The Arrangement Anthology 1(107)

“Do you want ice cream with that, hun?” She stares down at me from under a boat-load of blue eye shadow.

Marty appears from behind her and answers for me. “Hell yes. And double that. I’m sick of watching my figure. Today has pie and ice cream written all over it, honey.” The waitress looks at him like he’s smacked his head one to many times. Marty makes a face at her and she leaves. “Long time, no see. Whachya doing, slut?” Marty leans forward and tries to see my notes from across the table.

I smile at him. “Term paper. What’s new with you?” I look him over. He’s not dressed in his normal decade-specific attire. Instead, Marty’s hair is sort of messy and he has a little stubble on his jaw. He’s wearing a button down shirt with a dark brown blazer. It makes his eyes look like chocolates. “Got a new boyfriend?”

He smiles awkwardly and shakes his head. “Nah.”

“What’s with the new threads? Trying to channel GQ?”

Marty tilts his chin up and grins. “Something like that. You like?”

I nod and let my eyes slip over him again, before returning my gaze to his face. “Yeah, actually I do. It’s hot. Sure to turn a lot of heads.” I smile at him and glance back down at my outline. I’m almost done and I’ve been working for hours, so I push the book aside and take a break.

“Mmm. Maybe, but there’s only one head that I’m interested in turning.” He stretches and places one of his arms along the back of the booth.

“Does he notice you?” Marty doesn’t talk much about his love interests. I’d started thinking he was asexual. I’m glad we’re talking. It feels like it used to, before things got weird between us.

“Not so much.” He holds my gaze.

“That’s too bad.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Everything happens for a reason, right? Maybe it’s not time to be noticed, yet. Maybe when I am noticed, things will go better because I waited. At least that’s what I tell myself when I’m crying into my pillow at night.” He winks at me. Before I have a chance to answer, the waitress sets down our plates. Marty sits up and inhales. He sighs, “My God. Ecstasy on a plate.”

The waitress snorts and walks away.

I dig in and shovel the pie into my mouth. The apples are warm and the crust is light and buttery. I think I moaned because Marty’s laughing. “Easy there, Little Miss O. I’m not into that kind of public display.”

I nearly choke on an apple. I sputter for a second. “You’re such an ass. You can make sexual remarks about dessert, but I can’t?”

“Yes.” Marty shovels more pie into his mouth, while watching me with a smirk on his face.

“Why is that?”

“Double-standard, honey. I can do a lot of things you can’t. I don’t have boobs. Get over it.” He glances around and holds up his hand. The waitress comes over. “Can I get a glass of milk? Thanks, hon.” She smiles this time and disappears. A few minutes later there’s a huge glass of milk next to him. I salivate, staring at it. “Go ahead and have some. I don’t have cooties.” Marty shoves the glass toward me. I put the cold cup to my lips and guzzle. When I put it down, there’s hardly any left. “Well, that was sexy.”

“Shut up,” I say, smiling at him. “I can be sexy. I just chose not to be.”

“Who said that wasn’t sexy? A girl tipping back a glass of milk like that? Very alluring.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Any girl that can swallow that much milk has gotta be good at—”

I cut him off, pointing my spoon at him. “Don’t say it.” There’s a warning tone in my voice.

But Marty is still smiling. He shakes his head. “You’re such a prude. You can put out and get paid, you little tramp, but we can’t talk about it. I thought I’d hear all about your sexual encounters. I’m starting to think your job is bogus.” Marty leans back in the booth with a self-assured look on his face.

“It is not bogus. And who uses that word anymore?”

“Nuns and cool kids. Stop dodging the question, princess.” He leans forward and puts his arms on the table. Marty reaches forward and places both of his hands on top of mine and pats me.

“Uh, there was no question.”

He cocks his head to the side. “Avery, are you seriously going to make me say it. Fine, the blank look on your face is enough. Are you going back to work this weekend?” He slips his hands back.

I nod. “Yeah, Black wants me to come in tonight. I think she’s going to kill me and leave me in the alley. She sounds pissed. I’m not really sure why.”