Caleb:there she is! You better wear something sexy on Friday
Funny how he can reply quickly today but was MIA on my birthday.
Me:No thanks. I have plans on Friday
Caleb:Saturday then
Me:how about never? Does that work for you?
Caleb:never does not work. What’s your problem? Lets go out!
Me:I said no. deal with it
Caleb:damn, girl. I like it when you play rough
I grip my phone and take a deep breath, telling myself not to give into my rage and throw it across the room. I can’t afford a new phone and Caleb isn’t worth it. I hate how cocky he is, how he thinks can just snap his fingers and I’ll be thrilled to go out with him.
A few minutes go by and then he calls me. I ignore the call. When a customer comes in, it takes everything I have to put on a polite smile and be friendly even though all I want to do is go outside and take a deep breath and scream.
I’m checking out the customer’s purchase—two metal bookmarks with charms on them—when the door opens again and Caleb’s stupid face grins at me. He doesn’t seem affected at all that I basically told him to screw off in my last text.
Anger boils up inside me and for the first time ever, I wish I didn’t work in The Magpie, so that he wouldn’t be able to find me.
“Hey,” he says in this pathetic seductive voice while he leans over the front counter. His body spray wafts through the room, assaulting my poor nose.
“Are you here to buy something?”
He glances around the store then looks back at me. “I’m here to talk to you.”
I fold my arms over my chest, grateful that Mom is still in the back room and therefore out of earshot. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Why are you being so mean?” he says, crunching his eyebrows together as if he’s really offended. Ha.
“You know what’s mean?” I say, keeping my voice steady. “Standing up a girl on her birthday.”
“Huh?” he says, before quickly bursting into a smile. “Oh that’s nothing, Natalie. Wednesdays are stupid! We need to hang out this weekend so we can spend some quality time together.”
“I’d rather eat my own socks.”
He chuckles. “Look. Okay. You’re mad.” He rolls his eyes as if the idea of me being mad is just so unbelievably stupid. Maybe it is. Maybe if Jonah hadn’t been there on the beach when I was having a horrible day…maybe I’d still be the pathetic girl who does whatever it takes for some attention from a cute boy.
“Let’s talk, Natalie. I swear I’ll make it up to you.”
He gives me this sad little puppy face and it just makes me want to punch him. Mom appears from the back room, smiling when she sees I’m not alone.
“Hi there,” she says. “Welcome to The Magpie.”
“Thanks,” Caleb tells her. “Me and Natalie were just talking.”
“No we weren’t,” I say.
Mom lifts an eyebrow, but I’m not about to bring her into my drama. “I was just telling him I’m busy at work.”
“Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll take over,” Mom says, flashing me a smile as if she’s doing me a favor. “Then you can go talk outside. Maybe get some ice cream?”
“Perfect!” Caleb says. He grins at me as if he’s forgotten that I’m mad at him. “I’ll see you outside.” Then he bounces off with a pep in his step and I just want to punch something. How can he be such an ass?
But now I have to talk to him. I know without a doubt that he’ll just come back in here and embarrass me in front of Mom if I don’t. So when she’s ready to take over for me, I slip outside, balling my fists at my sides.
