Noah pouts. “Andy—”
“Don’t you ‘Andy’ me. If we’re a second late, your mother will shove her foot so far up my ass I’ll be eating Crocs for a week.”
Andy helps Noah into the wheelchair, and everyone waves them off. Asha and Lou clean off tables while Dex juggles measuring cups and talks about all of the blue paint he picked up yesterday.
“I’m closing tomorrow so we can get a first coat done,” he says. “I can count on you guys to help out, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Sam tells him, leaning against me.
I lean back and close my eyes. I could stay here forever and be happy.
He pokes me in the ribs. “What are you smiling about, girlie?”
I didn’t even realize I was. I open my eyes and smile wider. “Life’s just weird sometimes, that’s all,” I say, and then I yawn, and Sam grins.
“Maybe we should get you home, too. Do you need to call your parents?”
I check the time on my phone. “I’ve got a while.” I look up at him. “Do you…want to come over?” I ask, and yeah, I’m blushing a little.
He looks at me for a minute and then says, “I…could do that.”
Lou offers to give Asha a ride home. Before we leave, I grab Asha tight, hug her until she laughs.
“You’ll be here tomorrow?” I ask.
“Of course.” She glances at Sam and then at me with a knowing look and says, “Have funnnn,” snapping her dish towel at my shoulder.
In the parking lot, Sam impulsively picks me up and twirls me around and around as I shriek with laughter, kicking my heels, my gauzy skirt floating all around us. He sets me down, and I press my mouth to his, dizzy, breathless.
When I pull back just to look at him, it’s like the world is spinning and standing still, all at once. And I’m happy.