Turn toward the exit.
"Ivy?"
My entire body freezes.
I turn, pasting on a smile just as Charlotte steps out from behind the popcorn counter, her face lighting up.
"What are you doing here?" she grins. "Finally applying for that job?"
I shake my head and her smile fades anyway. Her eyes sweep me from head to toe - efficient, observant, far too good at reading me. She's always been like that, could read me like an open book. Knew what I was thinking before I'd say it.
"What's wrong?"
I try to swallow my nerves.
Fail.
I drift closer to the counter, resting my elbows on the sticky laminate. "You busy?"
She snorts. "Always. We're permanently understaffed and my manager thinks I'm a machine."
Right on cue, I hear the doors open behind me and the sound of children.
Charlotte groans, her eyes flickering from me to the forming line. "Perfect. You're helping."
"I- what?" My eyes widen, looking from her to the group of people that just entered and seeing more on their way.
She grabs an apron and tosses it at me. "Put that on. Smile. Don't say anything."
"I don't work here."
"You do now." She gives me pleading eyes."Please."
I open my mouth to protest, then someone clears their throat behind me. I sigh and send Charlie a look that tells her she owes me. She beams.
I turn to the person behind me as I slip on the apron and make my way behind the counter.
"What movie?" Charlottes voice is sweet. I move slightly behind her, grabbing things as people ask, making drinks and filling containers of popcorn until the line dwindles to nothing.
I smell like salt and butter when Charlotte finally turns to me.
And somehow, it helps. My heart slows. My shoulders drop. It doesn't last long.
Charlotte leans in, voice low. "Okay. Talk."
I exhale. "You know how I told you about Dain?"
She nods immediately with a roll of her eyes. "Mm-hmm. The human embodiment of disappointment. Put on this earth to prove to women that men are pigs-"
"Anyway." I cut off her rambling with a smile. "And how I said I wished there was, like... a guidebook?"
She tilts her head. "Are you writing one?"
I huff a laugh, wishing it was that simple. "No."
Her eyes widen. "Did you find a fuck buddy?"
I swallow and then wrinkle my nose. "I hate that phrase."
