Jewel

Chapter 25

I hold on for dear life onto Connor as we wiz in between all the stuffy cars in the city and make our way to a pizza parlor close to my work. Even though the place is only a 5 ish minute ride, I am afraid for my life. Driving in the city naturally scares me, but on a motorcycle with no protection around me is even scarier.

As soon as he parks the dag on thing, I jump off immediately, "Land!"

"Oh come on, that wasn't too bad." He laughs at my reaction.

"No, no not at all." The sarcasm is thick in my voice but he just shrugs it off and we head inside. We seat ourselves at a booth on the staged floor seating and wait for our server. After we order our drinks, we stare at each other awkwardly waiting for the other to speak first.

"So... how was work upstairs today?" Connor starts cautiously.

"Fantastic. I already got rid of one fake person today." I smile sarcastically.

He laughs nervously and twists his hands together on top of the table. I sit back in the booth and play with the wrapper to my straw. "So what's your deal, Connor?" Might as well get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Well umm..." he clears his throat before he begins. "When I saw you at the diner the first time, you were snippy and in a rush but you still made a milkshake for me and I thought that was very nice of you."

I roll my eyes internally. It was a freaking milkshake, not love at first sight.

He continues, "Then I proceeded to come back to the diner hoping you'd be there to make me a milkshake again. You weren't most of the times I went. You must have had some crazy hours. But anyways, when I would run into you there, I would just watch you work and I know that sounds really creepy, but it was fascinating how you would process orders so quickly and accurately and dart around that diner on skates. I loved seeing you perform. You really have a lovely voice."

I blush at this part. I am equally flattered and creeped out.

The server reappears to take our food orders. We order one large cheese pizza and some garlic knots. I honestly don't care if my breath smells.

When she disappears, I take a sip of my drink, "Continue. My lovely voice..." I twirl my wrist motioning for him to keep talking.

"Right" he smiles shyly. "So now not only are you gorgeous, you're talented too."

"Mmm, no. Save the flattery. You're engaged in case you forgot that part." I wave at him as I swallow my drink.

"I'm getting there." He holds his finger up to me.

I raise my eyebrows, interested and lean back in the booth again, crossing my legs under the table.

"So naturally, I wanted to know more about you, but you didn't seem interested. You had only your job on your mind... and your roommate who I'm hoping is a girl.." he looks to me for confirmation.

I shake my head, "No, my boyfriend."

"..Oh" he looks really flustered now and it's adorable.

"I'm just kidding. I don't have a boyfriend. It's my model friend Lauren... and I know that sounds even less likely, but I'm serious this time." I giggle.

"You're right, that is less likely, but I'll go with it for now. Anyways..." he continues on to tell me how simply bumping into me in the streets and at the store started to see more of luck rather than coincidence and his quote on quote engagement wasn't in the best of spirits.

I watch him carefully and see the sincerity in his weird tale as it unfolds and I start to understand why he would want to get out of that engagement. Paige sounds like a monster... not as bad as Ursula by any means, but in the sense of controlling, paranoid freak. Never wanting him to talk to other girls and she must always know where he is and who he's with.