Well. That would explain the change.
St. Clair looks guilty for unintentionally goading Cricket into telling us. He opens his mouth to speak, but Cricket shakes his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t let it get to me.”
“When did you learn this?” I ask quietly.
“A couple of years ago. There was a book.”
I don’t like the expression on his face. Further memories of his reluctance to talk about his inventions creep into my mind. “Cricket . . . just because he stole the idea doesn’t mean what you do is—”
But he launches toward St. Clair. “Movie?”
Anna and I stare at him in concern, but St. Clair easily takes over again. “Yes, if you ladies no longer require our services, I believe we’re off.” Cricket is already halfway to the door. My heart screams in surprised agony.
He halts. It’s as if he’s physically stopped by something we can’t see. “Will you be here later?” he asks me. “When the movie gets out?”
My throat dries. “I should be here.”
He bites his bottom lip. And then they’re gone.
“He’s so into you,” Anna says.
I rearrange a stack of quarters and try to calm my thumping chest. What just happened? “Cricket’s a nice guy. He’s always been like that.”
“Then he’s always been into you.”
Yes. He has.
Anna whisks out the glass cleaner and sprays a smudge that St. Clair left behind on the window. Her smile fades as she grows deeper in thought. “What’s the matter?” I ask. I’m desperate for a topic change.
“Me? Nothing, I’m fine.”
“No way,” I say. “It’s your turn. Spill it.”
“It’s . . . my family is coming to visit.” She sets down the cleaner, but her hand tightens on the nozzle. “They met Étienne at our graduation last year, and they liked him, but my mom is pretty freaked out by how fast we’re moving. This visit could be so uncomfortable.”
I pry the cleaner away from her. “Do you think you’re moving too fast?”
Anna loosens and smiles again, love-struck. “Definitely not.”
“Then you’ll be fine.” I nudge her. “Besides, everyone loves your boyfriend. Maybe your mom has just forgotten how gosh darn charming he is.”
She laughs. Another patron comes to my window, and I print his ticket. When he leaves, Anna turns back to me and asks, “What about you? How are things with Max these days?”
I’m struck by a terrible realization. “Oh, no. You wanted to meet him. We left!”
“You had a bad night.” She shrugs. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, but—”
“It’s okay, I swear. Everyone makes mistakes.” Anna stands and grabs her work keys. “The important thing is to not make the same mistake twice.”
My guilt deepens. “I’m sorry about last week. When I came back from dinner late.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not what I was thinking about.”
“Then what?”
Anna looks at me carefully. “Sometimes a mistake isn’t a what. It’s a who.”
And she goes to rip tickets down the hall, leaving me with thoughts as jumbled as ever. Does she mean Max? Or Cricket? An hour later, Franko wanders in. He’s about thirty, and his hair is unevenly shorn. Like, he has random bald spots.
“Heeeeeey, Lola. Have you seen the thing?”
“What thing?”
“You know . . . the thing with . . . our schedules on it and stuff?”
“You mean our schedule?”
“Yeah. Have you seen it?”
I glance around. “Not in here. Sorry.” But Franko is already sifting through a pile of papers on the counter. He knocks the phone off its hook, and I grab it. “Careful!”
“Did you find it?” Franko spins around as I’m coming up. His elbow jams into my face and knocks my glasses to the floor. “Whoops. I got it, Lola.”
There’s a sickening crunch of plastic.
“FRANKO!” My world has turned into blobs of color and light.
“Whoa. Sorry, Lola. Were those real?”
Anna rushes in. “What? What happened? Oh.” She bends over to pick up what I assume are my glasses. Her voice doesn’t sound promising. “Dude.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“You can’t see?” She holds them closer to my face. Pieces. Many, many pieces.
I moan.
“Sorry,” Franko says again.
“Will you please go back to second-floor concessions?” Anna asks. He leaves. “Do you have another pair? Contacts? Anything?” she asks. I moan again. “Okay, no problem. Your shift is almost over. Your dad will be here soon to pick you up.”