slightly guilty for lying, but then I remember the “stray” comment his friend made and the feelings are gone.
He starts to stand. “I’ll take you home.”
“It’s okay, I called Skye. I’ll see you later.”
“Caymen—”
“No, really. Stay. Have fun.” I push on his shoulder, forcing him back down, then leave the room.
Chapter 18
I grab hold of the shop door and yank, but my arm jerks to a stop.
“Is it locked?” Skye asks.
For the first time I notice the windows are dark. I cup my hand over my eyes and press my nose to the window. My mom isn’t there. Digging the keys out of my pocket, I unlock the door.
“Mom!”
No answer.
“Don’t you normally close at seven on Saturdays?” Skye asks.
“Maybe it was slow.”
Skye looks confused and she has every right to be. We’ve never closed early. She doesn’t say anything about it but rounds a baby cradle and leans against the counter.
“I’ll be right back.” After looking in the party room and stockroom and not finding her, I go to the register and open the drawer. Empty. She must’ve taken the deposit. But why would she close early just to do that? I wasn’t that late.
I rush upstairs and into the apartment.
“Mom!”
I’m greeted with silence. The answering machine we’ve had since I was a little girl doesn’t have the red blinking light of a missed call. But on the counter right next to it is a note.
Caymen,
I had a 5:30 doctor’s appointment. Since you weren’t here, I decided to close the store and take the deposit on the way to my appointment. Don’t worry about reopening. It’s been slow anyway. Hope you had a fun day.
Mom
I reread the note. It’s hard to tell from a piece of paper if someone was angry when they wrote it. I turn it over and run my hand along the back side to see how deeply the words are pressed into the page. Then I hold it up to the light to see if the handwriting looks rushed or angry. It seems to check out as being written by an average-tempered person. I sigh and place the note back on the counter then look around feeling a little lost.
I go back downstairs. Skye’s on the phone so I grab the shelf cleaner from under the counter and start cleaning.
When Skye hangs up she says, “Henry is coming over.”
The bell on the door dings.
“Like right now.”
I let out a laugh. “That was fast.”
Henry waves then looks up. “Why’s it so dark in here?”
I point to the overhead lights. “The lights are off.”
Skye laughs sweetly. “I’m sure he meant why are the lights off.”
I’m distracted. “Oh. Right. We closed early. So what are you guys up to?” I look back and forth between Skye and Henry. They obviously had plans before I intercepted Skye for a ride.
“Henry came over so we could all hang out with you.”
“Oh. Cool.”
Henry flicks at his cheek twice, making a pinging noise. “Um . . . you also invited Tic over tonight. He’ll be here in a little while.”
“What?”
Again he pings his cheek. “We told Tic you invited him to come hang out at the shop.”
“Wow, that was nice of me. Why would I do that?”
Skye smiles. “Because after he kissed you, you were smitten.”
“Is that why I haven’t talked to him in two weeks? Because I was smitten?”
She shrugs her shoulders.
“Tell me you didn’t tell him that.”
“Just relax. Come on, we’ll chill in the back and then you won’t feel like we’re standing around waiting for him.” She pulls me to the stockroom.
“So you did tell him that?” I sink onto the couch in the back room and think about damage control while Henry and Skye talk about some show the band is playing in a couple of weeks. Before I come up with any good plan, the bell on the front door rings and my heart stops.
“We’re back here,” Skye calls out.
What was I going to say? Tic, hey. We kissed? What? Hmm, I don’t remember that.
I look up as footsteps shuffle into the room.
He starts to stand. “I’ll take you home.”
“It’s okay, I called Skye. I’ll see you later.”
“Caymen—”
“No, really. Stay. Have fun.” I push on his shoulder, forcing him back down, then leave the room.
Chapter 18
I grab hold of the shop door and yank, but my arm jerks to a stop.
“Is it locked?” Skye asks.
For the first time I notice the windows are dark. I cup my hand over my eyes and press my nose to the window. My mom isn’t there. Digging the keys out of my pocket, I unlock the door.
“Mom!”
No answer.
“Don’t you normally close at seven on Saturdays?” Skye asks.
“Maybe it was slow.”
Skye looks confused and she has every right to be. We’ve never closed early. She doesn’t say anything about it but rounds a baby cradle and leans against the counter.
“I’ll be right back.” After looking in the party room and stockroom and not finding her, I go to the register and open the drawer. Empty. She must’ve taken the deposit. But why would she close early just to do that? I wasn’t that late.
I rush upstairs and into the apartment.
“Mom!”
I’m greeted with silence. The answering machine we’ve had since I was a little girl doesn’t have the red blinking light of a missed call. But on the counter right next to it is a note.
Caymen,
I had a 5:30 doctor’s appointment. Since you weren’t here, I decided to close the store and take the deposit on the way to my appointment. Don’t worry about reopening. It’s been slow anyway. Hope you had a fun day.
Mom
I reread the note. It’s hard to tell from a piece of paper if someone was angry when they wrote it. I turn it over and run my hand along the back side to see how deeply the words are pressed into the page. Then I hold it up to the light to see if the handwriting looks rushed or angry. It seems to check out as being written by an average-tempered person. I sigh and place the note back on the counter then look around feeling a little lost.
I go back downstairs. Skye’s on the phone so I grab the shelf cleaner from under the counter and start cleaning.
When Skye hangs up she says, “Henry is coming over.”
The bell on the door dings.
“Like right now.”
I let out a laugh. “That was fast.”
Henry waves then looks up. “Why’s it so dark in here?”
I point to the overhead lights. “The lights are off.”
Skye laughs sweetly. “I’m sure he meant why are the lights off.”
I’m distracted. “Oh. Right. We closed early. So what are you guys up to?” I look back and forth between Skye and Henry. They obviously had plans before I intercepted Skye for a ride.
“Henry came over so we could all hang out with you.”
“Oh. Cool.”
Henry flicks at his cheek twice, making a pinging noise. “Um . . . you also invited Tic over tonight. He’ll be here in a little while.”
“What?”
Again he pings his cheek. “We told Tic you invited him to come hang out at the shop.”
“Wow, that was nice of me. Why would I do that?”
Skye smiles. “Because after he kissed you, you were smitten.”
“Is that why I haven’t talked to him in two weeks? Because I was smitten?”
She shrugs her shoulders.
“Tell me you didn’t tell him that.”
“Just relax. Come on, we’ll chill in the back and then you won’t feel like we’re standing around waiting for him.” She pulls me to the stockroom.
“So you did tell him that?” I sink onto the couch in the back room and think about damage control while Henry and Skye talk about some show the band is playing in a couple of weeks. Before I come up with any good plan, the bell on the front door rings and my heart stops.
“We’re back here,” Skye calls out.
What was I going to say? Tic, hey. We kissed? What? Hmm, I don’t remember that.
I look up as footsteps shuffle into the room.
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