Popcorn Love Read Free Page A

turned to
Elena, who was staring at Allison as if she was some sort of
natural phenomenon.
    “Okay,” Elena said, “then I will have a sparkling
water and the Cobb salad, and I suppose Ms. Sawyer will have the
same.”
    “I’ll have it right out, ladies.”
    “Thank you,” Elena replied at the same time that
Allison said, “Thanks, man.”
    As soon as he walked away, Allison scrunched up her
nose. “Can we not do the whole ‘Ms. Sawyer’ thing?” she asked.
“Ever again, preferably.”
    “Is it a problem for you?” Elena asked,
intrigued.
    “It’s just that a few of my professors call me Ms.
Sawyer, and it grates on my nerves. I know it’s supposed to be
respectful or whatever, but it just makes me feel old, and I’m way
too young to feel old.” Allison winked at her. “You know what I
mean?”
    Clearing her throat, Elena rested her hands in her
lap and crossed and uncrossed her legs. “Yes, I can certainly
understand that.”
    “I figured you would get it. You can’t possibly be
older than twenty-five, and I bet you get that Ms. Vega crap
all the time, right?”
    A soft blush decorated Elena’s cheeks even as she
smirked and corrected Allison. “I’m actually twenty-seven, but you
have just earned a few points in your favor for making me feel at
least two years younger.”
    “Go me!” Allison took a sip of the extra-lemony water
the waiter had delivered.
    Elena laughed in a soft sigh. “But yes, I am often
only referred to as Ms. Vega while at work.”
    “Right.” Allison nodded as she pulled off her glasses
and stuck them back in their case before slipping them into her
bag, having forgotten for a moment that she was still wearing them.
She only needed them to read, drive, and sometimes to watch
television and hardly ever wore them otherwise. In fact, she tried
to avoid handling them when she could, because she was a tad
clumsy. She had broken a pair before and had had to save up to
afford the ones she now owned. She was in no hurry to break those
as well.
    “You look younger with your glasses on,” Elena said,
tilting her head. “Striking either way, of course, but
younger.”
    Struck momentarily speechless, Allison scratched at
the back of her head and let out a choked gurgle of a laugh. “Uh,
thanks,” she said, “for the ‘striking’ part or whatever.”
    Elena smiled, and Allison could see the amusement
dancing in the woman’s eyes. “You are welcome.”
    “So, you’re like some super successful businesswoman,
right?” Allison asked, quick to change the subject. “You must be
pretty awesome at what you do to be so successful when you’re so
young.”
    “I would like to say that yes, I am quite successful
at what I do. However, Allison, I believe we are here so that I may
interview you , not the other way around.”
    “Right. Totally. Fire away. Oh, and you can call me
Alli if you want; that’s what my best friend and a few others call
me. Or, you know, Allison is fine if that’s what you prefer. Just
throwing that out there.”
    “Allison it is, then.”
    Allison let out a small laugh and nodded. “All right,
then.” She wasn’t terribly surprised by the choice given how much
Elena seemed to favor formalities, but it might take some getting
used to.
    The waiter returned then with their Cobb salads, and
the two women began to eat as Elena started in with a list of
questions.
    “Why don’t you start by telling me a bit about
yourself,” Elena suggested as she nibbled at her salad. “Vivian
mentioned that you were a senior at NYU. I’m guessing that puts you
at around twenty-one or twenty-two, unless you are an accelerated
student.”
    “Nope, no acceleration here. I’m twenty-two, and
yeah, I’m a senior at NYU. I’m a social-work major with a lit.
minor.”
    Elena arched an intrigued brow. “Social work and
literature,” she said. “That is an interesting combination. Why the
interest in either?”
    “Well, the first is a little complicated,”