my usual anti-mugger fee. But seeing as how it’s still light out,” he looked at the horizon, a fiery pink-orange band, “at least a little bit anyway, I guess you don’t really need my services. I’ll walk with you for free.”
“Wow. You’re a heck of a guy.” She punched him in the shoulder.
He smiled. “Shall we?”
“We shall,” she said, starting to walk. “I walk pretty slowly, Ollie. So stick with me. Don’t leave me stranded, okay?”
Ollie picked up on the joke. “I won’t. Muggers are like lions. Fierce and scary, but they always go after the easiest catch. In our world, that means they go after the girls who have overstuffed backpacks with broken zippers.”
“I see. So with you around I’m safe? I’m no longer the easiest catch?”
“Guess I asked for that one,” he said, smiling. He was surprised at how easily things were picking up between them. After having spent the afternoon with Marie though, everything was bound to be easy. Joy also didn’t seem intimidated or uncomfortable that he stopped by just to see her. She wasn’t afraid of his interest in her, and that encouraged him greatly, lifting his spirits.
“Are you going to watch the World Series in a few weeks?” she asked.
“Definitely. Don’t tell me you’re a baseball fan?”
“No, not really,” she said. “I mean, I don’t dislike it, but I’ve never been able to watch it on TV— too boring. Dad used to take me to see the Rockies play once every summer when I was growing up, but that’s about it. It’s just different in person. When you’re at a live baseball game, you only watch the game about half the time anyway. I mainly loved it because it was one-on-one time with my pop.”
“Hey, that’s cool. If he likes baseball, he’s all right in my book.” Ollie kicked a stone as he walked. “Yeah, I haven’t really decided who I’m rooting for this year in the playoffs, since my team didn’t make it.”
“Wait, your team didn’t make it? I thought the Yankees were in the playoffs.”
“Oh, this hat.” Ollie hadn’t thought about the cap in his hands. He quickly shoved it into his back pocket. “I know this won’t make any sense, but I can’t stand the Yankees. I’ll root for anyone over the Bronx Bombers.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t make any sense at all. But then again, you’re a guy. Guys don’t have to make any sense.”
“Yeah, and girls are so much easier to figure out.”
She laughed. “So tell me about your first day at work. It sounds like a job that’ll keep you on your toes.”
Ollie started with his experience at the office and continued all the way up to when he left. She laughed at all the right moments, hanging on every word, asking questions along the way. That was a good sign. She seemed interested, not just trying to make conversation.
But now it was time to move the conversation around to the whole reason he had come to see her. He had a good feeling she’d accept his invitation to the circus— as long as she didn’t already have plans. “So...” Ollie paused, a little nervous.
“Uh oh,” she said, looking over at him.
“Uh,” he stammered. He’d taken the big step of visiting her at work, but asking her out on a first date was a big deal, even if he would technically be at work for the duration. Though Sparks assured him he had nothing to worry about, this could be one of those pivotal moments in life. He’d had enough rejection lately. He blurted it out. “We’re going to the circus this Friday, and Lynn told me I should invite someone to come along. You interested?”
“Sure.”
“What? Just like that? You don’t need to check your schedule or—”
“Or what? Ask my probation officer?”
“No! No. I just didn’t know if you had plans already with that one guy or not.”
“Oh, that guy. Yeah, he’s gone for good.”
“Gone, huh? Sorry to hear that.”
She scoffed. “No, you’re not. You wouldn’t have stopped by to walk me home if that kind of news disappointed you. And,” she nudged him with an elbow, “you wouldn’t have asked me to go to the circus with you either.”
“Okay. You’re right. Pretty forward, aren’t you?”
“Sometimes. Sorry. My Dad always tells me to be a little less blunt. Then again, I let my last relationship drag out a little too long before I finally said something. I can be inconsistent.”
“Well, you’re a girl.” He grinned at her.
“You know what—”
“Don’t get