Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 33

I usually watch the sunset from the window next to the front door of the café.

And I usually don't have company.

"Out with it."

"Hello," Zeke begins mordantly and I turn to him propping myself up on one elbow on the counter

I beckon him to continue to unload his woes unto me.

"I need your help," he relents

I am about to open my mouth about how I can't cover his shift because I have finals coming up when he goes on hurriedly as if he wants to get this over with as soon as possible.

"There's this guy," he inhales sharply and looks at me sheepishly, "I really, really like—"

"The one you talk to most of your shift and then stare at with a mutated kind of longing for the rest of it," I widened my eyes and then whistled, "No kidding. I was wondering why you weren't pining after me for the past couple of months."

"I don't think I can compete with your Canadian boyfriend," he looks over my shoulder and I turn around to follow his gaze

He is looking at Aiden. Aiden who has one hand hooked around the handle of a steaming cup of tea and the other hand patting the surface of tab. He is wearing his earphones and talking lowly to someone on the phone.

"I didn't believe you," Zeke breathes out, "But that is one hell of a—"

"He's not my," I break in indignantly before he can say something entirely inappropriate that could wind us both in a restraining order, "Anything. What do you want help with?"

Zeke flickers his eyes back to me immediately as fear and doubt clutches his features.

"I want to know if he likes me back?"

I smile at a customer who comes up to the cashier. I rush her order because she is a regular and she asks me how my school is and I ask her how her new boyfriend is. Zeke waves at her from the machines and it's over very soon.

"Are you stupid?" I whack him over the head making him wince

"I don't think a bump is going to suddenly boost my sex appeal," he glares

"He is ass over tit for you," I tell him slowly as if trying to explain it to a four year old and then more sympathetically, "You know, he only comes to the café for you, right? He never actually finishes his drink. He just sits and stares. It's all very unnerving."

"You mean romantic?" Zeke asks wearily

"No. I mean unnerving." I shake my head, "He likes you, he wants a white wedding and picket fences."

"You don't know that," he attacks severely waving his arms around comically, "How do you know that for sure? I don't want to look like an idiot."

"The only way you'll know for sure is if you ask—thank you, Blanc, see you around."

Zeke and I pause to wave at the lady and then we turn back to each other.

"I'm not going to ask him!" he gestures wildly, "Please, please, hear me out."

I stare at him for a moment before huffing angrily and shrugged gesturing him to continue with his nefarious machinations.

"Arjan comes in around fifteen minutes," he glances at the clock and then smiles nervously at me, "Do you mind if I flirt with not-your-boyfriend?"

I turn to him with my mouth agape, "What?" I hiss

"You might want to get him up to speed," he advises and then clutches me by the shoulder and pushes me towards Aiden's table

"Wait, wait, what?" I continue as he pushes me, "You want me to see if he gets jealous? That's your big plan? Did I walk into a telenovela?"

"We are men. We used to piss over stuff to prove a point." he looks at me and then slyly, "I mean do you have anything more fun to do?"

I shrug him off and sighed holding up thumbs up to assure him I will work my cupid genes. Turning around, I sit down in front of Aiden waiting for him to get off his call when I see Zeke over his shoulder gesturing frantically his wrist. I glare at him.

"What?" Aiden mouths at me before going back to his call but keeping his eyes trained on me. I look meaningfully at his phone and he rolls his eyes before excusing himself and—"What? Are you suddenly becoming eager to study integrals?"

"No, what? That's ridiculous," I shake it off, "My friend Zeke needs your help," and I tell him making his eyes go wider and wider until he opens his mouth clearly to protest and—