Why did they even need me here when they had Leo? And he could do cool things with fire, to boot. I was starting to hate him. Although, I still found him incredibly cute.
Damn him.
I was hoping he wouldn’t have seen Mr. Henderson’s ‘other woman’, but no such luck. He’d seen her, too. And unlike me, he’d gotten a better look at her. Apparently, she had long red hair. There went my theory that Mr. Henderson was having a wild, torrid affair with the babysitter.
Simone cheered up following our discussion. She patted Leo on the back, and praised him. “Good work, Mr. Estrada.” Leo blushed. I wanted to gag.
Damn him. And damn her.
I kind of hated him, but I was also very happy because it felt like we were getting closer. And in the end, it didn’t matter who found Haley, who contributed valuable intel, as long as she was found.
When we gotto our room, I was glad to see that housekeeping had made up my pull-out bed. I plopped down on my bed and closed my eyes for a few seconds.
“Mrs. Henderson is so pretty,” Kendra chirped. “I wonder what her lover looks like.”
Brianna sat on her bed and removed her chunky heels. “Me, too. I bet he’s hot.”
Kendra perked up and bounced over to my bed, plopped her rear right next to me and made my whole body bounce. “You saw him, didn’t you, Anna? What does he look like?”
I rolled my eyes. “Kind of attractive… in an older man kind of way. Dark messy hair, a scruffy beard, and big brown eyes. He wore a plaid shirt.” Leo suddenly came to mind. “Kind of like an older Leo.”
Kendra squealed. “Oh, interesting…. so… he is hot.”
They were both acting quite immature. These people had lost their child. I couldn’t even imagine what that would be like, and here they were, gossiping.”
“You like Leo?” Kendra asked.
My eyes popped open, and I leaned up on my elbows. “What?!... No!”
“What?! He’s super cute,” Brianna pointed out, a fact I already knew, thank you very much.
“Yeah, and I think he might like you, too,” Kendra added.
“No,” I argued. “I do not like Leo Estrada… I mean, I like him. He’s nice. But I don’t like him likethat.”
They both laughed out loud. “She does protest a little too much,” Kendra said, her voice a playful sing-song.
I threw my hands over my eyes, and lay back down on my bed. This was going to be a long, long night.
They chatted like junior high girls as they stashed their clothing in the sleek dresser we shared. I just didn’t have the energy to put away my stuff. It was destined to stay in my suitcase, neglected and wrinkled. We were only staying overnight anyway.
I was so wired, I couldn’t imagine ever falling asleep. I decided to go take a walk. It was a beautiful fall night, and I needed to get away from them. I dug my cozy purple sweater out of my luggage; my mom’s sweater. I always wear it, and truth be told, I kind of stole it from her when I left. I wondered if she’d even notice – she has tons of sweaters. That’s all she wears in the cooler months. She’s like a colorful bag lady.
As soon as I stepped out of the room, key card in my pocket, I felt a weight lifting from my shoulders. I really needed some alone time – typical introvert. I was still thinking about my mom when I headed to the courtyard. I knew she’d love this place. “So stylish and posh,” she’d say. I remembered Kylie, and the promise I’d made her to go swimming. She would never know if I didn’t go. I could just say I did. But the problem was, I never lie to my little sister. I grunted at the thought. I’d go in the morning.
The sun was setting and the sky was a masterpiece; pinks, oranges and purples. I hugged my sweater tighter around me; the air was cool and crisp. Yes, this was definitely much better than sitting back in my hotel room and jabbering about boys and nothing. Sometimes I wonder if one of my x chromosomes is faulty. I’m just not as girly as the rest of them.
I got excited when I spotted the fire in the distance. Someone was sitting there all by their lonesome. As I inched closer, I saw the back of a man, and as I took another step, I saw the fire rise up to the sky. I knew it was Leo – he was playing again. My heart raced at the discovery and I froze for a second, wondering if I should back up and turn around – he still hadn’t seen me. Well, damn, the boy is not a grizzly bear, I told myself. I was pretty sure he didn’t bite. But then again, he could read my mind and that scared the bejeebers out of me. Now I finally understood why most people stayed away from me.
I shuffled slowly to the fire, and when he turned to see who was encroaching on his space, I spotted his sweet smile, the trace of a faded scowl. He wanted alone time, but he’d make an exception for me.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you, you shouldn’t play with fire,” I said, and I was surprised by the playful sing-song of my voice. Was I flirting? Oh my God… I was flirting.
He smiled, scooted over and patted the bench, inviting me to sit right next to him.
I don’t think so.
The fire pit was surrounded by three curved concrete benches, and there was no way I’d be sitting right next to him. “Thanks… I’ll sit here,” I said, and settled my butt on the cold concrete. My pulse was still racing. I drew a breath and told myself to settle down.
