something dormant for so long, was making him willing to take that risk
****
Nadia was having a hard time concentrating at work. Her thoughts kept going back to Foster and their kiss. Kristen couldn’t believe she had kissed him on the first date, and Nadia had to agree –it was very out of character. She just couldn’t help herself. The Book Nook was slower than usual and any other night this would have been heaven for her. Nadia could have studied and read to her heart’s desire, but all she really wanted was to call Foster. She wasn’t the type to call first, but she was seriously considering changing that.
Her love-life experience was limited to a brief six month courtship with Ryan the Creep her junior year of high school, which ended with an embarrassing romp in the back of his car. Kristen could give her plenty of advice, most of which would embarrass the socks off of a prostitute, but Kristen was as likely to have sex with a guy as she was to punch him.
When the store finally closed at seven, Nadia had given up hope that Foster would call first and she despondently waved goodbye to her boss from across the parking lot. She was not paying attention as she unlocked her car, and nearly jumped out of her skin, when someone said “Hi” from the other side. She clutched at her chest and her keys fell to the ground.
“Foster!” Nadia blinked her eyes several times and bent to retrieve her keys from the ground.
“Hey, I’m sorry I scared you!” Foster said rushing around the side of the car.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was angrier than she meant it to be.
“Oh, well, I wanted to get a book, but the store is closed, so I guess I will just have to get it later.”
Nadia could see he was struggling to seem nonchalant, but she wasn’t buying it. “What book?”
“Oh. The book called…well, actually I just wanted to see you.” He replied with a sheepish grin. “Maybe I should have called first.”
Oh irony. Nadia thought. “No, this is good. I debated if I should call you all evening.”
“You should have. It could’ve saved you a mild heart attack.”
His smile was contagious and Nadia couldn’t help but smile back. The evening air was mild and the early fall smells that Nadia loved so much were wafting on the breeze.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
Nadia shrugged. “I was just going home.”
“Do you have plans for the weekend?”
“No, I actually have this weekend off. I’m only required to work one Saturday a month, which I already did, and we are closed on Sundays.” Nadia felt like it was too much information. She was babbling and stalling for time. How could she tell him that she didn’t do anything except clean her parents’ house and read most every weekend? How could she tell him that her only friend was Kristen, and the most exciting things they did were day trips to Charlottesville for shopping, or grabbing a burger and shakes from the Tastee-Freeze?
Foster seemed to pick up on her distress and tried to make it better. “I understand. It’s kind of lame, but I don’t do much either. I usually just help out at home and work on writing or something like that.”
Nadia smiled lightly and felt gratitude for him not making fun of her. “You don’t work anywhere?”
“Just at home.”
“Oh.” Nadia wasn’t sure what to think of that. She was pretty sure Foster had told her he was twenty. Maybe his family already
****
Nadia was having a hard time concentrating at work. Her thoughts kept going back to Foster and their kiss. Kristen couldn’t believe she had kissed him on the first date, and Nadia had to agree –it was very out of character. She just couldn’t help herself. The Book Nook was slower than usual and any other night this would have been heaven for her. Nadia could have studied and read to her heart’s desire, but all she really wanted was to call Foster. She wasn’t the type to call first, but she was seriously considering changing that.
Her love-life experience was limited to a brief six month courtship with Ryan the Creep her junior year of high school, which ended with an embarrassing romp in the back of his car. Kristen could give her plenty of advice, most of which would embarrass the socks off of a prostitute, but Kristen was as likely to have sex with a guy as she was to punch him.
When the store finally closed at seven, Nadia had given up hope that Foster would call first and she despondently waved goodbye to her boss from across the parking lot. She was not paying attention as she unlocked her car, and nearly jumped out of her skin, when someone said “Hi” from the other side. She clutched at her chest and her keys fell to the ground.
“Foster!” Nadia blinked her eyes several times and bent to retrieve her keys from the ground.
“Hey, I’m sorry I scared you!” Foster said rushing around the side of the car.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was angrier than she meant it to be.
“Oh, well, I wanted to get a book, but the store is closed, so I guess I will just have to get it later.”
Nadia could see he was struggling to seem nonchalant, but she wasn’t buying it. “What book?”
“Oh. The book called…well, actually I just wanted to see you.” He replied with a sheepish grin. “Maybe I should have called first.”
Oh irony. Nadia thought. “No, this is good. I debated if I should call you all evening.”
“You should have. It could’ve saved you a mild heart attack.”
His smile was contagious and Nadia couldn’t help but smile back. The evening air was mild and the early fall smells that Nadia loved so much were wafting on the breeze.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
Nadia shrugged. “I was just going home.”
“Do you have plans for the weekend?”
“No, I actually have this weekend off. I’m only required to work one Saturday a month, which I already did, and we are closed on Sundays.” Nadia felt like it was too much information. She was babbling and stalling for time. How could she tell him that she didn’t do anything except clean her parents’ house and read most every weekend? How could she tell him that her only friend was Kristen, and the most exciting things they did were day trips to Charlottesville for shopping, or grabbing a burger and shakes from the Tastee-Freeze?
Foster seemed to pick up on her distress and tried to make it better. “I understand. It’s kind of lame, but I don’t do much either. I usually just help out at home and work on writing or something like that.”
Nadia smiled lightly and felt gratitude for him not making fun of her. “You don’t work anywhere?”
“Just at home.”
“Oh.” Nadia wasn’t sure what to think of that. She was pretty sure Foster had told her he was twenty. Maybe his family already
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