I glanced at my phone after the most recent customer left. Asa hadn’t called or shown up since our day at the lake Sunday, but he’d texted every day, so that was progress. Today I hadn’t heard from him, though, and I was trying hard not to worry that he was about to go silent again.
Sunday had felt different. We’d talked. Not just made out. He acted like he wanted to get to know me. We connected and it wasn’t just a hookup. His texting had been nice. We’d texted for an hour last night, but he didn’t mention going out again or when I’d see him. That was disappointing.
The bell over the door alerted me it had opened, and Momma walked to the back before calling my uncle a dumbass lazy brat. That was the best translating I had for her insult. I looked to the door to see Tallulah coming my way. My smile was genuine although she couldn’t see it through my mask. I liked her, and she was the closest thing I’d seen to Asa in a couple days.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hello,” I replied.
She reached below the counter, then laid two packs of gum out to buy. “I need twenty in gas too. I lost my debit card,” she explained.
“Got it,” I replied, and started to ring her up. I wanted to ask about Asa, but then I’d sound pathetic or needy.
“I heard you and Asa had a date this weekend,” she said as if she could read my mind.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Two, actually.”
“Wow, impressive. For him at least.”
I laughed, but I didn’t really feel amused. At least I didn’t have to fake a smile.
“Do y’all have future plans?” she asked. “Or am I being nosy? Tell me if I am and I’ll shut up.”
“No, it’s fine. And we don’t… I mean he hasn’t called. Texted some,” I replied as if this was okay with me.
“Why don’t you call him? Ask him out.”
I stared at her then. Was she serious? Did she think I could do that and he’d say yes? “Would that freak him out?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “No. This is 2020, girl. If he can call you, then you can call him. Sometimes guys need a push.”
I glanced back to see if my momma was listening. She wasn’t back from yelling at my uncle. “Uh, well, my momma wouldn’t agree,” I said.
“Does your momma need to know?”
She was right there. I didn’t have to tell my momma I’d asked a guy out. I mentally cringed thinking about how she would react to that. “I just don’t want Asa to feel weird like he has to say yes.”
Tallulah placed cash on the counter, then looked at me. Her eyes were serious. No crinkling at the corners from a smile hidden behind her mask. “Asa likes you. I know that much. Two dates in a row proves that. He needs a nudge. Make a move.”
Okay. Okay. I could do that. Maybe.
“I’ll think about it,” I told her, then took her cash and counted out her change.
“Just because he’s a player now doesn’t mean he wants to be forever.”
I nodded and she gave me a little wave. “Hopefully I see you soon,” she said, then turned and left the store. I waited until the door closed before looking at my phone again. No text.
I picked it up and typed out, Want to go get burgers?
Then I deleted it and tried, What are you doing tonight? Want to come over and watch a movie?
Then I deleted that. Staring at my phone, I tried to think of other ways to ask and decided if I couldn’t ask him in a text, how was I going to call and ask him? I was hopeless.
“Get the cinnamon rolls out of the oven in ten minutes. I have to go call my CPA,” Momma said angrily as she stormed out of the kitchen and through the door that led to the office.
“Cinnamon rolls? It’s after eleven,” I said, confused. She never did more after the morning batches sold out.
“Special order. Just do it,” she barked, and slammed the door behind her.
I had never known her to do a special order either, but I shrugged and set the timer on my phone so I wouldn’t forget.
Before I set it down, the phone rang and Brett’s name lit up the screen. My small surge of excitement vanished, and I sighed before answering.
“Hello.” I tried to not sound completely deflated.
“Hey, you busy?” he asked.
I scanned the empty store, already knowing the answer before saying, “No.”
“I figured. Wednesdays at eleven don’t seem like they’d be busy. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d like to do something tonight or tomorrow?”
Why? Why was it Brett calling me? Why was it not Asa? Ugh! This was frustrating. If only I could like Brett as much as I liked Asa. Life would be perfect. Saying yes was wrong. I couldn’t keep doing things with Brett. Besides, if I said yes and then Asa called and asked me out, I’d be unavailable. For real this time.