Earning Edie (Espinoza Boys #1) (16 page)

I figured all guys turned into teddy bears for her. Not so much for me. But I nodded with a small smile.

“Don’t let him get to you. We need another waitress big time, we are so swamped, so I’m crossing my fingers for you!”

She rapped on the door, and then opened it without waiting for a response.

“Your new waitress is here,” she said teasingly, and winked at the man behind the desk.

He was late middle-aged, probably somewhere in his fifties, and sweating the way men with too much weight seem to do no matter how much air-conditioning is in place. And there was enough to freeze their famous chicken wings in here. Goosebumps immediately popped up all along my arms and legs.

He looked up, and motioned me in with his hand.

“Thanks, Rissa. Go check in with the kitchen and make sure all the tables are set up for opening,” he said, lifting a handkerchief to dab at his forehead.

“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” she said playfully, and turned to me. “Good luck,” she stage whispered, and then pulled the door shut.

“Sit down,” he said. “I was impressed with your work and volunteer history, and I’d like to hear more about why you think you’d fit in here.”

I smiled. “Thank you for taking the time to interview me,” I said, as I sank into the chair and crossed my ankles.

Normally, after seeing Marissa’s attributes and knowing I didn’t exactly look the part of the Wilde’s waitress, my confidence would be shaken. But with my resentment toward Nick — even if he’d been a tiny bit right, he’d still been rude — I found an assertiveness that usually remained buried.

I answered Mr. Rollins’ questions decisively and with confidence. He seemed happy with my answers for the most part. I could tell he trusted I was responsible and reliable, great traits for a new waitress.

But were my plain looks going to be the end of the road for me? I hoped not, because I did
not
want Nick to be right.

“Well,” he said after we’d talked for 10 minutes about my position at Jumpin’ For Joy and my work with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a few other volunteer events I’d participated in throughout high school, “I like your enthusiasm, and …”

His eyes skated over my body, as if seeking something else to compliment. At last his eyes settled on my face, where a smile had frozen into a grimace that was practically trembling with the urge to fall into a frown.

“You’ve got a great smile,” he finished.

“That’s what all the boys say,” I said, and winked, shocking myself with the flirtatious lilt I didn’t recognize in my own voice. Had I just stolen a page from Marissa’s book?

Mr. Rollins’ smile widened. “You’ve got potential, enough that I’d like to give you a shot.”

“Really?”

I was kind of surprised. I was sure he was ready to write me off as hopeless.

“Sure, you’ll get the hang of things.”

He got up and started to dig through a box in the corner of his office. “Hmm…. better make it a small.”

He turned and pushed a couple of pieces of fabric into my hands, one white and one black.

“Your uniform,” he said.

I looked down at the small, low-cut white T-shirt and black shorts skeptically.

“I think a medium might be a better fit—”

“No, no,” he said. “Small is good. You’ll get better tips.” He came around the desk, and opened the door. “Go see Marissa, and she’ll show you where you can change and start training.”

“Now? You want me to start right away?”

“We’re understaffed. That a problem?”

I looked down again at the tiny shorts. This was so not me. “Umm …”

“Well?”

The smug look on Nick’s face if I returned to that apartment as anything other than Wilde’s newest waitress flashed through my mind.

“No problem. I’ll go find Rissa.”

“Good girl.”

I can always quit later. Like tomorrow.

NICK

“Oh shoot, I totally forgot about our date!”

Edie’s first words when she entered the apartment brought a smile to my face. She must not think too much of Jaime if she forgot to meet him.

She continued to babble as she crossed the room. “I mean, I didn’t forget, but I got this new job and then they wanted me to start working right away. For six hours! But at least I made some money.”

“Nice to see you, too,”  I joked.

She stuck out her tongue at me. “It’s always lovely to see you, Nick.”

Pausing, she took in the scene before her: Jaime and I on the couch, playing videogames and drinking beer. Her eyebrows arched.

“Am I interrupting something? Maybe you two would like to continue with your own date,” she teased.

I laughed, but Jaime jumped up, looking uncomfortable.

“No! I was just waiting for you. Is that okay?”

Edie walked up and kissed Jaime on the cheek, and I gripped my beer bottle a little tighter.

When had this happened? How did she have time to meet a guy between working all those hours and hanging out with me?

My grin felt like it was made of rubber and ready to snap any second. I gave up and scowled down at my lap.

