Our Little Love Story *NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON KINDLE!!*

chapter five.

The next day, my parents at work and Sam at daycare again, I worked on cleaning up my room and the rest of the house. A sudden knock at the front door made me jump nearly out of my skin. Wondering who could possibly be stopping by, I slowly walked to the front door and gently pulled it open. It was Jared. 

"Hey," he said. 

"Oh, hey. Come on in," I replied, unlatching the screen door and holding it slightly open for him. He came inside, looking around. "I was cleaning up. We're nearly unpacked," I said, glancing around nervously wondering what he was thinking. Suddenly, I realized that his opinion mattered more to me than anything else at the precise moment. 

"Yeah, that's cool. I've never been inside here. I trick-or-treated here a few times when I was a kid, but that's about it," he answered. 

"Oh. Uh, well, have a seat. You want a soda or something?" I asked, nervous as ever. 

"Well, I came by, it's my lunch break from work. I was going to see if you...if you wanted to go eat lunch with me at Mel's." 

"Who's Mel?" I asked, picturing some magnificent girlfriend of his. But then, why would he invite me to eat lunch with him and his girlfriend? Oh, I was so hopeless. 

"Mel's is the little diner here in town. A local guy runs it. Ray," he answered with a slight grin. I briefly wondered if those eyes had an off switch. They always seemed to shine and sparkle. Maybe it was just me. 

"Oh, sure. Let me just throw some shoes on," I answered. I grabbed a pair of flip flops from the back door and we headed out, locking the door behind us. 

"I can drive, if you want," he said, looking down at me. He was so tall. Over six foot was my guess.  

"Oh, alright," I replied. The butterflies had took up residence in my belly again. Reaching his vehicle, I gently lifted the door handle and slid inside, breathing in the aroma. It smelled like him: sweet, maybe kind of leathery, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. 

"Sorry about the smell," Jared said, turning the key over in the ignition. "It probably smells like the farm." 

"Where is this farm you work at?" I asked. "And I don't think it smells bad." 

"Well, I sprayed some car freshener," he laughed a little, "The farm is a few miles or so out of town," he added, backing out of the driveway. 

"Oh. Is it your family's?" 

"No, a local guy, but no relation. I've worked there for a year or so now. Just help out, you know. Feed the animals, that sort of thing," he informed me as we slowly started down the street towards the church, but turning at the second corner. We rode in silence for a minute, and just as suddenly as the ride started, it was over. Jared pulled into a gravel parking lot, behind a tall brick building. 

"Well, this is it. Mel's. The best food in town," he said, smiling over at me. We got out of his SUV and walked around the side of the building and went in through the front door.  

"Hey, Jared!" called a voice from the counter. "How ya been? Haven't seen you in a few days." 

"Hey, Ray. Just been busy working," Jared replied with a wave to the middle aged man. He had thin, reddish blonde hair, and glasses that were making their way down his freckled nose.  

"Yeah. Well, have a seat. What do ya'll want to drink?" Ray asked. 

"Give me a Coke," he replied. "What would you like?" he asked, turning his attention towards me. 

"Oh, a Sprite would be okay," I answered, sheepishly. 

"And a Sprite for her," Jared said. Ray immediately grabbed two tall red glasses from the rack behind him, first filling them up with ice, and then pouring soda from the fountain next to the glass' rack. Jared led me over to a small table in a back corner of the dining room. The place was quiet, only a couple of other people eating. The red Formica tables were scattered around the dull brown linoleum floor, with red plastic chairs pushed up against the tables. I set down, my hands in my lap, across from Jared. Ray brought us our drinks, and then took our order.