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“You want to get dinner with us?” Eli asks, sounding more surprised than I would expect.
I laugh as I nod. “Is it against the rules to hang out with work friends outside of work?” I point between the two of them. “Was my game the exception?”
Eli smirks. “Nah. We’d love to. Just surprised you don’t have plans with all your other adoring fans.”
I shake my head. “I’ve been too psyched up to make any plans. I couldn’t even think about eating before, but it suddenly caught up to me.”
Eli’s smile grows even bigger. “Lucky us.”
“You’re in too, Payton?” I ask since she’s been pretty quiet throughout our conversation.
“Of course.” She points her thumb at Eli. “I’m his ride home, so it would be pretty awkward if I said no now.” She laughs and a small snort escapes.
“I’m going to go get changed. Meet you out in the parking lot in ten or so?”
“Sounds great.”
By the time I get down to the locker room, most of the team is already gone. A voice cuts through the silence and catches my attention. “No, Mom, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I can just do homework or something until you get here.”
“Genesis?” I ask as I walk toward the voice.
Genesis looks up at me with a sad smile. “Hey, Marjorie, what’s up?”
“Just getting changed to go get some food with two of my work friends.” The conversation I just heard mixed with the sad look on Genesis’s face leads me to ask my next question. “Do you want to come with us? I could drop you off at home afterward if you need me to.”
“Really?” Genesis perks up. “If you don’t mind, that would be great. My car is in the shop so my mom was supposed to be picking me up, but she got caught up with something and isn’t able to get here for a bit. I don’t want to intrude though.”
“No intrusion.”
A sincere smile comes onto Genesis’s face. “Thanks. Seriously. It means a lot.”
“Just give me five, and we’ll head up.”
Genesis stays at the back of the locker room while I go up front to change, and when I’m done I yell back to her, and we head out to the parking lot together. Eli and Payton are waiting by Payton’s car, which is an older red Honda Civic.
I hold my keys up in the air and point to my car that’s a few down from hers. “I can drive, since I’m obviously more familiar with the roads around here.” I nod my head at Genesis. “This is Genesis. Genesis, not sure if you know Eli, but he’s in the grade below us, and this is Payton. She’s from the dark side, but we’ll try not to hold that against her. I work with both of them at Fairfield’s.”
Genesis smiles sweetly. “I’ve definitely seen you both there. My church youth group goes there like once a week in the summer.”
With the introductions complete, we decide to go to a small burger joint that’s only a five-minute drive away. We make small talk along the way, and there’s no awkwardness at all, which is surprising for this being such a random group.
Once we sit down to eat, that remains the case. “So, Payton, what made you start working at Fairfield’s?” I ask before I take a bite of my burger. It’s so good, I let out a soft moan without meaning to. I giggle and wipe the juice off of my face. “I know it’s probably not too far from you, but I’m sure there’s also stuff that’s closer.”
Eli raises his hand as he finishes chewing a bite he just took of his own burger. “That would be me. I got her the job.”
“You guys knew each other before you started working together?” This is news to me. I had no idea.
Payton smiles at Eli, then back at me. “Unfortunately.” She elbows Eli in the side. “I’ve been putting up with him for much too long.”
The way they are talking makes me wonder if they’re more than friends. They seem comfortable enough around each other to be. I can understand why they wouldn’t want to make a big deal about it at work, but now that Payton and I talk more, I wonder why she wouldn’t feel close enough to share with me. I’m really overthinking this. For all I know, they really are just close friends.
“Do you like Griffin Hill?” Genesis asks Payton, her voice showing genuine interest. She really is sweet. I think I need to be easier on her.
Payton shrugs. “It’s fine. I kind of keep to myself. My teachers are cool though, and my classmates are nice enough.”
This surprises me. I know Payton is quiet, but if she went to Capital Creek, I’m sure she would be popular. The rest of the meal is a lot of fun, and I find out that on top of being nice, Genesis is surprisingly funny.
When we get back to the school, Genesis stays in my car while I get out to say goodbye to Payton and Eli. I give them both a hug and thank them for coming to the game.