“Don’t be silly,” Edie said. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. Have you been here long?”

Jaime shook his head. “Not long. So, what’s the new job?”

Edie’s voice turned smug. “Waitressing at Wilde’s.”

My head shot up to see Edie looking at me triumphantly. I wasn’t surprised she’d pursued the job, but she’d been dressed so nicely for her interview, I assumed this must be one of the office job interviews.

I realized she’d played me this morning to get my help with Tequila.

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“I told you I would get that job, Nick. You were the one who said I wasn’t pretty enough to work there.”

“You said that?” Jaime asked, sounding a little pissed.

“I did not say that, and she knows it. Besides, Edie, you used me. You’re Miss High and Mighty, and yet you used me to baby-sit Tequila to go pursue a job full of pervs who will make you uncomfortable! You must feel pretty good, pulling one over on me like that, huh?”

I turned and stomped toward the bathroom. I didn’t have a lot of options if I wanted to leave the room in this tiny space, and I didn’t want to hang out in the bedroom where her scent clung to the bedding and made me think crazy things.

“Nick!” she called after me, and I heard Jaime, sounding confused as usual. “Baby-sit Tequila? Why …”

The murmur of voices continued for another minute, but I couldn’t make them out. Then there was a tap on the door.

“Nick?”

I didn’t answer. She knew I was in here.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d help me if you knew where I was interviewing, and I really wanted to prove you wrong.” She sighed. “I just hate it when people tell me I’m not good enough to do something.”

I leaned against the door on my side, and the barrier between us somehow erased my usual caution.

Words spilled out of me.

“I never said that. I never meant you weren’t pretty enough. Damn it, Edie. I think you’re beautiful, and smart, and capable of just about anything. I just meant—”

I stopped suddenly. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be blabbering my feelings all over the place. Those needed to stay safely hidden, at least for now. Maybe for good.

“What did you mean?” she asked softly.

I considered my words more carefully.

“You’re too good for a place like that. With guys leering and making passes at you. That’s all I meant.”

There was a moment of silence, where I imagined she was being filled with warm fluttery things at my words. Instead, she started yelling again.

“Well, why didn’t you just SAY that?” she exploded.

“I thought I did!”

“Men! You wouldn’t know how to say what you meant if your life depended on it. I gotta go. Jaime’s waiting. You can come out of the bathroom now.”

I listened to her stomp down the hallway with attitude and couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. I loved watching — or hearing — Edie come out of her shell. The girl was downright feisty.

Too feisty for Jaime.

The guy came across as tentative and jumpy. And it wasn’t the first time I’d noticed him watching me just a little too closely. If I were a betting man … well, that wasn’t the sort of thing I’d want to make a bet on. I just hoped, for Edie’s sake, my observations were off-base.

Those thoughts killed my smile.

Edie and Jaime.

What the hell was I supposed to do with that?  The answer came to me, but I didn’t like it one bit.

Nothing, Nick. You’re gonna do nothing about it.

EDIE

Jaime and I went over to Carlos’ place to watch movies with him and Lily.

It wasn’t my first choice for a date, and I don’t think it was his, either. But once Lily found out Jaime had asked me out – and it was impossible not to tell her after I explained why I didn’t need a ride home the night Jaime took me to pick up Tequila – she’d been adamant we should double date.

I didn’t exactly want the pressure of keeping up with Carlos and Lily, but I was really nervous and agreed to the casual hang-out at Carlos’ house in the hopes it would take a little pressure off.

About 15 minutes into the date, it was clear I’d made a big mistake.

Jaime and I sat on the large sofa in Carlos’ basement family room, close to each other but not touching. Lily and Carlos cuddled on the loveseat, and started making out five minutes into the movie.

Every now and then Lily would surface and shoot me a look, as if to say, why aren’t you shoving your tongue down that boy’s throat? Then, Carlos would pull her into another kiss.

“So, this is awkward,” I said after nearly half an hour of agonizing silence as Jaime and I pretended not to notice the lovefest across the room.

Jaime chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a bit much. They’re always like this.”

I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t spent much time hanging out with the two of them together. He obviously did.

“Did you want—” he stopped short, his face turning red. “I mean, it seemed a little soon for us to … uh—”

He waved his hand in the direction of Carlos and Lil, and I got the drift. Jaime wasn’t ready to play tonsil hockey, either. That was a relief.

I nodded. “Totally. Too soon.”

