“And also because I—I have a question. A favor to ask you. But you can say no.”
He waited. So did Molly, hovering by the syrups rack, a less-than-discreet ten feet away. Willow grinned unconvincingly at her.
“Hey, I’m going on my break. Back in fifteen.”
She stepped around the counter and motioned Ezra to the table in the farthest corner. He followed, waited for her to sit, then took the chair across from her.
“What’s up?” he said.
No one could hear them over here. Willow drew a long breath. “Okay, so…the arts-and-crafts fair next weekend, are you still planning to go?”
“Looking forward to it.”
“Okay, so…I was wondering if…see, there’s this guy.”
She was botching this so many ways she couldn’t keep count. Go and hide now—but some seed of bravery had been planted when she motioned him to share a table with her, and now it was sprouting, its roots taking hold, keeping her in her chair. She couldn’t take back what she’d already said. She might as well say the rest.
“His name’s Keith. His family’s known my family since we were in middle school, and now that he’s home from college, he’s got this idea he wants to date me. Last time he stopped for coffee he asked me to go to the fair with him, and I don’t want to, but he doesn’t take a hint well, and if I run into him there by myself, he’ll barnacle me. And I just want to be able to enjoy the cool stuff and relax, and if he thinks I’m with someone he’ll have to leave me alone, because that’s the rule among men, right? A woman claimed gets left alone by the rest of you?”
Ezra sat very still, studying her, his ease retreated, replaced with an earnestness he’d never shown her before. “Barnacle you?”
“Yeah, you know. Cling like a barnacle.”
“He should leave you alone whether you’re with someone or not.”
“Well, yeah,” Willow said. “But that’s not how it works with some guys, and he’s one of those guys.”
“He bothers you, here at your job?”
“Not like that. Nothing major. Just hangs around the counter, asks me out, and I say no. Then we do it again next time he comes in.”
“How many times has he asked you out?”
“Oh, like, half a dozen or something. But it’s fine. That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s just the fair. I want to enjoy the fair, and I thought…” Her face heated. What was happening to the conversation? Ezra was supposed to say yes or no. Only yes or no. “I’m sorry. This is so…gosh, I sound whiny and helpless. I’m not whiny or helpless.”
“I know that,” Ezra said.
“If I retract everything now, can it not be awkward? I mean, next time you come in, can we just talk like we usually do, like I never mentioned Keith?”
“No.”
She bit her lip, looked away.
“Willow, I’m not saying no to the fair. But this is— He’s an idiot, and he’s bothering you at your job, and that has to stop.”
Oh no. She covered her face. “Please don’t make a scene here. I don’t need that.”
“I won’t if you don’t want me to. Hey,” he said when she still didn’t look up. “I’d like to go to the fair together. Really. But I’m going Friday, not Saturday or Sunday. Fewest people on that day. Plus I have other plans Saturday, so I took Friday off for the fair.”
“That’s fine! I don’t have a shift on Friday.” She’d had to ask for Saturday off, unlike Ezra as a township employee, but that was no problem. Devin wouldn’t care if she worked it anyway; or she could just enjoy a Saturday off for once, plans-free. Sounded heavenly.
“Great.” Ezra was smiling again.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. It’s a great event. We’ll have fun.”
“See, that’s what I thought too. You like artsy stuff, and I like artsy stuff, but different artsy stuff, but pretty much every form of artsy stuff can be found there, so…”
