Not the One
Chapter 10
When I went down to the dining room in the morning, Daniel was sitting there, eating his French toast slowly. Tina followed behind me.
“Hey, you two. I have exciting news,” Daniel said.
Tina and I sat down on the chairs and prepared ourselves for what Daniel was about to tell us.
“Yes, Daddy?” Tina asked.
“I got a call from your mother. She’s offering you a trip to Paris for a month. Maybe even more depending on her stay there.”
“WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Tina was freaking out. “Oh my gosh… She’s never… wow. This… I can’t believe it.”
“Why? What’s so hard to believe?” I asked.
“Because… my mom has NEVER asked me to go to Paris. She rejected every time I asked if I could go. Her only excuse was that I had school. Even when I was on break. So… this is new.”
“That’s great! I’m going to assume you’re going,” I said.
“Of course! I would never miss this opportunity.” Tina got up and did a little happy dance. Then she stopped abruptly.
“Wait… Dad,” Tina said, and then paused.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Can Leo come along?” She asked.
“Well…” Daniel was thinking of what to say. “He has to work here. And, your mother only mentioned you. I believe she didn’t mention any guests coming along.”
“Pleeeease? I want to experience Paris with a friend. Leo’s the only friend I have who’s available right now.” Tina went behind Daniel and started to massage his shoulders. “Just let him have a month off. It’s not like you can’t hire anyone else or have one less employee?”
“Agh, I’ll have to ask your mother first before making a decision,” Daniel said, getting up and brushing away his daughter’s hands.
“Okay, good! You’ll actually consider.”
If Tina’s mother approved of me going to Paris, there would be a chance I see Jane. Since Tina’s mom was the head of a fashion designing company, there was a possibility that Jane worked for her. What would Jane think of me if she saw Tina and me together? Would she think we were together? Did she find someone? Did she still remember me? Was she living the life she wanted? Or was she miserable there, but afraid to admit she failed to come home? All these thoughts made me dizzy.
“Leo, you should get ready to work. It’s almost time,” Daniel told me. I came back into focus and finished my breakfast of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon quickly.
”I’ll drive you,” said Tina.
We got into her car and she didn’t turn on the radio. She didn’t even start her engine yet.
“Um, I like you.” Then she kissed me on the cheek. “Sorry, I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”
Okay, what just happened? Did Tina tell me she liked me? Apparently yes, because she was looking back at me, waiting to see if I would say anything.
“That… surprised me. To be honest, I like you too. I’ve liked you ever since we first met. You’re like the perfect girl to me,” I said. It wasn’t that hard telling her the truth. I couldn’t imagine a better way of telling her than now.
“Really?” Tina wondered. I nodded my head, yes. She leaned over and gave me a hug. She started the car and headed in the direction of my workplace.
There was a long awkward silence, and then Tina asked, “So, does this mean we can officially go out?”
I laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t know if I was supposed to ask you out. But… thanks for making the first move. And…” I coughed to clear my throat. “Tina Rivers, will you go out with me?” I stared at the right side of her face. She looked mad.
And then all of a sudden she threw up both of her hands in the air and yelled, “YES! Yes, yes, yes!”
“Whoa! Watch out! Don’t get us killed,” I warned.
“Whoops! Haha.” Tina steadied the car by putting her hands back on the steering wheel. “Oh gosh, Leo. You have no idea how happy I am. I really like you and… having you like me back is just amazing. I didn’t think you would feel the same way about me.”
“I’m really happy too.”
We arrived outside of Fresh Sunglasses.
“Now that we’re together, I’m going to try my hardest to convince my parents to let you come to Paris with me. You do want to go, right?”
“Yes, of course.” I waved goodbye to her and walked up the stairs to go inside the building.
I really wanted to go to Paris with Tina, but I was afraid of seeing Jane. My heart still yearned for her. Would I stay with Tina if for some reason Jane decided she wanted me? What was I going to do then? I didn’t know the answers to any of those questions. I decided to answer them later, if ever. For now, work would take my mind off of these thoughts.