He breathed a sigh and smiled. “Hey, how about I show you the games room?”

I agreed, ready to get out of there, and took his hand.

He led me across the family room, past the large-screen television and wet bar to a short hall. Two doors down, he walked into a room that held an array of pinball machines. Some were newer models with digital displays, but a couple looked like they were firmly rooted in the 1970s.

“Oh wow, I didn’t expect this.”

He grinned. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool, right? You want to play something.”

“Sure,” I said, relaxing for the first time all night.

He stepped up to a Simpsons-themed pinball, and flipped the on switch. Lights came on to the swell of music.

“Get ready, because I’m awesome,” he joked.

All uncomfortable tension had eased now that we were on our own, without the pressure to perform to some standard for our friends.

From the moment we’d come in the door, Lily had been shooting me encouraging looks and pushing our hands together like we were cute kindergartners who needed guidance in the ways of love. Now that they were out of the picture, I could breathe for the first time.

Jaime was really cute, too, as he concentrated on the games, his tongue peeking out the corner of his mouth and his arms flexing as he pounded the flipper buttons. I wasn’t a natural at the pinball games, and I hadn’t played one in years, so naturally he needed to coach me.

By the time we left that night, I was eagerly anticipating a goodnight kiss with Jaime. He was cute, easygoing and sweet. What wasn’t to like?

He walked me up to the apartment after the date, and hovered somewhat awkwardly as we said goodbye. I was instantly reminded of Nick’s comment about the uncertainty of whether to kiss the girl, so I stepped forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

He looked surprised by it, but he smiled.

“I had fun tonight. You want to get together again soon?”

I nodded. “Maybe without Carlos and Lily next time.”

He laughed. “Yeah, definitely a good plan.”

Jaime tucked his hands in his pockets and rocked nervously. “Well, goodnight then. I’ll call you.”

I turned and opened the door, smiling to myself. The kiss with Jaime had been much too quick – and we’d both been too nervous – for me to feel the crazy rush Nick’s lips had given me. But I felt excited at the possibilities ahead with a nice guy like Jaime Harris.

CHAPTER 11

NICK

Despite my decision to stand by and watch Edie date Jaime Harris — what a freaking crime
that
was — I couldn’t resist the urge to prove to her I wasn’t the bottom feeder she believed me to be.

I stayed in for dinner every night, and when she wasn’t working, we played video games and watched movies together. When she was, I made sure to leave her leftovers with cute cartoon figures gobbling down pizza.

Through it all, I continued to push her to come with me to visit my family until she reluctantly agreed to go to Sunday dinner the weekend of July Fourth.

I wanted her to visit for selfish reasons: It would get Mama off my back about dating someone (I may have hinted I met someone) and it would possibly deter Elana if Mama gossiped as I fully expected her to do.

But I also wanted Edie to visit my family for her sake: She deserved to see unconditional love – or as close to unconditional love as you could come in a good family – at work. I knew Mama would make her feel special.

Days drifted past this way, with Edie spending most of her spare time working and me spending most of my free time plotting ways I could change her mind about me. Thankfully, in Edie’s frenzy to raise money for school, she didn’t have a lot of time to get too serious about Jaime.

I was spending every free minute I could with Edie. So when I had the opportunity to drag her along while covering the Fourth of July parade, I was all over it.

Now, we were both sweating it out on a busy Main Street, with me occasionally darting off to get man on the street quotes, my absolute least favorite thing to do.

I groaned when I saw old Hodgkins headed our way. His hand was in the air, waving up a storm, and a wide grin crossed his creased face. Under his droopy eyebrows, his blue eyes were still clear and sharp.

Casting a quick glance around, I came to the conclusion the smile and wave were meant for me, and the twinkle in the eye? That’d be for the pretty girl beside me. The old fart was a total flirt.

“Prepare yourself,” I muttered to Edie out of the side of my mouth. “Hodge has spotted me, and he’s a talker.”

She turned from the line of little gymnasts she’d been watching cartwheel their way down hot asphalt, and followed my line of sight to the old man barreling his way through a young family.

“Well, if it’s isn’t young Espinoza and a pretty young lady.”

He grasped my hand and pumped it forcefully.

I grinned, taking the bait. “Mr. Hodgkins, good to see you. This is my friend, Edie Mason.”

“Edie, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

“Thanks.”

Edie smiled, but it was strained. Red crawled up her cheeks.

