Page 10 of Single Teddy
“I do.”
“So you’re coming with me.” She marched toward the front door and only turned around when she’d already crossed the threshold. “Hello?”
“I…I need a shower first. I just went running.”
“You’re fine. You smell like a bouquet of roses,” she said with an eye roll.
“Okay, but can I change first? I’m not sure a tracksuit is appropriate job-interview apparel.”
Autumn groaned.
“Trust me. Your new boss won’t care. Let’s go. Time is a-wasting.” She threw both hands in the air, beckoning me to follow her, and went down the porch steps and toward my car.
I stood there watching her, weighing my options. I really,reallywanted to have a shower. I could feel my sweat drying in not too pleasant places, and I really didn’t think anyone would hire a guy in a tracksuit, but then again, I had no idea what kind of job interview this even was.
In the end, I decided to trust my new friend’s judgment and followed her outside. We got into my car and she guided me through the town center to the waterfront.
We parked in front of a three-story shingled gray building with pink doors and a round pink sign that read Bubble Bubble under a pair of bubble tea cups with eyes and mouths.
“What is this?” I asked as we got out.
“Your new job,” she said. “Why? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of pink?”
“Why would I be afraid of pink?”
She shrugged.
“I don’t know. You big, macho men have an unnatural fear of the color pink. And purple. And red, sometimes.”
I chuckled and followed her to the door, which she opened for me, but I stood outside.
“What is it now?”
I grimaced. “I just…I don’t know anything about bubble tea. In fact, I don’t know anything about anything. The only thing I’m good at is…well…guns.”
Autumn rolled her eyes and swallowed a snore before she glared at me and crossed her arms.
“My brother didn’t know anything other than guns either, and you should see him now. He’s a pro bubble tea barista. You’ll be fine. Unless you think it’s a girly job or something, in which case…I might have a few choice words.”
I buried my face in my hands, and when I recovered, Autumn was still staring.
“No. I don’t have a problem with the job. I…it’s…never mind,” I said.
“Hm…good. Now come on.”
“Wait,” I said.
She didn’t respond. She simply turned around and gave me a very judgmental stare-down.
“You said your brother. Who’s your brother?”
Her expression dropped and her eyebrows knotted in confusion.
“Really? I thought everyone knew about Parker at the base? I thought that tea was hot?”
“Huh? What tea?”
“The gossip. The tea. The dirt.”