“Hey, you two. I have exciting news,” Daniel said.
Tina and I sat down on the chairs and prepared ourselves for what Daniel was about to tell us.
“Yes, Daddy?” Tina asked.
“I got a call from your mother. She’s offering you a trip to Paris for a month. Maybe even more depending on her stay there.”
“WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Tina was freaking out. “Oh my gosh… She’s never… wow. This… I can’t believe it.”
“Why? What’s so hard to believe?” I asked.
“Because… my mom has NEVER asked me to go to Paris. She rejected every time I asked if I could go. Her only excuse was that I had school. Even when I was on break. So… this is new.”
“That’s great! I’m going to assume you’re going,” I said.
“Of course! I would never miss this opportunity.” Tina got up and did a little happy dance. Then she stopped abruptly.
“Wait… Dad,” Tina said, and then paused.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Can Leo come along?” She asked.
“Well…” Daniel was thinking of what to say. “He has to work here. And, your mother only mentioned you. I believe she didn’t mention any guests coming along.”
“Pleeeease? I want to experience Paris with a friend. Leo’s the only friend I have who’s available right now.” Tina went behind Daniel and started to massage his shoulders. “Just let him have a month off. It’s not like you can’t hire anyone else or have one less employee?”
“Agh, I’ll have to ask your mother first before making a decision,” Daniel said, getting up and brushing away his daughter’s hands.
“Okay, good! You’ll actually consider.”
If Tina’s mother approved of me going to Paris, there would be a chance I see Jane. Since Tina’s mom was the head of a fashion designing company, there was a possibility that Jane worked for her. What would Jane think of me if she saw Tina and me together? Would she think we were together? Did she find someone? Did she still remember me? Was she living the life she wanted? Or was she miserable there, but afraid to admit she failed to come home? All these thoughts made me dizzy.
“Leo, you should get ready to work. It’s almost time,” Daniel told me. I came back into focus and finished my breakfast of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon quickly.
”I’ll drive you,” said Tina.
We got into her car and she didn’t turn on the radio. She didn’t even start her engine yet.
“Um, I like you.” Then she kissed me on the cheek. “Sorry, I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”
Okay, what just happened? Did Tina tell me she liked me? Apparently yes, because she was looking back at me, waiting to see if I would say anything.
“That… surprised me. To be honest, I like you too. I’ve liked you ever since we first met. You’re like the perfect girl to me,” I said. It wasn’t that hard telling her the truth. I couldn’t imagine a better way of telling her than now.
“Really?” Tina wondered. I nodded my head, yes. She leaned over and gave me a hug. She started the car and headed in the direction of my workplace.
There was a long awkward silence, and then Tina asked, “So, does this mean we can officially go out?”
I laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t know if I was supposed to ask you out. But… thanks for making the first move. And…” I coughed to clear my throat. “Tina Rivers, will you go out with me?” I stared at the right side of her face. She looked mad.
And then all of a sudden she threw up both of her hands in the air and yelled, “YES! Yes, yes, yes!”
“Whoa! Watch out! Don’t get us killed,” I warned.
“Whoops! Haha.” Tina steadied the car by putting her hands back on the steering wheel. “Oh gosh, Leo. You have no idea how happy I am. I really like you and… having you like me back is just amazing. I didn’t think you would feel the same way about me.”
“I’m really happy too.”
We arrived outside of Fresh Sunglasses.
“Now that we’re together, I’m going to try my hardest to convince my parents to let you come to Paris with me. You do want to go, right?”
“Yes, of course.” I waved goodbye to her and walked up the stairs to go inside the building.
I really wanted to go to Paris with Tina, but I was afraid of seeing Jane. My heart still yearned for her. Would I stay with Tina if for some reason Jane decided she wanted me? What was I going to do then? I didn’t know the answers to any of those questions. I decided to answer them later, if ever. For now, work would take my mind off of these thoughts.