Looking After You

(24) Ages: 18 & 15

Ages: 18 & 15

“I’m locking the doors!” James called over his shoulder as he turned the bolt lock on the double doors. It was Friday night and he was scheduled to work the closing shift. While sitting at the Loren’s house on a Friday night sounded better, in theory, the reality of getting paid twice as much to work a shift at the restaurant sounded even better. He walked to the back of the restaurant where a small line of five lockers were stationed beside each other. Stepping inside, he noticed Keira Harris putting her apron inside her locker. She had been working there for about two months and James took on some extra shifts to help train her. He would have guessed she was no older than seventeen because she was short in stature with a chic bob haircut that made her look even younger. After making his assumption known to Roger, he quickly learned that she had just turned twenty because Roger firmly reminded him, “I don’t hire kids!” Although he took a chance on James when he was seventeen and didn’t regret it for a second.

Keira smiled when she noticed him walk in. “Hey. Thanks again for taking the blame with the plates earlier. I really owe you one.” She spoke gratefully as she placed a lanyard around her neck that had her car keys attached.

James smiled back at her briefly as he placed his things inside his locker and grabbed his car keys as well. “Yeah, no problem. I lost track of how many plates I dropped during my first few months but Roger buys them for a buck down at Wheels and Deals so don’t let him make you feel bad.” They both laughed and Keira leaned up against her locker with a mesmerized stare, directed at James. He tried to avoid the fact that her eyes were practically baring down on his soul, but he gathered fairly quickly that it wasn’t by accident. He closed his locker and turned to face her, but she just continued staring. She cracked a small smile due to the puzzled expression on his face.

“Do you want to go out on a date?”

James’ jaw went slack at the very blunt and very forward question. He didn’t think anyone could ever surprise him like that, with words so shocking his mouth had to split apart. “W-what?”

“Do you want to go out on a date? With me, I mean.” She laughed nervously. “Well, me, obviously, I don’t really know anyone who asks people out on dates with the intention of someone else going on the date.”

James laughed and continued staring wide-eyed in astonishment. “Do you always say exactly what you’re thinking without hesitation?”

Keira nodded. “What’s the point in freedom of speech if you’re a slave to the things you’re too afraid to say? I figure, you only live once and at the moment going out with you seems like a pretty good way to spend a couple of those hours.”

He turned his eyes to the ground and swallowed the lump in his throat. Keira was a great girl, but he just didn’t want to go out. Just thinking about dating someone felt like another weight on his shoulders and he feared one more weight would crush him into the ground.

“Oh God.” Keira covered her mouth in embarrassment. “You have a girlfriend, don’t you?” She sighed deeply and shook her head, continuing to ramble once again, completely blind to James shaking his head. “Of course you have a girlfriend. You’re sweet and cute and I feel like such an idiot. I’m so sorry.”

“Keira!” James laughed and took a step forward as his last attempt to stop her stream of consciousness. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Her face slumped as she looked back at him with narrowed eyes. “I just assumed by the expression. You have the same expression this other guy had when I asked him out, he had a girlfriend and he made the same face you just did a minute ago. The one where you’re conflicted because it’s complicated but you love her and there’s never going to be anyone else so why bother, you know that look?”