We cook simple meals together. And sometimes we play card games or watch a movie. I haven’t held her hand again, not since taco night. Even though it sometimes seems like she likes me, too, I won’t dive into the deep end with her until I know whether I’m getting shipped off to who knows what team.
“I’m not home,” she says through the phone. “I’m still at work.”
“That makes for a long day.”
Her sigh is weary. “Yeah, I’m just here making sure I have everything ready to go for tomorrow night.”
“And? Is everything a go?”
“I’ll answer that question in about an hour when I know more. There have been some hiccups. I can’t get my end of the online signup form to load properly, so I don’t even know if I made all the reminder calls I needed to make.” Charlotte’s voice is tense, her tone grating through the phone.
“Oh, man, that must be stressful. What’s wrong with the form?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably the Wi-Fi. I swear, ever since Ron told us we were getting shut down, things have been breaking left and right. I think it’s because the building knows and it’s throwing a fit.”
“And so the Wi-Fi stopped working in protest?” I curb my laugh. She doesn’t seem to be in a laughing mood.
“Exactly,” she says gravely.
“Is there anything I can do?”
She sighs. “I just need to get everything gathered. I can’t believe the event is tomorrow.”
“Neither can I. I remember when it was just a wee little twinkle in your eye.”
“Oh, it was a wee little twinkle long before we started hanging out.”
Charlotte bringing up our hanging out makes me want to ask her about it. Like,hey, I’m having fun with you. Can we keep hanging out after the gait analysis thing is over? Can we maybe do more than just hang out?
But I don’t say any of that. My life is completely up in the air, and Charlotte seems stressed about tomorrow. Why would I bring that up right now?
Also, I’m chicken.
So far, the time we’ve spent together has mostly involved Miley and filming live videos so that people know about the screening. But after tomorrow night, what’s going to happen?
Will I even be in San Antonio in a month from now?
Chapter 22
Taysom
“Tomakemattersworse,”Charlotte says through the phone, her voice thin. “I couldn’t get started right after my last client because I’d promised Tracy I’d help her with the mountains of data entry that needs to be done before the center closes. So that took a while. And then Willa told me she couldstay after to help, and she did for a bit, but then she had to go to her fiancé’s grandmother’s ninetieth birthday party.”
I whistle. “Wow! Good for her for reaching ninety.”
“Yeah. I bet she’s not a redhead. Redheads tend to not live as long as other people.”
I snort. “That can’t be true.”
To my surprise, she hedges. “Well, maybe it’s not scientifically proven, exactly, but we Cheeto-heads know.”
“Which means if you tell yourself something repeatedly, it’s more likely to come true,” I insist.
“Way to invalidate, but whatever.” Her voice is teasing. I think I’ve finally figured out when there’s a hint of a tease in her words. She likes to challenge me, that much is certain.
“Am I invalidating or am I helping you out of your disillusionment?”
She just laughs and I can imagine her shaking her head.
