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I was going to do this.
7
Tara
My last interaction with Chelsea had been weighing on me since Monday. I didn’t think I’d said anything worse than my usual, but judging by her reaction, the astronaut comment had been beyond the pale. The last thing I wanted to do was to make her uncomfortable. I could still see the look on her face—shocked, damn near horrified.
I’d always told my friends I’d never cross the line with my flirtatiousness. Well, now the time had come to prove it. Consent was more than just verbal. Chelsea’s face had clearly stated that I’d gone too far, and now I had to apologize.
When I opened the door for her to come in, I gestured at her to leave the barrel behind. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”
Surprise flickered across her pretty features as she came into the bookstore section. “Sure.”
“Look, um…” I picked up a book just to have something in my hands. I bent the cover back and forth, fidgeting nervously. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry if I ever offended you or made you uncomfortable. I can be a bit of a flirt, so I hope you don’t take me too seriously. It’s all in fun.”
“Oh.” She stared at me as if trying to make puzzle pieces fit together.
“Sorry, I’ve just made things even more awkward.” I shifted on my feet and stuck my hands into my pockets.
“No, no. Not at all.” She waved her hands vehemently. “No, I was just going to say, I wasn’t offended. You’re definitely an odd one, but I’ve gotten used to you. And the astronaut thing was hilarious.”
“Okay, that’s good to hear.” I looked down at the tile floor, still unsure.
“I always enjoy talking to you.” Her tone was almost comforting me now. “It really brightens my day.”
“That’s what I set out to do.”
“Well, you succeed, then.” She gave me a soft smile. “Actually, um… I know you’re new in town and you don’t have many friends here. If you’d like to hang out sometime, I’d be down.”
I stood up straight. “Really? I mean… Sure.” I’d already thought of us hanging out and written it off. I didn’t know what we’d even talk about for all that time, but if she was willing, I’d try. “What would you want to do?”
“I could take you on a walk through a nice area.” She shrugged. “Or else, you know, we could play Flipcup.”
I laughed. “A nice walk sounds like a plan.”
We met up at six o’clock that night, early enough that there was still some fading sunlight, late enough that the chill of the wind nipped through my jacket. I hoped we’d build some heat as we went.
Chelsea wrapped a hot pink scarf tightly around her throat. She wore a matching hat, but only a thick sweater rather than a jacket. “There’s a trail through that little wooded area.” She pointed at what looked like a park across the street. “It’s very pretty, especially with the changing colors.”
“Right, before all of it gets buried underneath the snow.”
“You sound pretty judgy,” she teased. “Didn’t you have snow in Boston?”
“Sure, but we’re three hours north. I assume this winter’s going to be colder.”
We trudged across the street and into the wooded area. The trees did look beautiful with their red and orange leaves, and the crunch under our feet was surprisingly pleasing.
“Why did you move here, then?” Chelsea asked. “For a girl?”
I frowned and glanced at her. “No, there was no girl. I just wanted a change.”
“Do you even know anybody here?”
“No.”
“So you packed up, left home, and showed up in a city where you didn’t know a soul.” For a second, I thought she didn’t believe me. She exhaled, and her breath misted in the air. “That was so brave.”
“Not really. I’d had enough of Boston. It was getting suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me. I knew Burlington was a hippie, liberal town. It sounded like somewhere that I could be happy. I packed up my things, and here we are.”
