Page 44 of January

“Did she invite herself, or did you ask her to come?” Jill asked.

“She texted and wanted to know what I was doing. I told her I was working but that I had a break if she was bored, and she said she could take a break going through her grandmother’s stuff and she’d stop by. It’s casual. She probably won’t even come. I told her it was only thirty minutes before I had to run the register. Not exactly fun to hang out with someone who’s behind a counter.”

“Well, I bet you a round of drinks that she shows up,” Bridgette stated.

“Really?” Melinda said, laughing a little as the check was dropped off at their table.

“And I’ll pay for a second round if she does show,” Jill offered.

“Oh, come on. You too?”

“And if we win, you have to buy us each three rounds,” Bridgette said.

“This is silly. I’m not agreeing to that,” Melinda replied, placing her credit card down on top of the check.

“Scared she’ll actually show?” Jill teased.

“She might. She said she would, and she seems like the kind of person who keeps her word.”

“So, you agree with us that she’ll show, then?” Bridgette said just as Melinda’s phone buzzed.

She looked down at it, and her face fell.

Kyle Schafer: Hey, sorry. I can’t stop by, after all. Jolie and I found some stuff in a closet that we need to go through.

“She’s not coming,” she shared.

“You have a sad puppy face. You reallydolike her, don’t you?” Jill asked.

“Yes, which is why I can’t ask her out,” she replied and typed back to Kyle that she understood.

After they paid and left the restaurant, leaving Bridgette to turn left to go back to work when they had to turn right, Melinda’s phone buzzed again.

Kyle Schafer: Can I make it up to you?

“She wants to make it up to me,” Melinda said to Jill.

“Oh, that’s sweet,” Jill replied.

“I know. What should I say?”

“I don’t know. Maybe ask her how? Is that too flirty? Would she reply with a winky face emoji or something?”

“I don’t know,” Melinda said, laughing.

“Then, just try it.”

Melinda typed and hit send before she could overthink it. The three little dots appeared.

“She’s typing.”

Jill leaned over to wait for Kyle’s response.

Kyle Schafer: Are you busy after work?

“Oh, say no,” Jill said. “Tell her you’re totally free. But, like, two hours after you get off so that you can shower and shave and pick out something nice to wear.”

“It’s not a date, Jill. She just asked if I was free.”