through a trashy romance novel I got for free online. But every time I come across a line with even the tiniest bit of sexual innuendo I feel myself blush – like reading something like this in the same room as Colin is the most embarrassing endeavor, ever. I finally have to put it down.
There’s a desk beside me covered in papers and books. Out of the heap I procure a slightly battered copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.
“Is this yours?” I ask Colin when he pokes his head out of the car.
“Uh yeah,” he grins somewhat sheepishly. “I just started it.”
“I love this book.”
“Really?”
“Oh my God, yes. It’s great. I mean it takes forever to get through, but it’s so worth it. There’s just something about Edmond...I don’t know. And the whole revenge thing, I guess I just get it...especially now,” I add under my breath.
“You like it that much, huh?”
“I guess so. How do you like it so far?”
“Oh, um. Actually it’s for a class I’m taking...to be honest it’s a little difficult. There’s just so much to follow. And the language is a bit dated.”
“Oh.”
“I’m more of a Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum kind of guy.”
“I love The Da Vinci Code ,” I tell him.
He laughs.
“But Angels and Demons was better,” we both say in unison. I feel goose bumps trickling down my arms. Am I really having a conversation about books with a guy? A guy I like? I didn’t think it was possible. I mean sure I know guys who read...but the last book conversation I had with Zane was about some stupid graphic novel he was trying to get me to read.
He drops something on the ground, and bends down to pick it up.
“The movie is really good.”
“What movie?”
“Oh um, Count of Monte Cristo . Not the old one, well I’ve never seen that one actually. But the one they made in like 2002 with that guy who played Jesus in Passion of the Christ . It’s an awesome movie. Really different than the book, maybe even better. You should check it out. You might like it.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
“I actually have the DVD, if you want to borrow it or something sometime.”
“I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” He turns back to my car.
“So you said you’re taking a class?” I say to his back.
“Uh huh. At the university in Albuquerque. Just some upgrade classes right now. I’m moving out there in the Fall though, going full time.”
His words slam into me like a car, my body buckles under their impact. Colin is moving away?
“Oh. That’s great. Good for you,” I say, struggling to make my voice sound normal, not strangled with anguish. It’s what, the end of March now. He’ll be gone by August. That’s maybe four months. I guess I shouldn’t have counted on him hanging around West Plane forever...but I never thought he would go away. What if I never see him again?
“Thanks.”
“Um...so what are you going to study?”
“I don’t know for sure. I was thinking Mechanical Engineering. You know I’ve always been good with cars and engines. Taking things apart, putting them back together. I like figuring out the way things work.”
He turns back to my car and I sag back against the chair, watching him.
It takes him another hour to finish, but when he’s done I’ve finally joined the twenty-first century and have a CD player and iPod hook up in my car. The speakers are so powerful that the seats vibrate when he turns them up full blast.
I hand him the wad of cash I took out from the bank machine, fifty for the stereo and another twenty-five for the work.
“Thanks again,” I say from where I’m sitting in the front seat, fiddling with the shiny buttons on the new stereo console.
He leans over, resting his hands on the roof of the car, and looking in through the open driver’s side window.
“So big plans for the night?”
I shake my head.
“Not even with Grant West?” He grins teasingly.
My mind jolts. Somehow over the past two hours I forgot
There’s a desk beside me covered in papers and books. Out of the heap I procure a slightly battered copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.
“Is this yours?” I ask Colin when he pokes his head out of the car.
“Uh yeah,” he grins somewhat sheepishly. “I just started it.”
“I love this book.”
“Really?”
“Oh my God, yes. It’s great. I mean it takes forever to get through, but it’s so worth it. There’s just something about Edmond...I don’t know. And the whole revenge thing, I guess I just get it...especially now,” I add under my breath.
“You like it that much, huh?”
“I guess so. How do you like it so far?”
“Oh, um. Actually it’s for a class I’m taking...to be honest it’s a little difficult. There’s just so much to follow. And the language is a bit dated.”
“Oh.”
“I’m more of a Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum kind of guy.”
“I love The Da Vinci Code ,” I tell him.
He laughs.
“But Angels and Demons was better,” we both say in unison. I feel goose bumps trickling down my arms. Am I really having a conversation about books with a guy? A guy I like? I didn’t think it was possible. I mean sure I know guys who read...but the last book conversation I had with Zane was about some stupid graphic novel he was trying to get me to read.
He drops something on the ground, and bends down to pick it up.
“The movie is really good.”
“What movie?”
“Oh um, Count of Monte Cristo . Not the old one, well I’ve never seen that one actually. But the one they made in like 2002 with that guy who played Jesus in Passion of the Christ . It’s an awesome movie. Really different than the book, maybe even better. You should check it out. You might like it.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
“I actually have the DVD, if you want to borrow it or something sometime.”
“I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” He turns back to my car.
“So you said you’re taking a class?” I say to his back.
“Uh huh. At the university in Albuquerque. Just some upgrade classes right now. I’m moving out there in the Fall though, going full time.”
His words slam into me like a car, my body buckles under their impact. Colin is moving away?
“Oh. That’s great. Good for you,” I say, struggling to make my voice sound normal, not strangled with anguish. It’s what, the end of March now. He’ll be gone by August. That’s maybe four months. I guess I shouldn’t have counted on him hanging around West Plane forever...but I never thought he would go away. What if I never see him again?
“Thanks.”
“Um...so what are you going to study?”
“I don’t know for sure. I was thinking Mechanical Engineering. You know I’ve always been good with cars and engines. Taking things apart, putting them back together. I like figuring out the way things work.”
He turns back to my car and I sag back against the chair, watching him.
It takes him another hour to finish, but when he’s done I’ve finally joined the twenty-first century and have a CD player and iPod hook up in my car. The speakers are so powerful that the seats vibrate when he turns them up full blast.
I hand him the wad of cash I took out from the bank machine, fifty for the stereo and another twenty-five for the work.
“Thanks again,” I say from where I’m sitting in the front seat, fiddling with the shiny buttons on the new stereo console.
He leans over, resting his hands on the roof of the car, and looking in through the open driver’s side window.
“So big plans for the night?”
I shake my head.
“Not even with Grant West?” He grins teasingly.
My mind jolts. Somehow over the past two hours I forgot
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