And I realize I’ve been silent for an awkward number of moments. “I’m just wondering how far away it is from Saint Mark’s.”
“Will you turn into a pumpkin if you get too far away?”
“A pumpkin? I don’t think so. But I don’t like to stray too far.”
“O-kaaay. What’s the address? I’ll check.”
“Check how?”
She holds the phone up again. “See, you put your starting destination here and your ending destination here, and then it tells you how far away it is. You’ve seriously never had a phone?”
“Never.”
“Well. That is a first. Back in the old days, I guess that was common. But kids these days, they get phones as soon as they go to school.”
“Little children have these gadgets?”
“Oh, yeah. Parents go nuts keeping track of kids these days. How come your family won’t let you have one?”
“My family? Oh, no. I don’t live with family. Well, I take that back. They are like family. But they’re not in charge of me or what I do.”
“So you could get a phone if you wanted one? And had the money, of course.”
“Yes, I suppose I could.”
“So why don’t you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I will look into it.”
“Well, if you want one that can’t be tracked, don’t get one like mine. Get a burner from Big Jim. He’s got them behind the counter.”
“A burner?”
“Yeah. You know. The kind you can throw away if you have to?”
“Why would someone throw away a phone?”
She shrugs. “There are thousands of reasons, Tomas. But if you don’t know what they are, I refuse to spoil your innocence.”
I chuckle. Because I think she’s flirting with me. “Well, it’s an interesting idea, Madeline. I shall consider getting a burner when I see your uncle today.”
“See you at seven?”
“I will meet you right here at seven.”
“And we can go to dinner in Latrobe?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Then she does the most surprising thing. She leans up on her tiptoes, places her hands on my shoulders, and kisses me on the cheek. When she pulls back, she’s blushing again. “See you then.”
And then she whirls around and disappears in the feed store aisles.
I walk out of the store in a daze, trying to memorize the light touch of her lips on my cheek. And when I get to Big Jim’s and walk inside, my entire body is tingling.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is.” Big Jim is behind the counter, cleaning a gun. “If you came in to see my niece, she’s down the street.”
“Oh, no. I just saw her.” My fingertips come up to my cheek and I sigh.