Page 36 of Falling Backwards
At least he didn’t press the Halloween plans question, though.
I’m glad when he leaves, but after I’ve seated the group of people and quietude has descended on my hostess stand again, I do find myself wondering if he might start cropping up more often now that he knows I work here.
Surely he won’t, right?
Well, something in my stomach isnotso sure.
The more I dwell on him gathering as much information about me as he has, the more chilled I seem to grow.I decided that he doesn’t seem legitimately weird, but…I don’t know.
The thought of him working here heightens that chilled feeling so much it gets a judder out of me.
I’m not left feeling uneasy for long, though, because it occurs to me that I can speak to Mr.Polk about this.
I reach for the employees-only phone so I can call the back office—and I jump when it rings before I can lift the receiver.
Don’t ask why my brain goes to worrying Kyle is calling me somehow.That doesn’t even make sense.
I roll my eyes at myself, then answer the phone.“This is Maggie.”
“Is there any ibuprofen here?”comes a fatigued yet familiar male voice.“If so, do you have it or would it be in the breakroom?”After a beat, he adds, “This is Luke.”
I know it is.I know your voice.
The thought is soft, not exasperated.Just like the chill that’s whispering through me now isn’t born of nervousness like the one from moments ago.
There’s no time to slip back into memories, though.
“We do have some somewhere,” I say to him.“I’ll see if it’s with me.”I don’t recall glimpsing any medicine bottles over here, but I’ll make sure.
Before I do, I glance to the bar and find him with his head dropped into his free hand.
Yeah, I noticed when I got here a couple hours ago that he didn’t look like he felt his best, and that hasn’t changed.He still seems worn and has been much quieter than usual.This is the first time we’ve even spoken today, now that I think about it.
I turn my attention to the shelves of my stand and peer around.Shortly, I look his way again and tell him, “No, it must be in the breakroom.”
I hear him sigh through the phone, and I swear I can see it, too, even from here.
And I…
…it makes my heartbeat act up to admit it to myself, but I feel for him, kind of.
Maybe because of the good times I was recalling.Maybe because he hasn’t been a thorn in my side today.Maybe because I believe I’d rather deal with him even at his worst than deal with flirtatious Kyle.Maybe because Mrs.Matthews’s talk of kindness is drifting back up into my mind.
Whatever the reason, I speak on it before I can decide not to.“I’ll get the medicine and bring it to you.I need to go that direction to speak to Mr.Polk anyway.”The words sound off to my ears, my voice even more so; I try to subtly clear the weirdness out of my throat.
Though Luke was already quiet, the way his silence rings over the line now tells me he wasn’t expecting what I said any more than I was expecting to say it.
Indeed, across the way, he slowly lifts his head from his hand and looks over here to me.
Damn the unstoppable flutter-flip in my stomach.
Damn my sudden concern that he’s about to be an ass to me for the first time today and make me regret trying to be nice.
But damn if I don’t still stumble out to him, “Do you—you want one ibuprofen or two?”
He remains silent for another second.
And a couple more seconds.
