“If I have to,” I groan.
“Randall, your break is over. Get your butt out on the floor or I’ll make you stay late,” Tony barks through the now open door.
“Shit, I didn’t mean to get you in trouble,” Amelia gasps through the phone.
“Don’t worry about it. Tony is just grouchy. He must not have had is afternoon dose of coffee.”
Tony glares at me, except I see the upturn of his mouth and know he’s full of crap.
“Okay, I’ll see you later.” She doesn’t say bye, or anything. The phone goes silent and I’m left staring at it. Shockedshecalledmeto go somewhere.
“I take it you have another hot date with the mystery girl,” Tony asks as I put my phone and lunch box back in my locker.
“Not exactly a date,” I inform him. “She wants me to go with her to get a tattoo. I’m the only friend she has outside of relatives.”
“I’m pretty sure she thinks of you as more than a friend.”
“How would you know, Old Man?” I joke.
“Because I see how fast your fingers fly across that phone screen when you are on your lunch break. Girls who want to be just friends don’t reply that quickly. Unless… they are bored as all hell.” He holds the door open.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter.
“I bet you’ll be officially dating by the end of next week. Now get to work.”
I don’t argue. I’ll get to see Amelia in just a few short hours and I hope the rest of the day goes by quickly.
* * *
My hands are sweating as I direct my car toward the Burgess house. The last time I was here was for Tonya and Reaf’s wedding. They’ve never been huge fans of me. It could be because I used to pick on Tonya when we were kids. If I had to guess, it’s because my father is the town drunk. If he’s not at work, or home for that matter, he’s at the bar. Most people assume that I’m the same way. That I was kicked out of college for misbehavior. In reality it was to keep a roof over Dad’s head. I want better than that for myself. Ideservebetter than that.
The house comes into view and for a split second, I consider turning around. Chasing Amelia is a mistake. I’m not good enough for her. She should be around someone that can give her so much more than what I can offer. What I should do and will do are two different things. I’m obviously a glutton for heartache.
Pulling up to the curb I put the car in park. Deep breath in and out. I can do this. We’re friends. It’s no different than our meme wars on the phone. Except… When I see her in person, I want nothing more than wrap my arms around her and kiss her senseless. I might as well get dumbass tattooed across my forehead.
Amelia is already running out of the house by the time I have my car door closed. She throws her arms around me. “Are you ready to go?”
“Well aren’t you excited.” Laughing, I squeeze her to me. For just a moment I imagine she’s mine to hold like this. I release my hold before it becomes creepy.
“A little, but I’ve wanted one for as long as I can remember, and I have the money to do it now. Besides, it can’t hurt that bad can it?” She’s bouncing on her toes with anticipation.
“It didn’t hurt for me. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, either. It’s hard to explain the feeling.”
The gentle breeze lifts her hair, making her appear ethereal. She is stunning and I don’t think she realizes it. She isn’t wearing any makeup or dressing to impress anyone. Above all else, I’m happy that I’m someone she can relaxed around. It only makes me fall for her more and more each passing day.
"Will I be able to stop if it’s too much?" Her eyes widened in shock as she asks the question.
If she is already having second thoughts maybe this isn't such a good idea. "I mean, you could. But it will look weird, especially if it's in an area that is visible." I take a moment to study her reaction. "Are you sure this is something you want to do?"
Amelia stands taller and pulls her shoulders back. "Yes, I want to do it. Getting a tattoo isn't something I decided to do on a whim. I have put a lot of thought into this, and it's something I need to do for me. A daily reminder when I'm having a tough time."
The small spark of doubt that flashed across her face seconds ago is gone, and I'm proud of her for taking the steps she needs in order to become who she wants to be. "Let’s do this. Whose car are we taking?"
"We can take mine." She grabs my hand and begins pulling me toward her car in the driveway. "Would you be okay driving? I don't know the Dallas area very well, and I don't want to get lost."
I lead her around to the passenger side of the car and open the door for her to slide in. As she reaches for her seatbelt, I close the door and jog around the front until I'm on the driver side and getting in behind the wheel. "You want to get something to eat before we go?"
"Nope." Amelia pops the “p”. "If I eat before we go, I may get nervous and puke on everyone. Nobody wants to see that." She scrunches up her nose in disgust. "And, that would be completely mortifying. I’d never be able to walk into that place again."