Friction and Fries

CHAPTER 11:Behind the Scenes Trouble

On a Monday afternoon, Kelsey arrived at work an hour early, eager to get a head start on her tasks. She made her way to the staff room, where she found Rose enjoying her break. The two settled into conversation, sipping on their drinks and chatting about the weekend.

"By the way, Luke was looking for you earlier," Rose mentioned casually, glancing up from her phone. "He came by hoping you'd be here already."

"Really?" Kelsey replied, surprised. "What did he want?"

"Not sure, but it seems like there's something going on between you two," Rose teased, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smile.

Kelsey felt her cheeks heat up slightly. "Nothing's going on," she insisted, but her voice lacked conviction.

"By the way, it's the first time I've seen you with makeup," Rose remarked, a playful smile on her face.

"It's just some lipstick and eyeliner," Kelsey replied, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "My friend has this habit of coaxing me into adding a little color to my face."

"It looks really cute on you," Rose said, her compliment genuine and warm.

"Thanks!" Kelsey said, her cheeks flushing.

Just then, Luke walked into the staff room, his presence instantly brightening the space.

"It was good," Kelsey replied, trying to keep her tone casual. 

Luke's gaze quickly dropped to Kelsey's lips, a spark of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "You're wearing makeup?" he asked, surprised and intrigued.

"I didn't think you'd notice," Kelsey said, a hint of shyness creeping into her voice as she felt her cheeks warm.

"Of course I would notice," he responded with a teasing grin. He moved in a little closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Unless you want me to lick it off, I'd suggest you don't wear any," he flirted, the playful tone making Kelsey's heart race.

Kelsey rolled her eyes, trying to mask her amusement while fighting a smile. "You're impossible," she said, shaking her head in mock exasperation.

"Did you and Mike end up going to the movies on Friday?" Luke inquired, his curiosity evident.

"Why do you ask?" Kelsey shot back, her heart racing slightly.

"Just curious," Luke said, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

Kelsey's expression shifted as she continued, "No, he stood me up." She noticed a flicker of a smile on Luke's face at her response, prompting her to question him. "Why are you smiling? Do you have something to do with it?"

"My lunch break is over, so I'll leave you two to chat," Rose interjected, sensing the tension in the room. She stood up, gathering her things as Kelsey turned her attention back to Luke, waiting for an explanation.

"No, it's not me," Luke said, his tone light. "What did you do after that?"

Kelsey took a breath, her cheeks still slightly flushed. "Then I went to a party with my friends and met a guy from campus. His name is Timothy, a third-year business major. Do you know him?"

"Yes, I know who he is," Luke replied, his interest piqued. "So, what did you do? Did you kiss him?"

Kelsey felt taken aback by his question, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why do you care what I do?" she asked, genuinely perplexed.

"I'm just curious," Luke insisted, his voice earnest. "Please tell me—did you?"

"No, we didn't," Kelsey answered, and as she spoke, she noticed the relief wash over Luke's face.