I jaywalk to the other side of the street and follow after him. I don’t know what I’m going to say to him when I catch up, but I have to see where he’s going.
Asshole.
He’s such a fucking asshole, isn’t he? He made me think that he’d wait for me forever. That he wouldn’t budge, no matter how I pushed him away.
But look at him now. Sauntering down the sidewalk as if he has no care in the world.
Okay, so that might be an exaggeration. He isn’t sauntering but lunging, like he’s in a hurry.
Finally, he stops at an autobody shop at the corner of the street.
Panting, I pause too.
That’s when I realize the clothes he’s wearing. A dark gray overall – a uniform.
Why’s he wearing a uniform?
Slowly, I move forward, taking everything in. There’s an office space with a board on top, saying Blue Dot Auto Body Inc. Right next to it is a large shed-like area with a few cars parked inside, along with a couple of bikes.
Zach stops by a guy who’s drinking coffee, as he chats with him. He’s wearing the same uniform as Zach.
Breathing in noisily, I watch them together. Until the guy spies me and alerts Zach of my presence.
He spins around, and immediately there’s a frown on his face. “Blue?” He excuses himself from the guy and walks over to me. “What’re you doing here? Is everything okay?”
There’s a logo on the right side of his chest, spelling the name of the shop. “You didn’t come to the diner.”
“Yeah.” He scratches his forehead with his thumb. “I got held up here all day yesterday. Apparently, they’re slammed. A guy left and they didn’t have back-up.”
I simply blink up at him, at his explanation.
“But I was gonna show up for lunch today,” he finishes, watching me carefully.
“I thought something happened to you. I-I was worried.”
Zach smiles slightly. “I’m fine, Blue. Just working.”
I look at the shop once again. The guy talking to Zach has left. It seems we’re the only two people here right now.
Looking back at him, I ask, “You’re working here?”
He chuckles. “That’s what I said.”
“Why?”
“Well, I figured I’m good with bikes. And they seemed really desperate. So why not. Besides, it comes with an apartment.”
“Apartment?”
“Yeah. Up there, actually.” He tips with his chin and I turn around to see an apartment on the second floor, across the street. There’s a little coffee place downstairs.
“I was thinking,” he goes on and I face him. “You could crash with me. The apartment is plenty big. I could take the couch.”
“You’ll take the couch.”
“Yeah. It’s a futon. It rolls out. It’s gotta be better than the bed and breakfast that you’re staying at and —”
“Stop talking,” I tell him, finally coming out of my stupor.
Zach frowns like he’s so confused.
He’s confused? I am fucking reeling here.
Reeling.
“What are you doing?” I ask with gritted teeth.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you mean, what do I mean?” I say, hysterically. “Did you just ask me to live with you?”
“Well, yes. As I said, the apartment’s got a lot of room.”
“A lot of room. Right.” Shaking my head, I look at the ground and gather myself. “Why do you have a job? Why do you have an apartment?”
“I can’t stay at the motel forever. Where do you suggest I sleep?”
I throw my hands up. “In New York. You have all these things in New York. An apartment. A job that you told me you liked and that you’re good at. Your life’s in New York.”
Throwing me a lopsided smile, he shrugs. “I don’t have anything there that’s not replaceable. And I told you.”
“Told me what?”
The chilly breeze ruffles his spiky hair as he says, “You’re my life.”
His words have more of an impact this time. Maybe because now I can see what he means by it. He’s showing me by re-arranging his life around me.
They hit me right in the gut and the butterflies go crazy. I feel their razor-sharp wings flapping, making everything bleed inside of me.
I wrap my arms around my waist, trying to quiet them down. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Why won’t you leave me alone?”
There’s a slight flush on his harsh cheekbones. I think it’s courtesy of the colder weather here. And he’s not even wearing a sweater.
I don’t know why I’m thinking about that when something much more important is at stake.
“Because I don’t want you to be alone. Or afraid,” he says with a clench in his jaw.
“I am not alone,” I blurt out, looking up at him.
We’ve been standing a few inches apart from each other but while talking, we moved closer. I can feel his body heat, his smell, enveloping me, stopping the shivers brought on by the weather.
“What?”
I lick my lips. “I found a guy.”
“A guy.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “He came to the diner yesterday. Sat in my section. He told me that I was beautiful and when I said that I was new in town, he offered to show me around. So we’re going out this weekend.”