Finding Home

Chapter Fifteen - Carnival

I don't see Dean for the rest of the week but I dream of him a lot. His smirk, the way his hands would feel running all over my body, the taste of his lips devouring mine. I'm still sleeping extremely well. Dreaming of Dean soothes me. 

Georgia texts me and tells me about her week. She says nothing had happened with Benjamin after we had been to the bar.

When I get home on Wednesday Dad surprises me with a new truck, it is an older version of his and it is a little beaten up. He tells me he has been fixing it up for me these past few weeks so I can have something to get me around town when the weather is bad. The rain is on and off all week but when it gets to Saturday, and May begins, the clouds clear and the sun is beating down. 

On Friday I go back to see Mrs Lewis for a new outfit to wear at the carnival. I am being paid weekly so I had received my first pay check. When I check my bank my severance package is there and it is a lot. I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet so I just transfer it into my savings until I figure it out.

I haven't told anyone that Dean is taking me to the carnival, just telling my parents I would be popping by.

It is now Saturday, it has been very busy all day but it has died down considerably.

"Anything excited planned for Saturday night?" Jess asks as she cleans the coffee machine, I grab a cloth and start cleaning the last of the empty tables.

"Well..... I'm going to the carnival"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah.... Dean asked me..." I say slowly, watching her reaction, after that night at the bar I am still not sure whether she also likes Dean. She had been so insistent that he joined us.

"Oh really?" She says turning from the coffee machine and raising her eyebrows in an exaggerated way "So it's a date is it?" If she was upset or bothered by the fact that I was going with Dean she didn't show it.

"Well we didn't exactly clarify that but....."

"It's a date" she declares, finishing up on the coffee machine "When is he picking you up?" She asks.

"In about half an hour"

"From here?" She seems shocked

"Err... yeah..."

"What are you wearing?"

"I bought a new dress yesterday, it's in my bag at the lockers" The lockers are behind the kitchen area with the showers, that no one uses, and staff toilets.

"Go, go" she comes around the counter and grabs my arm ushering me towards the kitchen

"Jess... what are...."

"You go get yourself changed, I'll take care of this"

"You don't have to, I can help...."

"Just go Annie" she gives me a slight push into the kitchen and goes back to cleaning the counter.

I change into my light yellow sundress. It comes just past my knees and has a round neckline with short sleeves. I also brought my denim jacket, it has been very warm today.

"You look great" Jess is at the doorway clapping her hands "Take a seat" she gestures to the bench in the middle of the room and I do as she asks. 

"I'm just gunna...." She pulls the pins that are holding my bun in place, letting my hair fall down my back. She goes to her locker for a moment and reappears with a brush in hand, arranging my hair so it looks wavy and bouncy.