Tessie D

Angel has started coming by before work in the morning. I came in early on Tuesday to get some paperwork done on the quarterly taxes, and Angel came by the office. He asked if I regularly came in early, and I fibbed, telling him I did. I don’t know why I said it. I mostly panicked because we hadn’t ever had a moment to talk just the two of us.

He said he’d stop by early the next morning with donuts and coffee. I didn’t know what to say, so I just smiled and nodded. Nobody had ever brought me breakfast before…

I worried later that he must’ve been joking or that he didn’t really mean it. He wasn’t going to come with breakfast. Maybe he was playing a trick on me to see if I was desperate enough to show up. But, I figured that last one couldn’t be true because he’s one of the beautiful people.

So I got to the office early on Wednesday, just in case. And, there he was, waiting in his truck. When I pulled up, he got out, opened my car door for me, and followed behind me into the office. I booted up my computer and we sat in the kitchen at the little table by the window eating our donuts and watching the sun come up. I know it wasn’t a date but it was the closest thing I’ve ever had to one.

On Friday, I woke up hours before my alarm was supposed to go off. I was so excited and worried that he’d show up again that I got to work early, and there he was. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling when I saw him. He was standing by his truck, leaning against the door.

“Good mornin’,” he said.

“Good morning.”

Just like the day before, I booted up my computer and we sat at the table and ate our breakfast.

“I remember you,” he said out of nowhere. I choked on my coffee and it burned my mouth. I smiled and wiped my lips with a napkin.

“Sorry?”

“I remember you from the carnival, all those years ago. I knew you looked familiar when I met you on my first day. When Mr. Olsen introduced us. But, I couldn’t figure out how. Then last night, I was laying in bed and suddenly it came to me. The St. Patrick’s Day carnival. I was there with Jody and Stephen. And, you were there with some other girls. I don’t remember their names. But, I definitetly remember you.”

I looked down at the table. I looked out the window. Anywhere but at him. His eye contact, his attention. It was all too much, too intense. I wanted to get up and leave the room but I also didn’t know if my legs would hold me. The color drained from my face and sweat trickled down the small of my back. I tasted something metallic in my mouth. I didn’t know if I wanted to run, confess, or cry. So, I just sat there and stared out the window.

“I… that was a long time ago,” was all that I could finally muster.

“I’m starting to think, by your reaction, that I wasn’t was very nice to you that day,” he said. He was still looking at me. I wanted to beg him to stop looking directly at me.

“No, you were very nice,” I shook my head. “That’s not it at all. It’s just that I was… I mean, that day, my dad was… I was embarrassed about my dad and I didn’t know if, when you said that you remembered me, if that’s what you meant. That you remembered my dad and the scene that he made.”

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant at’ll. I don’t think I saw your dad, and if I did, I wouldn’t have known he was your dad. No, I was talking about how pretty you were. I remembered you because I thought you were one of the prettiest girls I’d ever seen.”

I could feel all the color rushing right back to my face.

“But, but, you got on the ride with Pamela and Christy. I thought you… Well, you know…” My voice trailed off.

“No. I mean, yeah, I got on the ride with them, but I wanted to ride it with you.”

“Why didn’t you ask then?”

“I don’t know. What could I say? I was an idiot,” he said and smiled broadly. I could see all of his teeth and notice that the front one was just slightly crooked. “Surely you’ve felt awkward around someone before, too?” He winked.

I bit down on my thumbnail and smiled, “Yeah, I suppose that I have.”

“Well, we’ll just have to go back to the carnival in the spring and I’ll be sure to ride the Ferris Wheel with you this time.”