Macey sighed dramatically. “I’m pretty sure that’s Denise from his knitting club. Like, could he get any more attractive?”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “Macey, that’s our boss. And since when is knitting attractive?”
“Since forever,” she snapped back. “Maybe take a few notes, Ty. Masculinity can involve doing sensitive things. It’s sweet when a guy volunteers at a dog rescue, or—” she gestured toward Jay and the woman he was still chatting with, “—goes to knitting club. Have you even seen a Nicholas Sparks movie?”
I snorted into my oversized toothbrush, and Tyler looked over at me with an exasperated look.
“Maybe that’s why I’m having such a hard time finding dates. I need to take up crochet.”
“You know what? That’s actually not a bad idea,” Macey said seriously.
The banter between them was fun to watch, and the hours flew by. During all of this, I did my duty of wiping off toothpaste, but I would occasionally let my eyes wander to the screening table where Jay was.
I couldn't help but notice that everyone stopped to talk to him.
Old ladies in embroidered sweaters, dads pushingstrollers, some guy from the chiropractic tent, the fire chief, and even the sheriff stopped by to talk to him.
I wished I were that warm and magnetic. I’d met plenty of people in school, but those relationships were surface-level at best, just classroom acquaintances built on group projects and shared stress. I’d spent most of my twenties holed up in my Riverside apartment with textbooks and flashcards, not learning how to actually talk to people.
Community wasn’t something I’d ever been taught to value in Riverside, maybe because it was a huge city where everyone kept to themselves, not a small mountain town where everyone knew everyone else. But now, as I watched the connections happening before me, I found myself wondering if I might actually want something like this long term.
I was pulled from my contemplative thoughts as two women in running shorts and tank tops walked up to him. They had numbers pinned to their backs and looked as if they had just finished a race. They greeted Jay in Spanish, and Jay responded smoothly, switching mid-sentence. They talked for a while.
I didn’t know what they were saying. But both girls laughed a lot. And Jay was smiling.
And I didn’t like that I cared.
I focused very hard on the plastic teeth models.
A few minutes later, we ran out of bags for the demonstrations.
“Shoot, we’re out of toothbrush bags. Tyler, come with me to grab more from Jay’s truck.” Macey dragged Tyler toward the parking lot.
Tyler groaned but followed, muttering something about manual labor.
Which left me alone at the table. Until I felt a shift inthe air, and someone came up beside me. The smell of pine and that faint campfire scent surrounded me.
I looked up and found Jay suddenly standing next to me, his hands tucked into the pockets of his scrubs.
He was so casual, so sure of himself. The confidence he radiated was palpable. No wonder so many people were drawn to him.
“You doing okay?” he asked quietly.
I did my best to sound nonchalant. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He studied me with an intensity that made my pulse flutter.
“You didn’t sleep much, did you?” His tone was more accusing than questioning.
I lifted my chin. “I’m fine. Really.”
Jay didn’t argue, but the doubt in his eyes didn’t fade.
To distract myself, I nodded toward the girls he’d been talking to, who were now walking toward the salon booth. “You seem… popular today.”
Jay let out a low chuckle. “Julia and Lucía. They were telling me about a half-marathon they’re helping organize. It’s for suicide prevention. They wanted to see if I’d join. They know I like to run.”
Oh.