Edie didn’t handle getting attention very well, and as cute as she was when blushing, I decided to get her out of the hot seat.

“I met Hodge here when I covered a fire,” I said.

“Really? I hope you and your family were okay?” Edie said, sincerely concerned.

This was one thing I’d come to realize about Edie. Some people said all the right words and gave empty platitudes, but Edie genuinely cared about people.

“It’s just me these days,” he said, and got that faraway look in his eyes I’d seen before in people who’ve lost loved ones.

He shook off the daze. “Anyways, this disrespectful young man comes up to me and asks if he can write my story. Right there, with firetrucks destroying what’s left of my burned out house with their damn water—”

Edie raised her eyebrows at this, a smile twitching at her lips.

“—and me in my old frayed robe and my poor old dog just minutes dead in the fire.”

“Nick!”

“There was no dead dog,” I interjected. “No need to make me look any worse, Hodge. Edie has seen the ugly side of my journalism firsthand.”

“Is that right?”

“That’s a story for another time,” Edie said quickly, diverting the attention back to Hodge. “So, your dog didn’t die then? But you were in a robe watching your house burn down when Nick came up to you?”

“Sure was. I set him straight, too. Oh, I told him he had no respect. None at all.”

Edie glanced at me, as if checking his facts. Which was ironic, when you thought about it. I just nodded with a smile on my face.

“But then, a crazy thing happened,” Hodge said.

“Oh?”

“I was in a tough spot. Financially, emotionally. No one around to help me. And young Espinoza here, even after I shot him down flat, turned up at the house, ready to help with cleanup. He even brought a small crew from the newspaper.”

“So, he buttered you up to get his story,” Edie surmised.

Hodge chuckled. “Smart one you’ve got here,” he said.

“Tough one,” I added.

He turned his eyes back to Edie. “You could be right. Could be that he just came out to butter me up, like you say. All’s I know is he came out, brought help, and never asked me for an interview or a photo opp the whole day he was there.”

Edie’s smile became more genuine. “That sounds really sweet.”

“Ah, but don’t give him too much credit,” Hodge warned. “The next day I called him up and told him he could do the story. He wrote it up, and did such a great job, a lot of folks from the community came out to help me raze my barn and even started a fund to help me rebuild.”

Hodge blinked rapidly, and I got the idea he was emotionally moved.

He sniffed loudly. “Anyhow, could be he’s just very clever, and knew how to get me to give up what he wanted.”

That was not the message I wanted Edie to take from this story.

I frowned at Hodge, and he winked. “But either way, he wrote a damn fine story. Told the story right. And worked long and hard to get it.”

He clapped me on the shoulder. “I even got me a new robe out of the deal.”

Edie laughed with Hodge, and I chuckled along, relieved he hadn’t made me out to be a total asshole, though I did worry Edie still thought I was manipulative.

Hodge passed the time of day, making sure to tell Edie she was beautiful and if I didn’t behave, he was single these days.

It was nice, almost like we really were together. Edie was way too embarrassed to spell out that we weren’t an item, and I wasn’t going to volunteer the information. It would only lead to more flirting from the old rascal.

Once he’d meandered away, Edie turned a curious gaze my way. “So, which is it?”

“Which is what?”

“Did you go out there to help him because you’re a good guy who cares, or did you go out there to get a story?”

Shit. I knew she’d go there.

“Why can’t it be both?”

She frowned, obviously disappointed. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back under the shade of an awning outside a coffee shop, and faced her.

“The truth is, I went out there and I took some friends because I knew he could use some help. That’s why I wanted to do the story — column, really — in the first place. I like community journalism, to do stories that bring people together and stir up discussion on important topics. Things went all wrong with your story, I freely admit that. But I wanted to do your story for the same reason. To open up a dialogue about families and the people who — like you — succeed in the face of apathy.”

“Oh, geez. No wonder you’re a writer.”

I smiled ruefully. “Sorry.”

“You got a little sidetracked there. I asked about Hodge, not me.”

“Right. Well, the answer is, both. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t hope he might have a change of heart. But I went out there fully prepared for it to go either way. And like he said, I never asked him for anything. I let him come to me. If he hadn’t called and agreed to the story, that would have been that. I don’t force people into uncomfortable positions … usually.”

Edie turned to watch the tail end of the parade. I tried to decipher her expression, but it was merely reflective. Under the sun, her fair skin had already pinked up all across her shoulders, and I could smell the sunblock that hadn’t quite done its job wafting off her skin.

