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I reach to grab the offered hand and wait for him to help me up. But as I remain on the floor, fingers wrapped around his, he doesn’t stand or pull or even give me a tug. Instead, he lifts his chin toward my other hand. I look down to see that I’m holding a phone. Not my phone.
Oh shit. His phone.
He wasn’t trying to help me at all.
Chivalry is truly dead these days.
“Oh, sorry, is this yours? How did it end up in my hand? It’s not even the same as mine. I still have the version from two years ago. It’s a lot smaller. I don’t think I can have one of the bigger ones like these. I can barely hold it. Good luck trying to take a selfie. Does this even fit in the pocket of your jeans?”
I wait for the eye roll or stitching of the brows that usually follows one of my verbal regurgitations. It’s the slight laugh that I hear behind his mask that makes my cheeks blush.
He takes his phone out of my hand and then actually does help me to my feet.
“Miss Lee, are you ready to go?” the driver asks. He looks between me and the guy currently still holding my hand. I pull away. I miss the warmth immediately.
“Oh, we’re not together. I mean, he’s not coming with us,” I stammer. “You, um, have someone picking you up, right?”
I don’t know why I ask. Maybe because he seems a little lost. Like maybe this is his first time traveling on his own too. But, then again, he’s wearing expensive clothing and has the most recent iPhone in tow. He likely has access to the kind of funds that allow for plenty of ride options.
He pulls his cap off and runs his fingers through his hair. His hairline is slightly damp and I get it. We’re in Newark in the middle of summer and he’s dressed entirely wrong for the weather.
But, then again, I’m in a plain white T-shirt and jeans and I’m feeling a little heated right now too. Nope, that’s the New York summer hitting me. And that sheen of sweat starting to form on my forehead? Humidity, I tell you, humidity. Definitely not because of a cute guy in front of me.
“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Thanks for asking...Miss Lee,” he says. The corners of his eyes lift again as he smiles behind the mask. But I don’t get the sense that he’s making fun of me. He’s laughingwithme. Likeoh how ridiculous at our age to be referred to so formally.
I smile back and nod. “Okay, well, then, I’ll be going along on my way now.” If I could slap my forehead in a way that wouldn’t draw attention to myself, I would.I’ll be going along on my way now?
I start walking and tell myself not to look back.Do NOT look back.
But when I do look back, because of course I do, he’s gone.
And the feeling of disappointment lingers. What? Did I think he’d be standing there watching me walk away?
Apparently so, because an entire summer romance plays through my imagination in a matter of seconds. Good to get that out of the way now. I do not have time for romance, for friendships, for anything of the sort for that matter. I have to focus on my internship, working hard, and standing out among the rest of the cohort. If I’m impressive enough, memorable enough, maybe I can get a letter of recommendation from Haneul Corp for future school and scholarship applications. So that after my first year at junior college, I’ll have more options.
The entirety of higher education is built for a world of the rich-get-richer. I’ve never stepped foot in that world. But I consider this internship my invitation to enter, or at least dip my big toe in. And this may be my only chance ever.
I turn to the driver who, with arms crossed and a couple peeks at his watch, is clearly losing patience. He probably hates driving around teenagers. Am I supposed to tip him after he drops me off? How much is an acceptable tip? I could just feign ignorance and hope Haneul took care of that already.
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m ready to go,” I say. I point out my bag as it makes its way around the carousel. He picks it up and starts walking without a word. I follow as he leads the way out the doors, through the parking garage, to his black SUV.
Damn, this car is nice. It can easily fit six people, maybe more. And it’s really here just for me? I mentally chide myself to stop acting so shocked and amazed like everything is new to me. This car likely costs the entirety of a first year’s tuition at school. What a waste. Don’t be impressed.
Still, I can’t help but take in a deep breath of the leather scent in the SUV. So this is what rich smells like. I let out a breath and remind myself not to get too used to it. It’s likely a onetime treat to kick off my internship in style.
I decide to store the memory of this experience away in the back of my mind to be pulled out one day when I’ve finally made it. Because once I get there, I’ll know this internship was my first step. And when I do, I want a car that smells exactly like this.
4
elijah
Cute.
It’s the first thing I think when I run into the girl at the airport. No,bony elbows, that’s the first thing, actually. I’m still feeling the sting of her knobby arm knocking the wind out of me. Though I think I had the less embarrassing of things knocked out.
I’d normally think an extra pair of panties in a girl’s purse was hot. But those cotton briefs were way more for practical usage. Not that I’m some kind of expert when it comes to girls’ panties. Still hot, not gonna lie.
But what I don’t think I’m going to forget anytime soon is the way she made sure to ask me if I had a ride. In my life, things are given to me. No one asks me about what I want or need. In fact, I’m usually told what to want or need. I rub my chest trying to get rid of the odd sensation—not pain, but something else—happening there.
