Page 61 of Late Fees

“Are you on something, Dutch?’ I called to him. I hadn’t seen him like this—usually, he was mellow and charming. But today, he was antsy and boyish. As cute as it was, I had to wonder if it was chemically induced…

“Nah, I wish,” he said with a chuckle before shoving more Sour Patch Kids into his mouth and holding up the box. “Just these.”

He grabbed a tape and ran back to me with wide eyes. “Okay, here’s my first guess.”

Placing the tape in my hands, he held his breath. I stared at it, then looked back up at Dutch in amazement. “How did you know? I mean, who told you I loved this movie?”

He shrugged. “I know what I’m doing.”

“You certainly do.” I stared down at the box. Benny and Joon was one of my all-time favorite movies about a woman with mental illness and the brother who is trying to take care of her. Johnny Depp plays this quirky Buster Keaton-esque guy who comes into her life, and they fall in love. It’s silly but serious, quirky yet entrenched in reality. Plus, Aidan Quinn had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen and was definitely in my top five celebrity crushes.

Placing the movie on the shelf, I stepped back and smiled at Dutch.

“Good choice,” Naomi said, walking by and returning tapes to the shelves. “Johnny Depp is all that and a bag of chips.”

“I prefer Aidan Quinn.”

“Who?”

“The guy who plays Joon’s brother. Have you seen those eyes?”

“Oh, the blue-eyed guy. Yeah, he’s pretty hot, too. But I mean, c’mon, it’s Johnny Freaking Depp. Show some respect, girl.” She winked and continued on her way. I was so caught up in choosing movies that I didn’t even hear the bell ring above the front door. And I didn’t hear footsteps behind me as he approached.

“So, you decided against My Boyfriend’s Back, huh?”

Wyatt.

My stomach didn’t just do a flip. It did a round-off, back handspring, front walkover, and straight jump all around my abdomen as I remember the movie he’d placed on the counter before leaving an hour before.

Calm down, Matilda.

Looking as unaffected as possible, I shrugged. “I’ve never even seen that movie; why on earth would I put it on my shelf?”

Wyatt flashed a crooked smile. “I’ve never seen it either, but I thought, you know…the sentiment and whatnot.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I nodded slowly. “You’re pretty impressed with yourself, huh?”

He tilted his head to the side. “I thought that’s one of the things you loved about me?”

He was right. Wyatt’s confidence and distinct sense of self was one of my favorite things about him. He wasn’t easily intimidated or shamed. He liked nerdy stuff and didn’t give a rat’s ass who knew it.

I wonder if he’s still into that Japanese animation.

Dutch laughed. “’Sup, bro?”

“Hey, I’m Wyatt.” He extended his hand to shake Dutch’s hand. Instead, Dutch made a peace sign.

“Dutch. Nice to meet you, and welcome to Spotlight. Help you find something?”

“No, actually,” Wyatt said, his eyes focused on mine. His voice was gravelly as he slowly said the words, “I’m here for Tilly.”

There was something about his tone, his determination, his focus that made my tongue tie up in knots. Whether or not he saw Dutch as a threat wasn’t clear, but it seemed like he wanted his intentions known.

And it stirred something inside me. Something I thought I’d buried years ago.

You don’t want him. You don’t want him. You don’t want him.

Dutch popped a few more Sour Patch Kids into his mouth, offering the box to Wyatt, who shook his head. “No, thanks, I’m good.”

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