roll around in her mouth to suck off the butter and salt, unconcerned that she might choke on them. Or at the very least, crack a tooth.
Jesse held up the bowl. “Get rid of that mess. Your mom will kill me if you break your teeth.”
“Ugh, Dad, c’mon.” She bent to spit into the bowl anyway. She eyed him through the fringe of her sandy hair. “So, who is she?”
“Nobody.”
“Is she the one you’ve been spending all that time with? Is she the friend whose house you were at when you got snowed in?”
“I can’t put one over on you, huh?” Jesse frowned. “Yeah. We’ve been spending time together.”
“I knew it was a lady! Is she your girlfriend?” Laila’s eyes gleamed, and she got up on her knees on the couch.
“No, Laila. She’s not my girlfriend.” The truth sucked.
“But you like her a lot?” Laila narrowed her eyes to look him over.
Jesse snorted softly. “I barely know her.”
“So how come you’re looking her up on the internet? Why didn’t you just ask her if you could text her? Girls like it when you just ask.” She said this so nonchalantly that Jesse was reminded again how different things were for kids now. And again how much trouble he was in for with this kid.
“I did text her,” he admitted. “She didn’t answer me. That’s her way of saying no, I guess.”
Laila scoffed. “To you?”
“Yeah. To me. Hey, kiddo, it’s getting late. You should get ready for bed.” Jesse took the bowl and stood, but Laila stopped him.
“If you really like her, you should tell her, Dad. That’s what Mom says. She says when you really like somebody there’s no point in waiting to tell them, because if you don’t, someone else will.”
“Your mom’s full of good advice.”
“She says Barry told her he liked her right away, and that’s how she knew she should give him a shot,” Laila added.
Jesse tried not to laugh, which would offend her. “Barry, huh? That guy she works with? You like him okay?”
“He’s okay.” She shrugged and got off the couch. “He’s got a big TV and all the cable stations. And a cat.”
“Ah. He sounds great.”
Laila launched herself at him, almost spilling the popcorn kernels as she squeezed him. “He’s not you, Dad. Don’t worry.”
Okay, so maybe he’d worried. Just the tiniest bit. Now he squeezed her back and tugged her ponytail. “Go get ready for bed.”
She was right, he thought later as he cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and paid some bills. The wind gusted hard outside, reminding him that winter wasn’t over yet. There were more storms coming, for sure. And if he wanted to spend any of them stranded with Colleen again, he’d better figure out a way to make that happen. At least he had to try.
But when Thursday rolled around again, no matter how many times he looked up at the jingle of the bell over The Fallen Angel’s door announcing a new arrival, none of the customers were her.
* * *
“You look like shit.”
Leave it to Mark to be so blunt, Colleen thought as she poured herself a mug of coffee she didn’t want, but would drink anyway because what she really wanted was a doughnut. Mondays, Mondays. Ugh. “Gee, thanks.”
“Seriously.” He leaned too close for social propriety, almost like he wanted to sniff her. Or lick her. Either way, it was too close.
Colleen stepped back. “I’m tired. That’s all. Haven’t been sleeping.”
“Ah. Up too late?” Mark grinned, showing all his teeth. He made a dirty gesture with one hand. “New guy?”
Her lack of sleep was certainly none of Mark’s business, even if he’d always had a way of worming out the most personal details of her life. “Old guy, actually.”
“Steve’s been bothering you?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit how Steve still managed to get under her skin. She’d managed to ignore him for a week, until he sent her flowers and an apology. She hated the flowers and didn’t believe for a second he was sorry about anything, but
Jesse held up the bowl. “Get rid of that mess. Your mom will kill me if you break your teeth.”
“Ugh, Dad, c’mon.” She bent to spit into the bowl anyway. She eyed him through the fringe of her sandy hair. “So, who is she?”
“Nobody.”
“Is she the one you’ve been spending all that time with? Is she the friend whose house you were at when you got snowed in?”
“I can’t put one over on you, huh?” Jesse frowned. “Yeah. We’ve been spending time together.”
“I knew it was a lady! Is she your girlfriend?” Laila’s eyes gleamed, and she got up on her knees on the couch.
“No, Laila. She’s not my girlfriend.” The truth sucked.
“But you like her a lot?” Laila narrowed her eyes to look him over.
Jesse snorted softly. “I barely know her.”
“So how come you’re looking her up on the internet? Why didn’t you just ask her if you could text her? Girls like it when you just ask.” She said this so nonchalantly that Jesse was reminded again how different things were for kids now. And again how much trouble he was in for with this kid.
“I did text her,” he admitted. “She didn’t answer me. That’s her way of saying no, I guess.”
Laila scoffed. “To you?”
“Yeah. To me. Hey, kiddo, it’s getting late. You should get ready for bed.” Jesse took the bowl and stood, but Laila stopped him.
“If you really like her, you should tell her, Dad. That’s what Mom says. She says when you really like somebody there’s no point in waiting to tell them, because if you don’t, someone else will.”
“Your mom’s full of good advice.”
“She says Barry told her he liked her right away, and that’s how she knew she should give him a shot,” Laila added.
Jesse tried not to laugh, which would offend her. “Barry, huh? That guy she works with? You like him okay?”
“He’s okay.” She shrugged and got off the couch. “He’s got a big TV and all the cable stations. And a cat.”
“Ah. He sounds great.”
Laila launched herself at him, almost spilling the popcorn kernels as she squeezed him. “He’s not you, Dad. Don’t worry.”
Okay, so maybe he’d worried. Just the tiniest bit. Now he squeezed her back and tugged her ponytail. “Go get ready for bed.”
She was right, he thought later as he cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and paid some bills. The wind gusted hard outside, reminding him that winter wasn’t over yet. There were more storms coming, for sure. And if he wanted to spend any of them stranded with Colleen again, he’d better figure out a way to make that happen. At least he had to try.
But when Thursday rolled around again, no matter how many times he looked up at the jingle of the bell over The Fallen Angel’s door announcing a new arrival, none of the customers were her.
* * *
“You look like shit.”
Leave it to Mark to be so blunt, Colleen thought as she poured herself a mug of coffee she didn’t want, but would drink anyway because what she really wanted was a doughnut. Mondays, Mondays. Ugh. “Gee, thanks.”
“Seriously.” He leaned too close for social propriety, almost like he wanted to sniff her. Or lick her. Either way, it was too close.
Colleen stepped back. “I’m tired. That’s all. Haven’t been sleeping.”
“Ah. Up too late?” Mark grinned, showing all his teeth. He made a dirty gesture with one hand. “New guy?”
Her lack of sleep was certainly none of Mark’s business, even if he’d always had a way of worming out the most personal details of her life. “Old guy, actually.”
“Steve’s been bothering you?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit how Steve still managed to get under her skin. She’d managed to ignore him for a week, until he sent her flowers and an apology. She hated the flowers and didn’t believe for a second he was sorry about anything, but
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