which car was his. When he was done, he turned, one hand easily finding the small of my back as he guided me to a smaller red truck. All the way to the passenger side, where he politely opened the door just like a gentleman.
When he slid behind the steering wheel on the other side, he looked over and asked, "Is a drive-through ok?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm not picky."
He smiled at me. "Arby's it is, then." And he eased the truck back, turning around just to end up waiting for the exit gate to slowly slide open. "So you still liking the job after today?"
"Today has been insane," I admitted. "I barely know what I'm doing, but doing so much of it will definitely make it stick."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I can't remember the last time I showed a house, but Ashley called all hands on deck. Did I really see Henry in the office?"
I laughed, twisting in my seat to see him better. "Yeah, apparently he's a real charmer. He had those clients eating out of his hand."
"Mhm. Ian's the same way. Ashley used to be, and she still can be if she wants to, but I think her give-a-fuck broke somewhere along the line. I dunno. I kinda feel bad for her."
"For Ashley?" I asked.
He glanced at me quickly. "Yeah. The long-legged blonde you work with? Her mom was hard on her, always pushing her to do better and be more than Ash really wanted. She was a driven girl, so everyone assumed she'd be the heir to the empire, so to speak. The problem was that no one bothered to ask her if that's what she wanted. I'm still not convinced it is."
"But she's so good at this," I countered. "I mean, she makes it look so easy, and she's always professional."
I laughed at that. "You make it sound like you know all about me."
"I know more than you think. Trust me, the family talks, and you've been a hot topic since you got here."
I groaned. "Does this have anything to do with this weekend?"
That earned me a smile. "In all honesty, no, but I know about that, too. I think I was the first one in our house to know you even existed. Ash and I have been friends for a long time, and she's told me about you before. I mean, you were just the friend from yoga back then, but still."
"Oh, so you have a thing for Ashley?" I teased.
He turned on a blinker and slowed for the driveway to Arby's. "No. Elena, she might as well be my big sister. Hate to break it to you, but I'm completely on board the cute lady next door train." Then he eased his truck up beside the speaker. "Know what you want?"
Thankful for the change in subject, I leaned over and picked something, then started digging in my purse for my wallet. When the staticky voice in the box greeted us, Trent began listing off a rather impressive amount of food, ticking things off on his fingers. Clearly, he was ordering for more than just the two of us.
I'd just grabbed my wallet when I noticed the screen light up on my phone. Reaching into my bag, I turned it, swiping as soon as I saw Gabby's name. Why was she calling me at this time of day?
"Gabby?" I asked, starting to panic.
"Hey, Mom," she said, sounding completely and totally fine. "I know this is last minute and all, but I just found out there's a drama club thing after school today. They're handing out scripts for the long play, and if I go, they'll let me transfer out of Art, but I'll need you to pick me up."
Trent was easing up to the first window, so I tried to hand him my debit card. "Ok, when?"
He waved me off, already holding one in his hand. "Everything ok?"
I nodded, but Gabby was still talking. "Today, Mom. The meeting starts right after our last class, and it should run until about five. Samantha said they do this every year, and it's pretty