Cozy • An Embry Story

.11

Winnie's POV

I've been having the oddest shift ever. Giving the wrong orders to different tables, bringing lemonade instead of ice tea, filling up salt shakers with garlic powder. It's been a bad day for tips with my head so out of it. Something has been bothering me all night, now all day.

Did I have a date with Embry Call?

There was something about having him cook for me. The way I was so disappointed in him leaving early, then wanted him to come back for some sort of do over, to get something right... I've haven't been able to stop thinking about the way Embry asked me, the way he looked at me, the sound of his voice when he said "Let me make you dinner sometime."

Was that him asking me out on a date? Or am I allowing myself some teenage delusion?

"Hey Joel, how does a boy take a girl out on a date?" I ask to Joel's back as he grills onion rings from my spot on the stool in the kitchen. He lets out a loud laugh the second it comes out of my mouth, instantly making me want to curl into myself then die. I'd do anything to take it back—I hate that I can't.

"That's funny." He breathes, with a hand supporting his chest. Joel turns serious when he turns and sees the look on my face. "Oh, are you asking me to give you the talk about the birds and the bees?"

"No, Joel." I roll my eyes with a laugh. The Lodge's cook certainly knows how to end an awkward moment. Ever since I was fifteen years old I've avoided boys like they were a walking illness. It's ironic with my local reputation.

"So what made you ask? Did some prick say something to you again?" Every once in a while a local comes in and loves to bring up my incident, they think it's hilarious running into the Res's infamous flasher where I have to serve them coffee and fries. They're usually nothing I can't handle, but it can get ugly.

"No," I shake my head, resting my elbows on my knees, not asking anymore questions.

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Embry's POV

Winnie has been acting completely the same. As if the other night never happened. Every conversation since hasn't been any different than last week. 'Just good mornings' and 'how was work' talks; short and simple.

If anything this date has been making me even more frustrated with our situation, I feel restless. I've been going off on late night runs and shifting in the middle the day to run off how much I miss her, how much I want to be with Winnie.

"You have your thinking face on again." Jacob lifts his head up from the hood of Winnie's bug, a streak of grease smeared across his forehead. "You asked me to make sure you don't think."

"Right..." I frown, which makes him groan. I came over to help work on Winnie's car to keep me from thinking about the dinner. It hasn't really worked.

"Okay, you need busy work, Embry. Go change the air filter." Jacob chucks a filter at me, sending me off to the passenger side. We fall into a comfortable silence for all of a few minutes, before I stick my head back out the door.

"What if I did something wrong?" Jacob groans.

"Then she probably would be avoiding you." I almost point out she can't really avoid me if I'm driving her to and from work, though I bet Winnie would find a way how.