Dear Ethan: A Second Chance Romance

Chapter 24: Andie's Theory

*Jodie*

"How do you know if someone is into you?"

Sam grinned at Andie's innocent face, propping up her face with her elbows. She lived for these chats.

It was a Wednesday and after the lunch crowd died out we didn't get a lot of traffic until everyone was wrapping up work. This was the perfect time to gab. We listened intently as Andie filled up the piping bag again with more cream. Even Marsha looked up from her magazine to listen in.

Sam and I stood side by side as Andi told us about a guy in her English class who sat next to her. They got teamed up for a group assignment and ended up meeting for coffee the other day.

I grinned looking at Andie's cute nose scrunch up and her cheeks turned pink as she recounted the story to us. He had gotten her a carrot loaf when she had mentioned that it was her favorite. And the next day he had waited at her locker after school.

"Oh, he most definitely likes you," said Sam as we shared a cupcake, licking the frosting from our fingertips.

"The groups for the assignment were chosen at random though," said Andie, looking a bit doubtful.

Sam shook her head. "But let's look at the evidence," she said, rolling out the whiteboard we usually used to track orders. She popped open a blue marker, drawing a square.

"Sam, what is that?" I said amused. She stuck out her tongue at me. "Let me finish," she said before adding more details so it resembled a carrot loaf.

"He got your favorite sweet treat when you brought it up. Once," said Sam, emphasizing the last word and raising one finger. "That means he's paying attention."

She drew a locker next to it along with a male and female stick figure with heart-shaped eyes.

"Waiting by a girl's locker is a definite I-want-to-date-you move."

"Sam, I don't think we really need the visuals..." I said, wanting to laugh but Andie was hanging on to her every word as if Sam was imparting great knowledge.

"Really? But he asked me what I was doing this weekend but didn't ask me out." Andie looked disappointed squeezing some deflated-looking cream out of the piping bag.

"He's probably trying to figure out what you like to do before asking you," I offered. Andie turned to me, hope flickering in her eyes.

"You really think so?" I smiled at her. Remembering what it was like having a crush in school and seeing them in the hallways every day. That giddy feeling.

"Totally," said Sam leaning against the counter as she gave Andie a pointed look. "It's just a matter of time, right Jodie?"

I nodded, playing along. Andie furrowed her eyebrows as she mulled it over.

"Who did you have a crush on in high school?" asked Andie as Sam and I looked at each other. I glared as she gave me a devilish smile. 

Don't say it. Don't say it.

"I think Jodie holds the record for the longest crush." I jabbed my elbow at Sam's side and she yelped.

Andie peered at me behind her glasses. I tried to act cool as my face flushed. Reminiscing about high school always made me think about him eventually.

"Is it Ethan? Andie said curiously. I gaped at her before glaring at Sam who just held up her hands innocently. I didn't say anything.

"I mean it's clear he likes you," said Andie smiling shyly at me as she put down the piping bag carefully.

I groaned as Sam giggled. "He doesn't. Trust me. He had his chance in high school and he couldn't have been more uninterested."

"Hmm," said Andie, her brow furrowing. "That might have been what happened back then but he definitely seems interested in now."

My ears perked up. Really? My heart pounded even though I was doing nothing but eating the remains of a cupcake. I spooned some crumbs onto my fork, trying to play it cool.

"What makes you think that?" Sam rolled her eyes, dropping a cloth napkin onto the table dramatically. "Jodie come on, what pro athlete stops at a bakery that many times?"

Andie nodded while Sam and I locked eyes. 

Messages passed through us in milliseconds.

"I have a theory," said Andie, pushing up her glasses as Sam and I stopped our death glares at each other. 

She makes her way up to the board and picks up a black marker, writing a series of numbers before looking back at us.

"Ethan gets here at 8:59 am on the dot every week...."

She adds a few more numbers below this. But he never gets out of his car until after the morning rush around 9:30. Even after we told him that we usually sell out by 9:15."

I shrugged "Maybe he just doesn't want to get stomped all over by half-hysterical women."

"Or..." Sam's eyes widened as she jumped up and down in excitement. "He's looking for an excuse to come every week!" Andie nodded back eagerly. "That's what I think too!"

Ethan came by once a week when he wasn't away since he wanted to try some of our red velvet cupcakes but by the time he walked through the door, they were always gone. He usually stayed back to chat for a bit before he had to go. 

But he was just being friendly. Popping by to say hello to an old friend.

Right?

"Marsha, what do you think?" Sam shouted all over her shoulder as the woman kneaded out some dough with a rolling pin, looking bored with the conversation.

"It's obviously an excuse." She said dryly.

"Hah!" Sam whirled around pointing a finger at me. My eyes narrowed. The cake crew had spoken.

There was no way. I shook my head.

They could create as many theories as they wanted but it didn't override the facts. He just wasn't interested and that wasn't going to change just because time had passed. We were finally friends again

Just good friends. Platonic friends.

And it felt good to be friends again after not talking for so long. I didn't want to lose him again to explore something that might not work out. Even if thinking about Ethan just made me feel like I was sixteen again. The feelings were just as intense. If not more. Because they had endured.

For the first time, it felt like more than a crush. Like the feeling had roots. It just needed to be watered for all those feelings to bubble again to the surface. And talking to him, texting ,and seeing him in person did just that. 

Made me feel like I was sailing headfirst into turquoise waters.

But that didn't mean it could ever be something. Realistically it would never work. He had a demanding career and I had mine. Time wasn't on our side. The most we could be were friends.

And that's all it would ever be. 

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