“You can’t wear flat sole shoes like that in a kitchen. The solution we use to clean the floors makes it slippery,” Jae sounds like a disappointed father whose child stuck his finger in an electrical socket. “Don’t come into the kitchen again.”
“I didn’t really want to go in the kitchen, I just wanted to let you know I was going to take a break,” I am defensive.
“You were still in the kitchen. I can’t afford a lawsuit,” He sounds defensive now.
“What’s with you and technicalities? I’m not going to sue you because I landed on my ass because of my mistake.” I snap at him, picking a fight.
“I need to be careful about who enters. You’re not wearing a hairnet or gloves or anything. I can’t afford a health code violation when I haven’t even opened yet. Just take your break outside the kitchen, please,” Jae rubs his temples with his ungloved hand. “And I don’t want you to get hurt.”
My eyes narrow. I huff, ready to pick a fight again.I look him directly in the eyes, and I realize I want to flirt with him. He’s good looking. Oh, fuck. I could flirt with literally anyone else.But for some reason, it has to be him and his goofy smile. Jae barks out a cool laugh, breaking out into a grin the more I stand there like a petulant child.
I push a little smile back and go back to my station, picking up my pencil again, my break totally forgotten. I’ll finish drawing soon, add a thin layer of white paint over the pencil drawing, and then take an actual break. My phone dings over on the table.
Oh, god, no. It’s Derek from earlier this week.
I turn around faster than I admittedly want to swipe away the incoming barge of notifications, but Jae’s face erupts into a huge grin again.
“I didn’t know you were into dating apps, Riley.” He’s teasing me. He doesn’t really think I use a dating app.
“How could you have known? We’ve known each other for a week.” I’m clearly embarrassed, the tips of my ears burning hot, redder than my cadmium red paint. “I’m not really dating…just—” I stumble over my words like I’m playing Twister, trying to land on the right color. “Just looking.”
Deny, deny, deny. I grab my phone off the table and clear the notifications. Jae tries to hide a laugh behind his hand, his smile peeking through. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. Everyone needs to get laid now and then.”
He’s clearly pleased with himself, looking sly, while I am exasperated. This is for dates. Not sex. Or is that what I meantby a date? I don’t want a relationship.“I want to see your profile.” Jae comes closer to me, his arm hovering dangerously close to being around my shoulder.
“What? Why?” I’m shocked. What could he want to see my dating app photos for? Is he interested in me?”
“Please, I need to see them, Riley,” He’s laughing, but it’s not malicious. “I just want to get to know you better. There’s no better intro than the one you’ve put online for the world to see.”
“I guess you’re right,” He does have a point, but I need to find a way out of this. I do not want to show Jae my photos. Not because I am embarrassed by them, but I just know that as soon as he sees them, he’s going to prod for more and more of my personal life. None of which I particularly care to share with him right now.
“Please, sit,” He encourages me.
“Do I have to show you?” I ask him, sitting down in the wishbone chair. I fold my hands down on the wooden table, my phone face down underneath.
“No. But I’d like to see them. It’d make you really cool if you did,” Jae says. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” The more I think about it, the more I want to see his photos. And know more about him. He’s kind, when he wants to be, and he’s funny. And he’s interested in me.
“I don’t want to see yours.”
“Then I won’t show them to you.” Jae rolls his eyes. “Geez.”
“But I want something in return. Something to make the ridicule worth it. Two can play at this game.” I’m the schoolyard bully now, shaking Jae down for his lunch money.
“I'm not interested in your offer any more than you're interested in mine.” Jae taps his fingers back at me. “But I’ll do it. For you. Name your price.”
The more I think about it, the more I couldn't care less about Jae wanting to see my photos. There's nothing in therethat would lead me to have to explain Grant, which is what I ultimately want to avoid, but it’s clearly getting under his skin, and I finally want to have something to hold over him.
The dating lessons.
“You pay for our first date,” I say confidently, and then falter.
“Oh?”
“Our firstpracticedate,” I correct myself.
“That’s it? A dinner?” Jae raises his eyebrows and looks like he wants to burst out laughing any second. He probably thinks I’m ridiculous. But this is a big step for me.
“Yes, that’s it.” I purse my lips together and tap my fingers on the table. “Do we have a deal? My offer expires soon.”
