her lip, pretending to be in deep thought over the situation.
“Try talking to him, Autumn, then decide if you need to shift gears.”
“Nah, I’m thinking that he’s really not my type anyway. He’s too…awkward.”
“Awkward? You mean, like, cumbersome or something? Or nervous,” I stated.
“Yeah, both.”
I smiled. “That’s kind of nice. That means he’s not phony, trying to be all smooth and charming.”
“See, and I like that. Guys should be able to sound sophisticated and…urbane. They gotta pull it together.”
“Hmm, that’s where you and I differ I guess.”
“You don’t like guys that are laid back but confident?”
“Well yeah, that’s nice, but only if that’s how they really are.”
“Well anyhow… I think you and Levi make a better couple.”
I had to laugh.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re pushing us together already? Don’t you need a grieving period?” I teased.
“Nope,” she smiled. “Besides, Leah told me he and I looked like brother and sister. I’m so n
ot okay with that.”
I laughed again as we entered theatre six, and we spotted our friends right away.
“Hmm,” Autumn murmured. “What do you think Levi would do if I sat down in the empty seat next to him that’s most likely reserved for you?”
“I’m not sure, let’s try it.”
“Pssh, maybe we should sit in the row behind them and see if he moves.” I was about to laugh at the idea, but she practically shoved me into the aisle just behind theirs. “Now we’re not all spread out,” she smiled big as we sat down behind them.
“Hey, I heard Dahlia Marks is in theatre two,” Leah turned around and whispered to us. “Nikki thinks she and Conner should sit in front of her and start making out.”
We both laughed, and Autumn was probably picturing Dahlia’s look of horror like I was. Some bitter rivals just didn’t belong living in the same city together.
Autumn and Leah (and now Nikki) continued to joke about it, just as Levi leaned back and said, “Hey, can sit back there with you?”
I guess I really was surprised that Autumn’s prediction was right, but I replied, “Sure.”
He put his hand on the back of his seat and hopped over with both legs, dropping in the seat next to me. “They’ve been talking about Dahlia Marks since I got here,” he murmured quietly. “I don’t even know who she is, but I think I’m supposed to hate her.”
I laughed and said, “Yeah, I think I am too. I’ve only been around her a couple of times so I really don’t have a grievance with her.”
“Don’t let Nikki hear you say that. It means you’re siding with Dahlia.”
“Yeah, there’s no such thing as neutral, right?”
“Mm, there is, and we just won’t say anything one way or the other.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
The rest of the night went similarly, and I enjoyed sitting by Levi. I really did feel that he liked me though, and I wasn’t sure what to think about that. He was a good-looking guy, but I didn’t have room for a guy in my life. I did reserve Saturday nights for spending time with friends—whether they felt like they spent time with me or not, I still saw them once a week—but I was sort of against adding another relationship to my plate.
Levi did end up asking me out a few days later. He even began it with “I know you’re a busy person but…” I figured as long as he understood that, then I could agree to going out with him.
He took me to dinner the next Saturday, and then to a small jazz club to listen to some music. He’d definitely done his homework because he knew my interests, so I had to give him a lot of credit for that. I had a really good time, but when he asked me out again at the end of the night, it was an uncomfortable conversation for me.
“What do you mean you’re not sure?” he asked with a polite smile. “You mean about next Saturday, or about another date in general?”
“Uh, both I guess…”
We were just pulling up to my aunt and uncle’s house and Levi put his truck in park.
“Well, I’d like you to be a little more specific if you can, Nova. I guess I thought we had a good time, and I was kind of assuming you didn’t despise me just yet.”
I smiled and said, “No, I don’t despise you. And yes, I do like spending time with you. I just don’t think I can commit to seeing you regularly. I wish I could Levi, but I don’t think my schedule would be very fair to you.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you have more time than you think. I won’t subject you to going out with me every weekend if you don’t want to do that, but I think I can find other ways to see you on occasion. Could you give me a chance to try?”
I took a moment to consider it, and since his sincerity was really pulling me in, I found myself agreeing to it.
I told him goodnight, thanked him for a good time, and walked myself to the front door. There wasn’t a chance I was going to let him kiss me… That would alter our status too soon and I wasn’t ready to fully commit to a boyfriend.
A few days later, Tuesday, I entered Clover’s at three o’clock. I’d been at school for the morning—two classes and then some time in the library. I usually didn’t mind working a full dinner shift on my school days because I’d been sitting for most of the morning, but that day I hadn’t been able to shake a headache I’d had since I woke up. I was stubborn when it came to taking medication, even a simple pain reliever, but I finally relented and took some before I stepped into the café.
“Hope you’ve got your game face on,” Robin said as soon as she saw me.