Unable to resist, I brushed a loose strand of hair off her shoulder.

She glanced at me, startled.

“You got some sun,” I observed.

She craned her head to look at her shoulder. “Just a little. Doesn’t hurt.”

“That’s good.” I paused. “So, what’s the verdict?”

She raised her eyebrows at me, while reaching back to adjust her ponytail. “Verdict?”

“Hopeless jerk? Irredeemable opportunistic journalist?”

Edie chuckled. “How about a jerk with potential? Or maybe just a good journalist who occasionally gets overexcited and goes too far?”

“Pretty generous.”

“That’s me. Caring, generous and forgiving,” she said in a haughty, self-important voice.

I grinned, way too happy Edie was giving me a break and showing me her playful side.

“Saint Edie,” I chimed in.

“Indeed.”

“I am humbled before such modesty.”

“As you should be, you materialistic sinner.”

“Sounds a little judgmental.”

Edie harrumphed. “Young Espinoza, do us all a favor and take a vow of silence.”

EDIE

That night, the fireworks show was nice. Like so many things with Jaime were nice.

We found a spot in the park, nestled between a handful of other couples who’d opted to watch the fireworks from a distance rather than fight traffic into the fairgrounds. The view was still great, and Jaime brought a thick quilt to throw down on the grass.

I sat down, cross-legged, and craned my neck back to check the sky. The show hadn’t started yet, but you could see a few glimpses of smaller fireworks being shot off around the city.

Jaime dropped down behind me, cradling me with his legs and arms. It should have been romantic, but it felt awkward, like we weren’t quite comfortable enough with each other yet for this intimacy.

You’d think kissing would be more intimate than sitting with a guy, but somehow it was easier to kiss him goodnight than to cuddle with him.

So far, our kisses had been pretty tame, getting-to-know-you type kisses. I kept waiting for the lightning to strike, as it had the night Nick gave me my first kiss. But maybe your first kiss was unlike any other. Maybe the excitement died once you’d experienced it.

“This okay?” Jaime asked, his breath skating over my neck and bare shoulder.

The wind had picked up a little, and with the drop in temperatures at night, I was regretting my halter top, so I was glad Jaime wrapped himself around me.

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

He tugged me back against his chest, and I forced myself to relax against him as the bright colors lit up the sky.

We spent the next few minutes saying meaningless things like, “Oooh, that one’s pretty” and “I like that one.”

In the interval, I found my mind wandering to my morning with Nick at the parade.

I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be here with him. I was pretty sure there would be no lulls in the conversation. He’d be impressing me with his ridiculous “writer” descriptions of the explosions, or telling me some weird factoid he’d learned through reporting. Like the city had $5,000 less to spend on the fireworks display this year, or this was only the 10th year they’d ever had a fireworks show.

And when I thought of leaning back against Nick’s chest, with his arms crossed over my stomach, my heart fluttered traitorously.

I shouldn’t be comparing them.

For one thing, Nick had given me no sign our one kiss was anything but a spontaneous moment in which he’d taken pity on the girl who’d never been kissed. He’d even said something to that effect. For another, Nick had shown himself to be self-centered and vain since the day I met him. The more I got to know him, the more I realized he was a lot more than his flaws, but he definitely wasn’t as considerate as Jaime.

It was nice to sit with Jaime, even if we were kind of quiet. We weren’t always awkward like this, only when we got too close. We spent hours talking on the phone every week, and we both loved to frequent the bookstore and attached coffee shop. We’d each pick out a handful of books, and then tell each other why we liked to read the things we did, and sometimes even trade a book or two.

Jaime leaned toward books of art and photography; while I generally picked out literature, sometimes serious and sometimes fantasy or sci-fi.

I blamed myself, really, for our inability to move forward. I couldn’t seem to squelch this festering of feelings I had for Nick, and I didn’t understand why.

Yes, he was gorgeous. But Jaime was super cute, and tons of girls crushed on him when we were in high school. True, I’d never been as attracted to blondes. Every school girl crush I could remember had been on a little dark-haired boy. But surely I wasn’t that superficial. I prided myself on caring most about what was inside a person.

I did feel an attraction for Jaime, but it was mild, a sort of warm friendliness that could develop into something more. My attraction to Nick burned hotter. But that didn’t necessarily mean it was better.