Red Sun (9 page)

             
“That’s the girl you told me about who makes the deliveries with her uncle, right?”

             
I nodded.

             
“Why don’t you ever invite her over?”  He looked around.  “You afraid she might see how luxurious we live and start using you for your money?”

             
I raised my eyebrows and looked at the ugliness surrounding me that I try to ignore.  “Yeah, that’s it,” I replied sarcastically.  “Actually, we’re supposed to hang out this weekend.  I’m not sure where though.”

             
“And when were you planning to ask for permission?”

             
I smiled sweetly.  “Um….now?”

             
“Yeah, I bet.”  He paused and took a drink.  “Just let me know where and don’t forget that you have until midnight to get home.  Don’t think that being here means you don’t have a curfew.”

             
“Isn’t that just a tad bit ridiculous?  I mean, what is there to get into around here?  You think I’m gonna go crazy and start vandalizing trees or something? “

             
He shot me a warning look.  “Don’t act like you can’t find trouble to get into.  We both know how you do.”

             
I sighed and rolled my eyes.  “Besides, I’m technically an adult now.  Doesn’t that count for anything?”

             
At first he didn’t say anything.  Then, he looked me in the eye again and I could tell he was really giving what I said some thought.  This was new.  “Have I told you how proud I am of you for holding down this job?”

             
He brought a smile to my face.  “No.  Are you?”

             
“Of course I am!  You’ve really made some huge changes and I haven’t been able to say this in a long time, but I see a lot of growth and maturity in you, Solei.  I mean that.”

             
“Does that mean you’re going to lift my curfew?”  I asked in a high-pitched, hopeful tone.

             
There was silence between us and I held my breath.  “Two o’clock and not a second later.  You hear me?”

             
“Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  This counts when we get back home too, right?  Not just while we’re here in the middle of nowhere and you know everything closes at ten?”

             
He laughed.  “No, it counts for home too.”  He amended his statement.  “As long as you stay on this path you’re on now.  The first sign I see of the old Solei coming back for a visit, it’s back to midnight.  We clear?”

             
“We’re clear.”  I kissed his cheek and then wiped away the pizza sauce I left there and went back to my seat, almost too excited to eat.

             
The next morning, I was still on a high from the night before.  It’s not every day that I hear my father say that he’s proud of me, so I reveled in it a little longer than another person would have.  Ruthann mentioned that she could see a little pep in my step too, which was a far cry from the day before.  Another reason for my chipper outlook was that I was at peace with the decision I’d made about Jolon.  I’d say what I had to say to him without worrying about how he’d receive it.  All I could do was try to make amends. 

             
In fact, when I saw his truck pull up in front of the shop, I didn’t even get nervous.  As far as I was concerned, this was going to be a clear cut conversation.  He cut the engine off and I saw the driver’s side door swing open, actually causing me to get excited about having this talk.  Afterward, a huge weight would be lifted off my shoulders. 

             
When Elan stepped out instead of Jolon, I was beyond surprised.  Thus far, only Jolon had come in and made any purchases for their business.  Maybe he was avoiding me now like I did him Monday?  This changed things. 

             
Elan stopped at the back of the truck for something before coming inside and I watched him – much like I did the first time I’d seen his brother at the river that infamous day.  They both came from a very impressive gene pool and I found it hard to decide which one of the two was hotter.  I loved Jolon’s hair, so much so that I may or may not have had a dream about running my fingers through it.  But at the same time, I loved the look of Elan’s close-shaven head too; it gave him a little urban swag that was definitely sexy.  Oh the thoughts that have run through my head about the two of them and how embarrassed I’d be if either had the ability to read minds. 

             
I felt my nostrils flare when I sucked in more air than necessary as I watched him lift the lawnmower from the truck bed with ease and set it down on the ground beside him.  Through his white t-shirt I could see his muscles flex and I stood from the stool to get a better look at him.  I found myself thinking my usual unladylike thoughts, only this time about him instead of his brother.  After all, fantasizing about Jolon hadn’t gotten me very far.

             
The sound of Ruthann’s voice startled me.  “Must be something really interesting out there,” she said suggestively, looking at Elan from the corner of her eye and then back at me.

             
I quickly sat back down and pretended not to be undressing Elan with my eyes, but I knew she was on to me.  When he walked in, I was so focused on him that I’m sure the door chimed, but I didn’t even hear it.  He smiled immediately when he saw me behind the counter and I had to too.  Ruthann raised her eyebrows suspiciously and walked back to the greenhouse without saying another word.

              “Whaddup, Sunshine?”  He had the same brassy and alluring voice as his brother, but it was strange hearing kind words being spoken instead of abrasiveness like I was used to.

             
“Hey,” I replied shyly, discovering that he had the same ability to intimidate me as Jolon.

             
“You been ok?”  He asked, still smiling, unintentionally showing off his dimples. 

             
“Yeah, I’ve been good.  What about you?”

             
He shrugged.  “You know, same stuff different day, I guess.”  He looked me up and down slowly.  “Until now anyway.”

             
I smiled again and felt myself blushing.  His intensity was making me nervous, but I liked it.  “What can I do for you today?”  I glanced down at the lawnmower he’d wheeled in.