I gave her a pitiful “not feeling up to it” face.
“Well buck up, sister. Table ten has been waiting for you for almost two hours.”
“What?” I peeked out from the kitchen as I tied my apron behind my back. It was those four guys again, the guys from a few weeks ago that I’d bribed with free drinks.
“At least they’re returning customers now,” Robin grinned.
“What do you mean they’ve been waiting for me for two hours?”
“They got here just after one, asked if you were here, and I said you usually didn’t get here until three on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
“And they just waited?”
“Yep. I mean they’ve had appetizers and drinks, but they said they were going to wait to order. They’ve been waiting for you.”
I wasn’t sure what to think of the situation. I mean it wasn’t that I hadn’t had a “fan” or two since I’d worked at the diner, but maybe I was a little overwhelmed by the four of them all together.
“Nova, this could be a good thing, honey. You can’t expect that they’ll leave an enormous tip every time, but who knows, right? Think about your future, your education.”
She smiled optimistically and I had to laugh. No matter the customer, I still had a job to do, so I took a deep breath and clocked in.
“So is this going to be a regular thing?” I asked as I approached table ten. “You’re taking valuable work experience away from my fellow employees just to pester me?”
“You’re calling us pests?” asked Brock, the big mouth. “Where’s your manager?” he asked, looking around the room. “I’d like to file a formal complaint.”
“I don’t think it would do much good being that you’ve been here waiting for me for…two hours?”
“We wait for our favorite waitress and you’re going to hold it against us? I’m hurt,” he pouted, sticking out his lower lip.
“Yeah, so anyways… What can I get for you fellas?”
“Actually we’d like for you to settle a bet for us first, and then we’ll order.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Just a simple question,” he added, holding up his hands. I’d already had possibilities going through my head and maybe he read into that.
“Fine, one question.”
He smiled and glanced at the other guys before he asked, “How old are you? See ‘cause I’m guessing you’re probably nineteen, Will is going with twenty, Austin thinks twenty-two, and Nash is thinking you’re barely even eighteen.”
I looked over each guy as he pointed to him, finally getting some names in my head. Then I looked at Brock and asked, “And what are the stakes?”
“Fifty bucks.”
I raised an eyebrow again. “Hmm, so if someone happens to be correct, they win the fifty bucks?”
“No, we each put in fifty bucks. Winner gets two-hundred.”
“Two hundred dollars? For guessing my age?”
“Yep.”
“Jeez, and what if you guys are all wrong?”
It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. “Are we? You can’t possibly be over twenty-one, and if you’re under eighteen I kind of feel like an ass.”
“Which is why he needs this bet settled,” Will told me with a smile.
I looked over each of the guys at the table. Of course Brock was the forward one; kind of cute but I think he knew that. Nash seemed to be a little on the goofy side. He reminded me of Bart Simpson for some reas
on. Maybe it was his hair and wide mouth. Will and Austin appeared to be fairly normal, and Austin was even better looking than Brock. But Austin was also the quietest one, and I think that kind of intrigued me.
“Well one of you actually is right,” I eventually said.
“Oh, thank God,” Brock exhaled with relief. “So who is it?”
“Ah, no, no, no,” I smiled, waving my finger at them. “This seems a little unfair to me.”
“How so?”
“I’m about to win someone two hundred bucks just by saying how old I am? This person is going to win a bet based on me. Why don’t I get a cut?”
Brock smiled, and so did the others. After he seemed to silently deliberate with each of them he said, “Okay, that’s fair enough. So whoever’s right spends that money taking you out on a date,” he smiled triumphantly.
I laughed out loud. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack,” he grinned.
“How is that fair to me? Wouldn’t it be easier to just give me half the winnings? I mean the guy is still making fifty bucks on the deal, and without the hassle of the date.”
“Nah, that defeats the purpose.”
“And what’s the purpose?” I looked at each of them and no one wanted to answer. But their smiles said it all and I had to roll my eyes, realizing they had played me perfectly. “Nice plan, boys—really, I do like it—but I’m not interested, okay?”
“And she goes for the kill, right to each of our tiny hearts,” Nash cringed.
The others chuckled.
“Look, I need to get back to work. Can I please take your orders now?”
“Okay, okay,” Brock said. “How about this? You tell us your age, and then you get a choice. You can go out with that guy if you want, or you can just take the hundred bucks. Does that sound fair?” He made the rounds to see if each guy agreed, and they all nodded or shrugged. Then he looked at me and added, “And if you choose the money, no big deal, okay? We won’t take offense, and we’ll still come and be your favorite customers.”
I actually smiled at that. I was wondering what Brock did for a living because he was actually quite gifted in his interactions with people.
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