Say When - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,24
beginning to see her point.
Once home I change out of my clothes and into something comfier. A part of me wonders if I should put more effort into my appearance since I expect Hayden’s going to show up, but then I remind myself he caught me sweaty and gross this morning and it led to a kiss. My beige and white tie-dyed sweatpants and tank top can’t be much worse.
Grabbing an Olipop from the fridge I open the can and pour it into one of the glasses Hayden used for his wine that first night. I add in a paper straw and set it down on the coffee table so I can grab the book I started yesterday from my room. Sitting in front of the T.V. reading for the evening sounds appealing to me.
I’ve barely wrapped the blanket around me and cracked the spine of the novel when there’s a knock on the door.
Fighting a smile, I get up and cross the room, swinging the door open to reveal Hayden standing there with a large bag of McDonald’s and a chocolate shake.
“I can’t believe you.” I shake my head in astonishment and step aside so he can come in.
He sets everything down on the coffee table and turns to me, hands on his hips. “I figured since it was your first day you might have been stressed, so…” He sweeps his hand toward the brown bag of food. “I guess I wanted to cheer you up too. You’ve seemed kind of down.” He scratches the back of his head awkwardly. “If it was a bad idea I can go.”
“Don’t you dare show up with food and then try to take it back.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “I’d leave the food. Well, not the cinnamon bun, that’s for me.”
My jaw drops. “McDonald’s has cinnamon buns now?”
“Apparently so.”
“Wow, they just have everything. Sit down.” I wave for him to take a seat since he keeps standing there. “If you think I’m bothering with plates you’re wrong.” I dig through the bag, pulling out the Big Mac and fries. I plunk the straw in the milkshake and take a sip of that first. “Man, that’s good. I haven’t had one of these since last year when I was sick and all I wanted was milkshakes.” He takes out the box with his cinnamon bun, a full foot of space between us on the couch. “Are you only going to eat that?” I gasp. “I’m such a pig.”
He chuckles. “I had a super late lunch, but I promise you I’ll eat every bite.”
“You better.” Setting the milkshake down I reach for the burger, my stomach growling in the process. I didn’t realize how ravenous I was. I guess I was too tired to notice. Running around the studio all day was surprisingly exhausting.
“How was today? Really?” He gets up as he asks the question and I turn to watch him navigate my kitchen easily, grabbing a fork from the drawer before returning.
“It was good.”
“That was three words, Emilia, give me more than that.”
Fiddling with fringe on one of the throw pillows, the burger box sits in my lap staring up at me with only one bite taken from it. “I enjoyed it and I was busy most of the day so that was nice since it made the time go faster. Rachelle is … I like her, a lot, but she’s a bit scattered. I think it’s going to be a pretty good fit for me.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that, and Rachelle can be a little bad about instructing. I think it’s why help hasn’t worked in the past for her, but I think you can handle it.”
We grow quiet, the only sounds in the room are the muted voices coming from the episode of The Middle playing on the T.V. and our chewing. Something keeps nagging at me, so I find myself asking, “Hayden?”
He arches a brow. “Emilia?”
“Surely you have other friends here. I mean, I know you’re friends with Rachelle. Why are you hanging out with me?”
Me who has to seem immature compared to the worldly people he’s bound to know—who’s a nobody. A simple girl from a simple family who doesn’t even know what she wants to do or be in the future.
He licks a speck of icing off the corner of his lip. “Because I want to.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “That was four words Hayden, give me more than that.”
He chuckles, wiping his fingers