How To Find Your Future

28 - We're Not Dating

Olivia

I take a deep breath as we make our way into the pet store. I don't know why I'm nervous. It's not like this is the job. It's just a job similar to the one I want that I'm hoping will allow me to glimpse into it to learn if it's really what I want to do.

Charlie makes his way up to the counter, just like he has at all the previous places.

Everything is fine between us. But I can't shake the feeling that something is different. I just can't put my finger on it. As much as I want to believe nothing has changed I know something has. After that kiss with Nick my thoughts hadn't been about him. All the years of dreaming of Nick I was positive he would be my every thought after a kiss. But he wasn't.

Charlie was.

I couldn't stop thinking about him. About the way that he looks at me when he thinks I can't see. About how he's goofy and sweet. About how often he would visit me at the bakery and we'd just sit in silence doing our homework. About the way he gave me space when I needed it. About his blue eyes and his brown hair. I couldn't stop thinking about him.

Now, seeing him lean against the counter as we wait for an employee I want to reach out and grab his hand. Or maybe even run my hand through his hair.

I cross my arms. My nails dig into both of my arms.

He shoots me a grin but it doesn't reach his worried eyes. "You okay?" He comes off the counter a bit.

"Fine." I nod.

He doesn't seem to believe me. But he's stopped from worrying as a lady maybe in her twenties comes out of a back door. She grins when she sees us. Her black hair hangs pinned behind her head with two bright pink hair clips. "How are you doing today?" she asks us.

"Good. You?" Charlie asks, ever the gentlemen.

"I'm good. What can I help you with?" She looks at Charlie when speaking. I try to not let it bug me.

Why does it bug me?

"We're actually here for a job showing? I emailed someone yesterday about it."

"You don't remember who?" I ask.

Charlie looks back at me with a sheepish smile. "I was really tired when I sent the emails out."

"Oh." He stayed up late? To help me? It had only been... eleven o'clock. Which, now that I think about it, is late to some people. And I guess one of those people is Charlie. I smirk at that.

The girl glances between us. She puts on a smile and says; "I'll go grab our manager for you."

Charlie turns back to her. "That'd be great. Thanks."

The girl nods before ducking back into the door she came through.

I go to put my hands in my pockets before remembering that I left my sweater in Charlie's car. I settle for crossing them instead.

"So," Charlie says. "You think you know what you want to do?"

I nod. "I'm not one hundred percent sure yet." I look at the floor and my sneakers. "But I've thought a bit about it and it seems like something I want to do. Something that might fit me well."

"So this place?" He looks around at the pet store. "What does this place have to do with figuring out if being a vet is for you?"

I shrug. "Starting small seemed like a good idea." I gesture around us. "If working here and taking care of the animals didn't work for me, then would being a vet really work?"

Charlie nods slowly, like he's absorbing this information.

"It does make some sense. On... a level of logic."