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“We’ve been friends for a very long time.”
“And you do everything together from the sound of it.”
I should not be enjoying his jealousy, but I am. Maybe that makes me a petty man, but I don’t care. I’m happy to hear my name comes up often in their conversations. It means she’s not forgetting about me.
“When we have time, we do stuff together. She’s really busy.” Am I being a dick by giving him reasons why it might not work with them? Probably, but I find it hard to stop myself.
“I figured that one out the first time I asked her on a date. She’s hard to nail down. We’ve been on one official date, and the rest have been coffee or lunch dates.” He sounds displeased.
“She loves her job.”
“So do I, but shit.” He crosses his arms.
I notice a kid refusing to get a shot at one of the stations. His mom is trying to coax him into it.
“Just remember how much off time we get through the year. She’s doing this year-round.” I walk away from Bradley and squat next to the kid. I’m not sure he knows who I am.
The six-year-old’s blond mop of hair lands right above his bright blue eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Do you like football?” I ask.
He shrugs.
I pick up the bin each station has with prize packs for the little kids. “Want to pick one of these?”
“What about Superman? You like him?” Bradley squats next to me.
I glance over my shoulder. What the fuck is he doing? Find your own kid, asshole.
The boy nods.
“Iron Man? Captain America?” Bradley keeps it up, and the kid’s eyes grow more excited with each superhero he rhymes off.
“Yeah,” the little boy says, eyes no longer filled with tears.
“They’re not afraid of the shots, and neither should you be,” Bradley says.
The mom and nurse smile at Bradley, and I want to punch him in the fucking nose.
“No shot!” The boy’s excitement is wiped clean from his face.
I show him the prize bin again. “You can get anything in here after you get your shot.”
The kid looks at the bin, his hand digging in. He lifts out a football. My kind of kid. But he quickly drops it and picks up a puzzle thing. Whatever he wants.
“That’s what you want?” I ask.
He nods.
“All right, now be really brave, and if you have to, close your eyes and imagine playing with the puzzle.”
The nurse wipes down the spot and gives him the shot.
“Are your eyes shut really tight?”
He nods.
“Okay…” I lean closer to him. “You’re done,” I whisper.
