“Today’s your last shift for the holidays, right?” Jude asks.
“Yeah. Yours too, right?”
“Yeah.” He presses his lips together and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Thank you, Aaron, for getting me this job.”
He says it with such seriousness, my cheeks warm. “It’s no big deal,” I say hastily. “Seriously. You’re a good worker.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you at school.”
“Yeah,” I say.
He’s about to turn away when a yell comes from down the street.
“Aaron!” Ricky bellows. “It’s been seven hundred years since —” he stops short.
“Is that…?” Mimi’s voice. “Jude Seymour?”
“Jude Seymour?” Ethan echoes. “What’s he doing here?”
“Hello,” Jude says, and it’s only now that I realise how animated his voice has been over these past few weeks we’ve been working together because now he sounds wooden.
“Why are you here?” Ricky asks.
Jude doesn’t scowl, but his expression is pretty close to one. “I work here.”
My friends’ eyes drag sideways, settling on me.
“Yeah,” I say. “He’s working for my parents over the winter holidays.”
“Oh wow, you didn't tell us that,” Mimi says, brows jumping up.
“It’s not exactly earth-shattering news,” Jude says.
“Well, it's a surprise to us,” Mimi replies.
Jude turns to me, “Is this some sort of coincidental encounter or—”
“I’m joining them for dinner,” I explain.
There's a beat of silence, and I know if my mum were here, she would tell me to invite Jude. That's what my conscience is telling me, too, but just like all the times I've offered to drive him home, I know he’ll say no. “Well…” I trail off.
“You should come along,” Ricky says, loud enough that both Jude and I startle, “if you wanna.”
"Yeah," Lily echoes. "We're heading to the pizza place down the street. It’s really good."
Jude’s eyes flick between them.
“No pressure, though,” I say before realising it sounds like I want him to say no. “But it’s good food, and if you come, it’s kind of like celebrating the end of three weeks of work.”
Jude bites his lip in thought. The movement distracts me, his bottom lip looking pillow-soft.
“I am pretty hungry, and all I have at home to eat is leftover lasagna,” he admits.
“That's settled then,” Ethan decides. “Come on, I'm starving. Let’s go.” He grabs Mimi's hand, and they start down the street.
“Wait you guys,” Lily says, quickly following with Ricky.
I glance at Jude, and he mirrors my hesitant smile before we trail after the rest of the group.
