AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ouisville also had a Central Park. It was a far cry from New York City but it was an impressive idea, and he gained points for creativity.
We followed one of the paths that lead to the Amphitheater. There was a group there performing a Shakespearean play to a large crowd. It was late in the afternoon and families were out walking and riding bicycles. Aidan and I strolled together in comfortable silence. It was nearing the end of May and the temperature was perfect for walking.
“Okay, when does the get-to-know-you portion of the night begin?” Aidan asked, and I glanced up at him as I considered where to start. I didn’t want to get into anything about Derek, and it was hard to think of anything about me that didn’t involve him.
“What do you want to know? You already know where I’m from and what I do for a living,” I replied.
“How long have you lived in Louisville?”
“Two years.”
“What were you doing before you moved out here?”
“I graduated from UCSD with a degree in journalism and took a job with the local newspaper as an editor’s assistant, and I hated it.” I looked up to see that he was staring down at me and listening intently. “I thought I was going to be a journalist, but I ended up becoming an errand girl with no real shot of actually writing articles. There were so many people in line ahead of me that it would be years before I even got close to writing anything. My friend Natalie started an online magazine, so I started working for her full time. ”
“Oh right. I’ve heard a little about the rise of those kinds of independent news and information sites.”
“Yeah, it’s a tough business to maintain success in. Natalie was lucky to do so well with getting her name out there. Our reader interest is growing daily, and story ideas from the staff are going strong.”
“That’s amazing.” He smiled at me. “So you like this better than working for a traditional print publication?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “It works for now. I think one day I may try to write a story of my own.”
“What kind of story? Does it involve romance?” he teased.
“Oh God no. I’m not a romance kind of girl. Crime or mystery novels are more my speed. What about you? Have you lived in Louisville all your life?”
“Actually, I don’t live in Louisville. I live in Shelbyville, which is only a few miles away.”
“Oh,” I replied feeling a little silly. I assumed he lived here, and I wasn’t familiar with the area even after two years. Besides the necessary trips to run errands locally, most of my time was spent in my house working or going wherever Derek took me. “How long have you worked with the security company?”
“About five years with Secure Point Systems. Before that, I kind of drifted between careers for a while.”
“What sort of careers?”
“Let’s see?.?.?.” Aidan looked up as he gathered his thoughts. “I was convinced that I could start my own car-washing business, so my brother and I spent the summer after I graduated high school trying to make that happen. We only made enough money to buy beer and replace our car-washing supplies.” He chuckled and his face relaxed as he told the story. “After that I got a job selling cars, and I was determined to sell more cars than anyone on the lot. My first month I sold a few cars but nothing close to the other guys. I stuck with it for about a year and gave up. I joined the Marine Corps and served four years before I got out and went to school and earned my degree in computer science. So far it’s panning out and has been the longest job I’ve had.” He laughed and I liked that he wasn’t perfect. He admitted to struggling to find his way.
With Derek, his life was planned out. After he finished school he went right to work with his uncle’s firm. I think that was why he never really showed concern for anything in his life. His future, complete with a six-figure salary, was set. I resisted the urge to smack myself for letting Derek consume so much of my thoughts. The comparisons in my head between he and Aiden needed to stop.
“Alright, it’s my turn to ask something now. How old are you?” Aidan asked.
“Twenty-five, and you?”
“I’m twenty-eight. My turn now. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” I replied, grinning.
“Do you like Thai? I know a good place not too far from here?”
Even though I wasn’t a fan of Thai food, I started to agree because that’s what I did. I was the cool girl, up for anything. Except this time, I didn’t want to be that girl.
This was the moment I decided to just be me.
“Not really.” I shook my head.
“Oh, okay no problem,” Aidan replied not sounding the least bit put off as he tried to think of another suggestion.
“Do you like barbecue?” I asked. “I know a really good place.”
