Some Things You Can't Control

18: A Million And One

Chapter 18

A Million And One

- EDEN GARCIA -

The doorbell jingles overhead like some sort of badly-themed Christmas music, cheerily announcing my arrival into the quaint diner.

Mickie looks up from where she stands wiping the counter and throws me an easy smile. Aside from her presence, the diner is empty; hence why she'd asked me to head down and keep her company whilst she finished her shift.

"Look at you, all hard at work," I tease, walking over to the table closest to the bench and pulling out a chair to sit down.

"If this is what hard work is, I'll take it any day. I'm practically being paid to do nothing."

"It's got to be boring, though," I point out.

"Incredibly. Sunday arvo shifts are the worst. Thanks for stopping by- I only have about half an hour left."

"No problem."

"You still wanna do something afterwards?"

"Of course. I feel like I haven't spent time with you in forever."

"That's because you haven't." She makes a valid point. "We've both been pretty busy, Edes- don't worry about it."

"Speaking of busy, has Brandon asked you out yet?"

"Nah, we're still sort of getting to know each other."

It's at a time like this that it takes a lot not to inform Mickie of what Aiden had told me yesterday, about Brandon having liked her for a long time. I find that adorable. Clearly, the dedication and commitment is already there on his part.

"Seems like yourself and Aiden have been doing a lot of that as well lately."

I cock an eyebrow at her statement. "What makes you say that?"

"You two are pretty close. And now that Lewis is out of the picture...?"

"You're suggesting I have a thing for him."

"Or he has a thing for you. Either way, really."

"Nothing's going on, Mick. Can't a girl have a guy as a friend without getting shit about it?"

"I'm not giving you shit about it," she defends. "I'm just saying what I've been seeing. And it wouldn't be a bad thing, either- he's a pretty cool guy. This one I actually approve of."

She finishes wiping the bench and momentarily disappears into the depths of the establishment. When she reappears, the cloth and spray she had been using are gone, replaced by a mop and a bucket of soapy water.

"I'm not denying he's a pretty cool guy," I tell her, tucking my feet up on the chair to allow her to eventually mop underneath it. "I'm just disagreeing that there's something else there. We're not even close the way you and Brandon are close."

"Brandon and I aren't that close yet. I mean, we've only really just started hanging out outside of lunchtimes this week. You two are closer than we are, and you've been spending a shitload of time together. Surely the thought has crossed your mind at least once?"