Page 42 of Holding On

She looks back at me and smiles. "I learned that one in nursing school."

"When do you think you'll go back?"

She shrugs. "I'm not sure. Maybe next spring." She unloads the last sack, which contains a bag of chips and some candy bars. "Here's your junk food. Oh, I forgot your pop. I'll be right back."

I hate that I'm not able to help her. I feel so useless in this chair. But I can at least order the pizza. As she's coming back with the soda, I get my phone out.

"What kind of pizza you want?"

She sets the soda down on the counter. "Anchovies and pineapple."

"Um, okay," I say, thinking that's the most disgusting sounding pizza I've ever heard of. What would prompt someone to even try that combination?

She starts laughing. "Ethan, I'm kidding."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Good, because I don't think I could even stand the smell of that. Anchovies and pineapple?" I shudder. "Sounds horrible. So what kind do you really want?"

"Pepperoni." She pops open a can of soda.

"Want anything else on it? Peppers? Mushrooms?"

"No, just pepperoni, unless you want other stuff on it."

"I'm getting two so we can each have what we want."

I call in the order. It's nice to be ordering for two instead of one. It's also nice to be eating a meal with someone. I honestly hadn't realized how lonely I was until Becca and I started hanging out.

"Back to work tomorrow?" I ask as we wait for the pizza.

"Yeah. On Mondays I clean three houses and they're all pretty large so it takes forever." She sits down on one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

"What time do you get off?" I ask because I want to see her again tomorrow. I know that's asking a lot but she can always say no.

"I get off around four but then I have to go to my other job."

"I didn't know you had another job. Where do you work?"

She hesitates. "If I tell you, you can't laugh."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Because it's kind of embarrassing, especially the uniforms."

"Huh," I say to myself, thinking about what this place might be. "You have to wear a uniform that could be considered embarrassing."

She smiles. "Correct."

"Are you a clown?" I pretend to be serious.

Laughing, she says, "No, I'm not a clown. Guess again."

"Do you work at that movie theater downtown dressed up as a container of popcorn?"

That actually is a real job. The theater pays someone to stand outside dressed as a bucket of popcorn.

"No, that's not it. But you're getting closer. It does involve food."

"Are you a waitress?"

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