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She surprises me when she actually does it. Satisfied, she pulls herself into the passenger seat and I shut the door behind her. It's not until I've pulled onto the road that she speaks.
“I'm sorry about hitting your truck. I just realized I never apologized.”
“I'm sorry for why you did.” I chuckle again. “It's better than because you weren't paying attention, texting, or were drunk though.”
“Good point. You're not allowed to share that story with anyone either. For my sake,” she adds when I glance over at her. “Please?” she asks hopefully.
“I don't know if I can do that. If it comes up, I have to tell.”
Eva groans. “Where are you taking me anyway?”
“Smitty's. Ever been there?” Smitty's is the best place to go for BBQ sandwiches. My dorm-mate from freshman year introduced me to it and I come once every two weeks at least.
“No, but I've heard of it.” Her phone beeps and she checks it, laughing softly to herself. “My cousin thinks I'll be safe with you. Apparently, he knows you.”
“Who's your cousin?” I ask as I pull into the restaurant parking lot.
“Glen Harvey.”
When my truck is in park, I turn the key to shut off the engine. “Glen Harvey is your cousin?” He was my dorm-mate from last year. How was I around him for so long and had never met her? Not that I would have been in the mood to want to take her out to supper then, but still.
“That's what I said. How do you know him?”
“We were in the same dorm together last year.”
Her eyes widen. “You're that Emerson?”
“I guess. Why? What did he say about me?”
Instead of telling me, she says, “Are we going to get out of the truck or not?”
So, we make our way inside. We order sweet teas, and I watch her look over the menu since I always get the same thing. As usual, a slight twinge of weirdness at going out with a girl other than Kelly hits me. It's been a year, and I haven't spoken to her once. I've tried calling and texting, but she's never answered back. Whenever I've gone home, she's been conveniently off visiting family somewhere. I snagged a job my second semester here, which led me to renting an apartment over the summer, so I didn't go home then.
“Emerson!” Eva snaps, waving a hand in front of my face.
“Sorry,” I apologize. “What'd you say?”
“What do you usually get?” Eva repeats the question I'm assuming she asked when I was zoned out. “The BBQ sandwich?”
“Yeah, with cole slaw on it and a side of fries.”
She purses her lips and then lifts her head. “Vinegar-based or mayo-based cole slaw?”
“Mayo.”
“I think I'll get the same thing then.”
The waitress returns, so I order two sandwich combos. I wait until she walks away to bring up my earlier question again.
“What did Glen say about me?”
Eva shrugs. “Not much, really. He would just say when he was going to hang out with you.”
For some reason, I feel like she's not being entirely truthful, but I let it go. “What year are you?”
“Junior, and you're a sophomore, right?”
I nod. “Yeah. Was there an insect in the car or were you just imagining things?”
