I paused. The veggie bowl was my standard order here. Always. Tonight wasn抰 about routine, though.
I thought about the rest of my homework, Wyatt rasping the words against my skin in the dark, and I shivered. Tonight was about me. Tonight was about indulgence.
揟onight, I抎 like a bowl of pasta. A big one.?I nodded once. Yes. That was what I wanted. 揥ith cheese, please.?
Avery lifted her eyebrows, scratching the order on a pad of paper. 揂nd that is what you shall receive.?She glanced at me, that curious expression back on her face. 揥hat made you cut your hair??
I shrugged and touched it again. The ends were so much healthier and less tangled, and whatever products the stylist had used smelled incredible. Light, fresh, and pretty. 揑t was time for a change.?
揑 love it. You look so cute. It抯 so you.?
I shrugged again, smiling at the table. In my chest, a bubble machine spewed out fizzy, happy feelings.
揝omething抯 different about you.?Avery tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at me.
I bit my lip, self-consciousness rising in me, but forced myself to sit up straight. 揥hat do you mean??
揧ou just厰 She hummed before shrugging. 揧ou seem happier. I like it. Surfing must agree with you.?
She put a weird emphasis on the word surfing. Like the word surfing meant something else.
I pretended I didn抰 notice.
揧ou must really like surfing.?
I rolled my eyes with a grin and she let out a loud laugh.
揝top,?I told her, but couldn抰 hide my grin.
揈mmett said he sees you two on the water a couple times a week while he抯 out on his run.?
Each week, I spent more time with him than the last. We surfed almost every day, and he often dropped by the store to say hi to Liya and I. He brought us lunch on Saturdays at the farmer抯 market. After surfing, we always got breakfast sandwiches at the truck.
I spent way more time with him than with anyone else. More than most friends would.
Almost like he was my boyfriend.
I nearly choked. Wyatt wasn抰 my boyfriend. The thought was laughable. He was helping me become a hot girl so I could find a boyfriend.
揑抦 helping him with his social media,?I told her with a shrug. 揊or Pacific Rim.?
揜ight.?She nodded, eyes still narrowed. 揂nd he抯 teaching you to surf and become a hot girl.?
I gave her a tight smile and quick nod. 揗hm. Exactly.?
揥ell, for what it抯 worth, which isn抰 much, I think he likes you.?
I stilled. The bubble machine in my chest sped up. 揥hy do you say that??
揝ame reason I told you at Div抯 place. He doesn抰 hang out with people, he just surfs. He抯 kind of a loner, but people don抰 realize that because he抯 so hot.?
A laugh burst out of me. 揌e is really hot.?
揂lso,?she leaned in closer to me, 搃f he doesn抰 like you, how抎 you get that hickey on your neck??
I gasped and slapped a hand over the spot on my neck. Liya hadn抰 said a word today, and neither did the hairstylist.
Oh my god. I had been walking around town with a hickey on my neck all day.
Oh my god. Elizabeth had stopped in the store today to pick a book up and her gaze had lingered on my neck. She had done a little wiggly dance. I thought she just had to use the washroom.
I slapped my forehead and my face burned with fire but before I could make an excuse梐ny excuse桝very straightened up with a big smile.
揟hat抯 what I thought. I抣l put your order in. See you in a bit.?
She disappeared into the kitchen and I opened my book, staring at the page but seeing nothing. My face was a bright red stop sign.
And then I started laughing. I laughed into my wine glass as I took a big swallow of it. Who was this woman I had become, who chopped off her hair and walked around with hickeys on her neck?
I focused on my book, sipping my wine and turning the pages until my food arrived. Avery had delivered a bowl that looked like two servings. The tomato flavor burst on my tongue and the savory cheese made me hum with delight. Mmmm, fat, salt, and flavor. I worked at the enormous bowl of pasta until I couldn抰 possibly eat any more. Another glass of wine appeared in front of me, and when I glanced up from my book, half the restaurant was empty and it was dark outside.
My phone buzzed and I read Wyatt抯 name on the screen.
Took this of you today. Thought you should see it.
It was a picture of me in the bookstore through the front window, shelving a book near the window and laughing about something with Liya. A soft smile on my face as I reached up to place the book in its right spot.
I looked happy.
Avery pointed at my bowl and I slipped the phone away. 揂re you done? Can I pack this up??
I nodded and sighed. 揑抦 so full. That was amazing.?