For a second, I think he’s joking. No one has ever asked me to dance before, especially while I’m working. “I’m sorry, but I can’t right now.”
“Just one dance,” he says, holding out his hand.
“I’m supposed to be working—”
“You’re not turning me down, are you?”
The timbre of his voice makes me hesitate. If we hadn’t already spoken, I probably wouldn’t entertain the idea. But there’s something about him that makes me consider the risk. Maybe if we blend into the crowd, no one will even notice. I know I shouldn’t do this. But it is my last night on the job. I glance around for Mr. Antonio before I take his hand, letting him lead me out to the middle of the room.
I’ve never danced with another guy before. He’s a littletaller than me, so I’m not really sure where my hands go. He smiles at this, taking me by the side. My cheeks go warm as his arms move around me. It seems strange at first, slow dancing with someone whose name I don’t know yet. But once I relax a little, and we move in time with the music, the two of us blend seamlessly into the rest of the crowd. Suddenly, I feel like the main character of the story.
I rest my head on his shoulder, hoping the song doesn’t end. After a moment, he lifts my chin with his finger, so we’re facing each other. As he gazes into my eyes, his lips only a few inches from mine, I think we might kiss. Then he leans forward, moving his mouth to my ear. He whispers, “Are there nuts in these?”
I blink at him, confused. “What did you say?”
“I said… are therenutsin these?”
The music cuts out. I blink again and find myself back at the dessert table, leaning against the wall, where I’ve been standing for the last hour. I look around the room, disoriented for a second. The guy I was just dancing with in my head is pointing at the cannoli, a brow raised at me.
“Did you not hear me?” he says. “I’m asking if there’s nuts in these.”
I swallow air, trying not to stammer. “Oh… I don’t think so.”
Before I can say more, a girl with blond hair appears at his side, looking stunning in a yellow dress. She grabs his arm and says, “I love this song. Come dance with me.” Then she pulls him away, laughing as they both disappear into the crowd.
A familiar ache goes through me. It’s this flopping feelingin my stomach, making me wish I could disappear, too. I stand there a few minutes longer. Then I grab some empty trays and head back to the kitchen for the rest of the night.
I clock out at eleven on the dot.Mr. Antonio usually has me working till the end, helping him move things to the van. But I told him I couldn’t stay late tonight. It was only a seasonal job and summer is officially over. I’m not exactly heartbroken about this. But starting tomorrow, I’ll have to sit down and figure out the next steps of the rest of my life.
As I’m leaving the hotel, one of the cooks invites me out with the others. “It’s your last night with us, kid,” he says.
“Would love to, but it’s my friend’s birthday,” I say.
“Thought you said it’s tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but we always stay up till midnight together.”
It’s a tradition between me and Daniel. We started it a few years ago when we each turned sixteen. It’s always just the two of us, sitting around in our rooms, sharing some pizza, waiting for the clock to change like New Year’s Eve. But it’s already 11:15 p.m. and I need to get back in time. It’s a quiet train ride home. I look through photos of us on my phone to pass the time. Some of my favorites are the ones from our trip to Japan.
I glance at my bracelet again.Haru.It’s been over a year since we spent our perfect day together. I still think about him every now and then, wondering what could have been if I had stayed. I wonder if he ever thinks about me, too.
I get home at a quarter till midnight. Daniel and I are meeting on the rooftop again. I don’t want to wake my parents, so I use the ladder we keep at the side of the house. I make my way up and find Daniel already waiting for me. He has the blanket laid out for us. A tea candle flickers inside a mason jar beside it. The moment he sees me coming up, he throws his arms around me and says, “Where the hell have you been?”
“I left as soon as I could.”
“You’re lucky it’s not midnight yet.”
“You know I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Did you get it for me?”
I frown at him. He’s talking about the cupcake from Lily’s, a local bakery in the Loop. I make sure to get him his favorite flavor every year. Chocolate coconut, with a caramel crème filling. “Sorry, but the place closed before I could get there.”
His eyes flicker with disappointment. But he smiles anyway and says, “That’s okay. All that matters is you’re here.”
11:43 p.m.
We sit on the blanket together, sharing some hors d’oeuvres I swiped from work on the way out. It’s one of the few perks I’m gonna miss about the job. Then Daniel lies down, resting his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky. I lie right beside him, moving my hands behind my head, too. There’s no one else I’d rather be with tonight. But I can’t shake this strange feeling in my chest. That something about tonight isn’t quite the same.
