Ollie was doing his best to keep up the pace at school and to get to his job on time. After all, they were letting him handle a price gun now. In fact, Kramer moved inside too. They both shelved in the evening with canned goods. As long as they kept busy, it was swell at the mega grocery store.
He got off at his usual time, hoping to find Valentina waiting for him, but she was busy at the bakery. Instead, he found Gabby.
"What are you doing here?" He didn't want to say it, but she was so thin these days. Not that she was ever fat, but all her softness seemed to have disappeared.
"I applied as a cashier." She told him. "Hopefully, I'll get it."
She walked out of the store with him, didn't even ask for a cigarette. Gabby kept her hands shoved into her jean jacket. She was in a longer skirt than Ollie remembered, her ever wearing. And she was sporting Chuck Taylors.
"How..how are things going with you and..and that British guy?" Ollie wasn't sure if he liked Gabby's boyfriend, but Valentina loved working with Ste. She said he was funny.
"Fine." Her voice was dull. She didn't sound happy.
"Just fine?" Ollie looked at her, wondering what did that even mean.
"It's just, I'm waiting, waiting for something better, to come along." She was straight lipped.
"Why? Is that?" He wanted to know as they walked into the cool evening still faint of winter. The sun shined, but it still felt like March, windy and little miserable.
"Maybe, maybe its just me." She finally said. "I'm attracted to a s s h o l e s ... evidently."
"Huh?" He didn't know if that was true.
"I don't deserve a nice guy." Her frown was small. Gabby looked as if she'd given up. She was only going through the motions.
"Don't say that. You, you deserve to be happy." Ollie told her.
"No, I don't." There was certainty in her eyes.
Ollie didn't know what to say. He wished he could make her happy, but he knew couldn't. He wouldn't. After all, his heart belonged to Valentina's.
No comments:
Post a Comment