Lori's POV**Cal's new job had already eaten up eight thousand dollars from my savings, even though he'd only started last month. Still, he was right, he needed to look the part.
But it meant I'd have to work harder, pick up extra shifts at the grill to claw back what I could.
I sighed, pulling three thousand dollars from the stack hidden under the kitchen cupboard and shoved the rest back in place. How long had it been since he discovered my hiding place? I pushed the thought away. This was an investment, and once Cal got his footing, we'd be happy again.
I place it on the table with a note saying I was sorry for last night.
"We're expecting rain in the afternoon, likely to continue through the night." The newscaster's voice trails off from the radio.
"I should bring an umbrella." I mutter to myself.
I find mine by the door, the metal frame bent but still holding together. I hesitate, then set it back.
Cal needs it more than I do. If he catches a cold, he'll miss work.
I can manage.
I swapped my library shift for the grill stall last minute. The grill stall is already crowded by the time I get there.
"Two beers!"
"Coming right up!"
"Okay… listen. Men are very simple people. As long as he has a young girl that doesn't nag him like those old ones, he'll do his best to keep her."
"Men have always been easy like that…" The voices trail off.
Flashback**
"You never act cute with me anymore. And just nag endlessly. And now you're gonna play dead in bed? Come on."
There was a time when Cal was perfect. Maybe I ruined everything because I only got older and became a burden.
"Lori!" someone calls, snapping me out of it. "Can't you see all the customers walking in?"
"R-right. I'm sorry."
My stomach twisted as I look up. It was the book hottie…from the library. His dark hair was tousled just like always, and those brown eyes scanned the room before landing on me.
Surprise flickered across his face, mirroring my own. What was he doing here? At this grill stall, of all places? Had he come looking for me, or was this just some fated coincidence?
He wasn't alone. Trailing behind him were two guys, and then there was her, a girl with sleek blonde hair and the body of a model, clinging to his arm possessively.
She had to be his girlfriend, the way she leaned into him, made my chest tighten oddly. Tia had been so wrong, I can't believe I'd let myself entertain those stupid, fleeting thoughts at the library that maybe he noticed me, maybe I was still attractive. How embarrassing… I was just the tired woman behind the counter, scraping by, not some fantasy for a guy like him.
I forced a smile, as I take on their order. I could feel his gaze on me but I didn't dare look back at him. The night got busy fast, orders piling up until the crowd finally thinned out. By the time my shift ended, the rain had picked up heavier than it had been earlier.
I huddled under the overhang, staring at the downpour. Watching the water pool at my feet, soaking through my shoes, I couldn't help but think about how miserable I had become.
Poverty has a way of eating at you. I should've just gotten an umbrella but i kept thinking about better things I could've used the money for and ended up never getting one, now look at me.
I could wait it out, or make a run for the bus stop and pray.
"You heading home? Let me walk you." A voice came from behind, holding a large black umbrella over me. Every path I took seemed to always lead back to him.
My first instinct was to refuse. "No, really, I'm fine. The bus…"
But then I paused. He's probably just being nice, I'd do the same for anyone caught in this mess. And with that girlfriend of his, this was nothing more than a kind gesture with no hidden motives. "Okay," I said finally, "If you're sure."
The walk was oddly silent. Up close like this, I noticed how tall he was, I was barely above his waist, so I'm guessing he should be around 6'7 with the way he towered over me. Cal didn't even measure up him and Cal was tall. He kept me dry, but the rain pelted his side relentlessly, darkening his shirt and some trickling down his neck. I glanced up, catching the way water puddled on his skin.
We'd barely gone a block when a bike splashed through a puddle ahead, and a wave of filthy water poured toward me. Before I could react, Noah's free hand gripped my waist, yanking me against him in a second. His body shielded mine, the water hitting his back instead. My heart slammed against my ribs, a thousand beats faster.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching my face. "Sorry, didn't want you to get hurt. Are you okay?"
I nodded, breathless, my heartbeat refusing to slow. Why was he doing this? Why was he being so kind to me? The question tumbled out before I could stop it. "Why? Why are you helping me like this?"
He tilted his head, rain dripping from his hair. "I just want to get to know you."
"But you have a girlfriend," I said, gesturing vaguely back toward the stall, even though she wasn't here. "That girl with you earlier…"
His brow furrowed. "That wasn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend."
"Regardless," I pressed, my cheeks burning, "you're too young. And I'm way older than you are…. There's nothing interesting about me."
He stopped walking, turning to face me fully, the umbrella still held steady. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"
His directness caught me off guard. "Yes," I admitted. Truth was, he did, his presence stirred things I hadn't felt in years, a scary pull that clashed with the life I was clinging to.
"Is that why you don't want to me to know you better? Because I make you uncomfortable?"
"Yes…" I said again.
His face softened, "Okay. I'll be a good boy, then." With that, he pressed the umbrella handle into my hand, stepping back into the rain. "Take care, Lori."
"Wait.." Shoot I don't know his name. How did he know mine?
"hey… your umbrella!" I called, reaching out, but he was already jogging away.
I stood there, drenched now on one side, the umbrella feeling heavy in my grip. What had just happened?
My mind replayed every moment with him again- his touch, his words, the way he looked at me and it still didn't make any sense, why would he want to know anything about an old woman like me. Maybe boys around his age are just curious to explore new things he is just curious, I guess that's what boys around his age do.