Chapter Twenty-Seven: Good Morning

Calla held my wrist in her hand, leaning across the table. I could smell her; warm and fragrant. I stared into her eyes. For a moment, the world was a blur, and there was only the grey of her bright gaze.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, smiling. Calla slid out of her chair and was through the door, leaving me to stare after her.

“Hey, wait up!” I chased after her, not willing to just let her get away that easily again. I dashed onto the sidewalk, catching up.

“Let me walk with you a bit,” I suggested, pulling aside her and realizing I really didn’t know what to say next.

“Don’t you have to get to work?” She grinned.

I waved my hand, scoffing. “Work! My building’s right there,” I pointed, “I can spare a moment or two.”

“For a friend?”

“Right, exactly.” I grimaced. “I’m soooooo not smooth.”

“Sooooo.” She nodded. “That’s okay. Your friend Matt seems like a smoothy, and I wouldn’t want to talk to you if you were more like him.”

“Ouch. I’ll pass that along, it’ll make his day.”

“Oh, I don’t want to offend your friends, don’t tell him that!” She grabbed my arm. I smiled.

“No, I’m serious, he’ll be pleased. Matt will find some way to twist it around. ‘See, Digger,’ he’ll say, ‘I’m an original. So cool that no one can copy me. Like a Rembrandt.’ He’d gloat.”

Calla laughed as I did my best “I’m Matt, the big fat cool jerk” voice. “Would he really?”

“Well, not the Rembrandt part.” I shrugged. She giggled again. “But don’t worry about offending him. Matt likes to banter and joke, if you don’t do it back he’ll walk all over you. You have to have ba… bravery.”

“You were going to say ‘balls,’ weren’t you?” Calla waved a finger at me, smiling. “What, didn’t think I’d approve? Do I come across as some feminist crazy, just because I’m a scientist? Or am I a prude?”

She seemed to be mostly teasing. “No, that’s not it. It’s just…”

“What?”

“You’re too sweet a girl to consider you having balls. You could be tougher than a Pittsburgh Steeler on steroids, and I still wouldn’t want to picture that.”

She laughed again. “I think that was a compliment.”

“I hope so, I kind of pulled it out of my ass.”

Calla laughed again. I loved that sound. God help me, I was trapped inside a romantic comedy film. The banter just kept coming.

“If me having balls was an unsightly picture, how do you handle imagining pulling jokes out of your ass?” She giggled.

I blushed. “I try not to. I’d go blind.”

We were both laughing by now. Calla wiped her eyes, they were leaking a little.

“Phew. That was fun. I have to get to class, and you might want to think about getting back to your job, sometime. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Have a great day!”

I watched her walk away. I waited patiently. Matt the Pimp had given me the key to knowing if a girl really likes you, way back in the eleventh grade. If she looks back after leaving, you can be sure of your status.

I waited. “Come on, come on,” I whispered to myself.

Calla slipped in and out of crowds along the sidewalk until she reached a corner. She glanced back in my direction, and I think I could see a small smile on her face. I offered a small wave, and she waved back.

I turned to go to work. The day had started rough, but it was starting to look up.

Next Chapter>>