Still, Gavin remains unconvinced. He leans against the wall and hesitates before he speaks. “Look, El. I’ve seen how invested you are in expanding the town’s booth at the farmer’s market, and the people here are buzzing with excitement over your efforts to improve the convenience store. When it comes to something you believe in, you are all in. And the results?” He whistles. “They surpass everyone’s expectations. Even your lifestyle brand. I can see that now.” A sheepish expression crosses his face. “My point is, I know that you give a hundred percent of yourself to anything you set your mind to. And I’m sure dating is no different. So before you put yourself on the line, make sure you know all the facts. I don’t want to see you get hurt,” he says.
By now I’m used to Gavin’s unsolicited advice. But this one hits differently. Unlike before, there’s no judgmental undertoneof disapproval at the heart of his message, and he doesn’t sound like he’s reading off a script Dad provided for him. This time he’s not acting like a caring older brother. He is one. I smile appreciatively at him.
Gavin smiles back. “Just don’t do anything unless you talk to Brennan.”
My smile falters. As much as I want to take Gavin’s advice, especially after his overprotective-big-brother spiel, I can’t. It’s not like I can ask Brennan directly if he’s interested in me. Not without risking our friendship by making things supremely awkward in the event he says no, however slim the chances are. No, I definitely can’t ask Brennan. But someone else can….
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Gavin fidgets self-consciously.
—
Here’s the plan: Gavin is going to meet with Brennan tomorrow morning before he starts his day at the observatory. Since Gavin will be starting his shift at the cafe at the same time, he suggested grabbing a coffee there. While they talk, Gavin has been instructed to bring up my name in a series of conversational starters we work on together. They include, but are not exclusive to, my incredible fashion sense, my charitable nature, my entrepreneurial spirit, my endearing personality. There’s so much material to work with, I’m sure Gavin won’t have a problem bringing up my name in conversation. It’s his social acuity I’m worried about.
Gavin isn’t the best at picking up on subtle nuances in a person’s mannerisms that could, in certain situations, convey more than a thousand words. There’s so much that is told through indirectcommunication that can only be deciphered through keen observation. A far-off look or a deep sense of longing. A flash of hope or a shadow that crosses an expression. Or even a modulation of the pitch in the inflection or intonation of Brennan’s voice. For example, he could say, “Elena is amazing.” Which would suggest he’s already aware of my many attractive attributes and ready to profess his love. Or he could say, “Elenaisamazing,” which would suggest a new revelation that he’s considering worth exploring. The distinction between the two, though subtle, makes all the difference. Needless to say, I can’t leave it up to Gavin to relay every detail. How can I know for sure how Brennan feels about me if Gavin doesn’t know how to read those social cues?
When I conclude that Gavin is an unreliable narrator, I come up with a backup plan. After Gavin leaves I’ll wait ten minutes before following him to hear for myself what Brennan thinks of me. And to appear less conspicuous, I’ll change into something less Elena. It’s like that time I had plans to go to a Taylor Swift concert but the paparazzi had been camped outside of my house all day. Kiki told me to lie low so we could best optimize my earning potential, and I always listen to her. But after doing back-to-back-to-back publicity events, I was tired of saying yes to everyone and saying no to me. Long story short, I disregarded Kiki’s advice and went to the concert anyway. I was in my boundaries era. The point is, since I was wearing unflattering clothes that were loose around the hips and midsection and I had greasy, unstyled hair, no one recognized me when I went to the concert, and I was able to hide in plain sight. It worked then, and I’m sure it’ll work now.
Donning clothes I was able to procure at the convenience store (there’s something I never thought I’d say), I head out the door without a dose of dry shampoo or running a flat iron through my hair.I wear my hair down to hide my best features—angular jaw, high cheekbones, and pouty lips…. Well, I guess it’s impossible to cover all my assets. Regardless, I’ve hidden enough of my distinguishable attributes to make me less recognizable.
When I get to the cafe, I spot Gavin and Brennan right away. They already seem to be deep in conversation. When they’re not looking, I slip into the booth behind them. Luckily they don’t notice. I only hope I haven’t missed too much.
“Speaking of the farmer’s markets,” Gavin says, “Elena’s contributions have been surprisingly successful.”
A grin instantly forms on my lips. Being here has made me realize what I’ve taken for granted all these years, and Gavin is one of them. He is a good older brother. And maybe he always has been.
“Surprisingly? How?” Brennan says, taking the bait.
My smile grows even larger.
“I’ve never seen her this motivated about anything,” Gavin says.
“Really?” Brennan says. “She seems very goal-oriented to me. In fact, I’m not sure how to say this without sounding vain, but I’m pretty certain she might be showing interest in me.”
He knows? Of course he does; I was laying it on pretty thick.
“But you’re not interested in her?” Gavin guesses.
“Nothing against her, but I’m interested in someone else.”
My heart sinks. That confirms it. Brennan does have a crush. Just not on me. Suddenly my face burns with embarrassment. Is this what it feels like to be a B-list celebrity?
“You are?” Gavin asks.
“I wasn’t really looking for a relationship or anything, so this one caught me by surprise. I came to Blaire hoping to learn a lot about science and maybe make some friends along the way. Luckily I’ve been able to do both. I already had more than I could hopefor during my time here, which is why my feelings for this person caught me completely off guard. And it’s funny, because you know me.” He lets out an awkward chuckle. “Stumbling on discoveries is kinda my jam, so I should be in familiar territory. And yet…” He hesitates. “This new and unexpected discovery is making me nervous.”
“Oh yeah?” Gavin asks. “Anyone I know?”
“Maybe?” Brennan says teasingly.
“Anyone you’re willing to tell me about?”
“Maybe?” Brennan says again in a playful, almost coy way.
Not that I want to hear about the person who has captured the attention of Brennan so that he can’t entertain the idea of liking anyone else, but I also kinda, sorta do. So I lean back deeper into the booth to hear his response.
“You,” Brennan says.
I wait for Brennan to say more, because that can’t be the end of his sentence, can it?
