I close the door softly, wave as she gets settled, and walk back toward the building.
On the way back, I text my dad so he'll be waiting by the door when I return.
What an unexpected twist for the night.
Her name sits in my head like a spark I can't quite extinguish. I'm still grinning to myself by the time I reach the entrance, half from the adrenaline, half from the fact that she actually gave me her number. It feels unreal in the dumbest, most dangerous way.
Olivia.
CHAPTER 15
RAUL
…19 years old
My phone alarm goes off, reminding me it's time to pick Olivia up for the special event.
After talking it over with my dad and with Olivia offering to split the tips with me, it was a no-brainer. Tonight, I'd be her barback and her extra layer of security. I also offered to pick her up so I'd know exactly where to go and what to do. I'd never barbacked before, and I was excited to learn a new trade.
That's what I tell myself, anyway.
It's just work, right?
It has nothing to do with the fact that I want more time with her.
The Cadillac XT5 purrs beneath me as I turn down a narrow road. The car is my baby, one of the few things I've ever been proud of owning on my own. I glance at the street signs, scanning the neat rows of identical houses with their manicured lawns and polished driveways.
Suburbs.
I've never seen a neighborhood so clean in my life.
I pull up to the address she gave me and reach for my phone.
Hey, I'm outside.
My thumb hovers over send, but I can't bring myself to do it.
For a second, I hear my mother's voice in my head, scolding me for not going to the door like a gentleman.
Fuck.
I park the car, step out, and walk up the front path, passing potted plants and decorative metal flowers along the walkway. I knock twice.
The door opens almost immediately.
An older man answers, and I know right away this has to be her father. Without thinking, I extend my hand.
"Hi, sir. My name is Raul. I'm here to escort Olivia to the event tonight."
"Ah, yes." He smiles and steps aside. "She was just telling us. Come on in."
He glances over my shoulder toward my car. "Will Pike. Or just Will."
"Nice to meet you," I say. "Your house is lovely."
And it is.
My eyes move over the tile floor, smooth and spotless, not a crack in sight. The front door opens to a lowered living room, and it's so big that it might be larger than our entire trailer.
