“I’m sorry I never called you, or anything. To thank you properly for fixing my car. But I didn’t have your number and you struck me as the kind of person that isn’t listen in any phone book,” Ava said.
“Well, I don’t have a cell phone, so it wouldn’t have done you any good,” I said.
“Ah,” she said.
I watched her stick the bottle of Cumin in her cart before she turned her body towards me.
“Could I buy you a cup of coffee?” Ava asked. “You know,
to thank you for fixing my car.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“You’re just glad I got home safe?” she asked.
“Not really,” I said. “I’m glad that you’re safe, but not that you went back home.”
“Oh,” she said.
“But, if you want to buy me a cup of coffee and just… sit and talk… that would be fine.”
Her eyes lit up and I had no idea why that made me as happy as it did.
The two of us walked around the grocery store together until we had everything we needed. Then we went through the lines, purchased our stuff, then stored it in our cars before we went to get coffee. She followed me to this coffee shop I was familiar with. It was the only place in Kettle where someone could get a decent cup of coffee. I ushered her into the shop and the two of us ordered, and I tried to convince her to let me pay.
But she wasn't having it.
“I told you, I’m buying it,” Ava said.
“Then the next one’s on me,” I said.
“Deal.”
“So,” I said as I grabbed my cup, “what happened when you got home?”
“The usual. My parents tried to railroad me, my brothers came to my rescue, they helped bail me out, and now I’m back to figuring out how I can get away,” she said.
“How many brothers do you have?” I asked.
“Three. Do you have any siblings?”
“I do. Two twin brothers. Both younger than me,” I said.
“Do they live on the mountain, too?” she asked.
“Nope. But they do live in Kettle. Just on different mountains. My parents moved to Florida a couple of years back, but we stayed here.”
“Born and raised?” she asked.
“Yep. You?”
“In Seattle, yes.”
“Did you enjoy it there?” I asked.
“I enjoyed it when I wasn’t at home. I loved my schools and the friends I made. But once my father started having opinions on who I was to hang out with, only one of my friends made the cut.”
“Your father doesn’t sound like a very nice man,” I said.