             
He followed my gaze.  “Oh, right.  Jolon thinks it just needs a new motor, but I think it’s dead.  I brought it in to see if Ruthann’s fix-it guy could do anything with it, but if not, we’re just gonna junk it.” 

             
All I gathered from his response was that he had really nice lips and that I wanted to bite them.  Maybe I should’ve been listening though.  When I didn’t say anything right away, he smiled again.

             
“Youuuu ok?”

             
I focused on his eyes again.  “Yeah.  Would you mind repeating that again please?  I’m sorry, but I think I zoned out for a second.”

             
As if he knew what distracted me, Elan licked his lips a little slower than he had to before replying.  “Ruthann knows this guy who fixes lawnmowers.  I was hoping she’d have him take a look at this one and see if it’s worth fixing.”

             
“Oh, yeah.  I’m sure I can find his number and call him myself.  Just leave it over there by the door and I’ll take care of it.”

             
“Cool,” he replied.  His eyes were glued to me and mine to him. 

             
Ruthann came back into the room and I looked down at the floor.  She cleared her throat playfully before speaking.  “Jolon playing hooky today?”

             
Elan smiled, eventually looking away from me to answer her.  “No, ma’am.  He’s already on a job.  I’m actually the one who dropped the ball today.  I slept in a little later than usual.” 

             
“Oh, well, did you find what you were looking for?”  Again, Ruthann looked my way when she spoke, trying not to smile. 

             
“Actually, I’m not here to buy anything this time. Jo forgot to grab that old mower for Jody to look at before he left, so I figured I’d bring it since I’m running late anyway.  But, Solei already said she’d call him for me.”

             
“I’ll bet she did,” Ruthann replied.              

             
I looked back up at Elan who was already staring. “Well, I’d better get going.”

             
I smiled and tried to be as professional as possible.  “Good seeing you again, Elan.”

             
“You too, Sunshine.  Maybe I’ll have to sleep in late more often.” He walked back to the door only opening it partially before letting it close again.  At first, he just stood there with his back to me and Ruthann while he thought to himself.  I wasn’t sure what he was doing when he turned around and came back to the counter.  Maybe he remembered something he needed to buy. 

             
“Got any plans this Friday after you get off?”  His question completely caught me off guard.

             
I didn’t know what to say, so I shook my head ‘no’.

             
“You wouldn’t be interested in hanging out, would you?  We’re having a few people over to our place.  We’re gonna fire up the grill, maybe have a bonfire.  It’s nothing big…..but I thought you might wanna come.”

             
Was he asking me out as a friend…..or as a…..
non
-friend?  I wasn’t sure.  “Ummm….yeah!  I’d like that.  I don’t have anything going on.”

             
He smiled.  “Good.  Pick you up here when the store closes then.”

             
“Sounds perfect,” I replied, very, very surprised at how this day was going.  This time when he reached the door, he continued on to the truck and drove off.

             
From my peripheral, Ruthann watched me.  I knew she was waiting for me to explain, but I had no intentions of doing so.  Mainly because
I
wasn’t even sure what was going on myself. 

             
“So,” she said accusingly.

             
I smiled.  “So.”

             
“He’s nice,” she added.

             
“Yep, he
is
nice.”

             
I looked over to find her smiling.  “Maybe I was wrong.” She left me standing there alone, curious about what she was referring to, but I didn’t dwell on it for long.  I had Elan on the brain.

             
Wednesday, I was
still
thinking about him, all day and all night actually.  Tarik called me to talk about some drama between him and his girlfriend, and I couldn’t even concentrate.  I kept replaying my encounter with Elan over and over in my head. It aggravated me that I couldn’t tell in what capacity he wanted to get to know me.  While we’d definitely flirted and had a moment in the store Tuesday, I was afraid to jump to conclusions.  That only leads to embarrassing moments and hurt feelings which is why I always try to be clear on a guys feelings before I allow myself to feel any particular way. 

             
Do I like him?  Sure, maybe.  He’s cute, has a nice smile, and he
seems
nice enough, but I can’t even tell what he wants from me.  Maybe I’m jumping the gun, over-thinking this thing way too early in the game. The best thing to do is assume this was a friendly invitation and see what happens from there.  That way, if Elan didn’t make any kind of a move I wouldn’t be disappointed and I’d at least come out of this thing with a few new friends from the party.

             
Thursday, Jolon showed up at the shop bright and early.  I still hadn’t seen him to tell him what was on my mind, so I figured this was as good a time as any.  When he walked in, I forced a smile which probably looked as unnatural to him as it felt to me.  He shot me a questioning look as he approached the counter with caution.

             
“What’s this about?”  He asked, referring to my friendly gesture.

             
“What’s what about?”

             
He turned up his face.  “You…..the whole…..cheerful thing you’re trying to pull off.  What happened to your witchlike charm that I’ve grown to love so much.”

             
I burst out laughing which made him smirk a little.  “It’s this new thing I’m trying out called a smile,” I explained.  “You should try it sometime.”

             
He laughed.  “Maybe.  But only if you promise me it won’t look like that.”

             
I rolled my eyes playfully.  “Whatever, you wish you could be as fabulous as me.”

             
He stared for a second and then blinked a few times.  “So, does this mean I don’t have to worry about starting my car up in the morning and having it explode?  You don’t hate me anymore?”