Despite being so distracted about Dusty, I did manage to at least make a good impression on Brett at the interview on Friday. The offices were on the first floor of the Union, and I’d walked by and peeked in a few times since the door was made of glass. I’d always been kind of fascinated by it, if I was being honest.
Brett had asked me to bring in some more writing samples, and he went over them with me, explaining how an article should be written in something called “inverted pyramid style.” It was all a little confusing, but he gave me a handout on it and some articles to read online. By the end of the hour, he had given me a desk and filled out paperwork to put me on the payroll. I was still giddy when I got home, but I didn’t say anything to anyone, except Hannah, of course. My first day would be next Tuesday, since they had production nights on Wednesdays and Sundays. It was good I had the Dusty thing to worry about already, so the new-job thing was pushed aside.
Dusty and I still hadn’t exchanged numbers, so I had to do some stealthy eavesdropping to find out when exactly he’d be at work so I could talk to him, and I found my perfect opportunity on Saturday.
I walked in hesitantly. I had the whole thing planned out. I was looking for Christina Perri, Muse and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I had a script and everything. It wasn’t John Hughes material, but I thought it was pretty good.
I walked into the store and went right for the Christina Perri, since it was easiest to find in the Pop section. I’d been back a few times since the first time, and the employees had continued to leave me alone.
“Welcome to Bull Moose. How may I be of assistance?” It was much better to just sort of expect him to always be lurking behind me. Like a tall shadow. With great abs and a killer smile.
“Well, I was, like, looking for some cool music. Because all the music I thought was cool is cool now, and I like things before they’re cool, so those things aren’t cool anymore. I need something that is precool.” I pretended to toss my hair.
He laughed as if he was surprised.
“What?” I said, dropping the annoying voice I’d been using and going back to my normal one.
“Nothing. I wasn’t expecting you to come here anymore.”
I played dumb. “Why not?”
“Well, after...” He cleared his throat. Huh. This must be Dusty when he was nervous. It was kind of adorable. I gave myself a mental slap. Get your head in the game, Jos.
“Nothing, nothing,” he said, shaking his head and chuckling. “Is there anything I can help you with, Red?”
I struggled to remember the script. I wished I had one of those people who stood in the wings of the theater and I could just yell “line!” and they’d feed it to me.
“Actually, I did come to talk to you about that. Should we maybe go somewhere else?” The other employees had definitely stopped what they were doing, and I could hear them all listening to us. I wondered what else Dusty had told them about me. Did I really want to know? Probably not.
“Sure. Come on.” He nodded to one of the guys at the register and pointed to the door that said Employees Only. The guy nodded back, and Dusty opened the door for me.
It was what looked like a break room with a huge folding table, some mismatched lawn chairs, a fridge, microwave and coffeepot. Dusty cleared a bag of half-eaten chips out of the way and pulled a chair out for me. I wondered if he was conscious of stuff like that, or if he just did it without thinking. If he was trying to impress me or if it was just a reflex he had when a woman was in his presence. I kind of hoped it was the first.
“Okay, so you haven’t been back at the house and I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t because of me,” I said in a rush. In my script, I had said the lines perfectly. I guess I should have rehearsed more.
He turned a chair backward and slouched on it. Too cool for school, that boy.
“Why would it be because of you?” He had a smile on his face, but I was beginning to learn the many smiles of Dusty Sharp, and this one said that he was putting on an act. The smile was just a little too wide, his eyes just a little too bright. Ha, caught in the act. It was time for my next line.
“Um, because maybe I called you out on the fact that you never give me a straight answer about anything and then...you almost...” Ugh, the words wouldn’t come out, even though I’d said them over and over. Stupid words, being so hard to say.
“We almost what? Because from where I was standing, you were the one who grabbed me.”
Oh, that’s how he wanted to play it?
“As I remember it, I was trying to stop you from leaving and you, well, you...threw yourself against me.”
“I was caught off balance and I underestimated your strength.” Yeah, and I was the secret love child of Paul, George, Ringo and John.
“Really? That’s what you’re going with?” I said, giving him a look.
He looked down and his smile faltered.
“It sounded much better in my head.” Story of my life.
“We should be able to talk about this. We’re both rational adults. This doesn’t have to be a big deal.” Yup, I was officially off book.
He looked up and shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said. “Oh, Red. It’s been a big deal for a long time.”
“H-how long?” I leaned forward in my chair without meaning to, and he leaned over the back of his so our faces were close and at the same level.
“Long, long. Since that first time I saw you messing with the vending machine. I almost didn’t want you to turn around, and then you did. I’d heard about you, but I had no idea you were...you. Shit, I’m really screwing this up.”
“It’s okay. I’m not really good at the whole talking thing, either.”
“I guess that makes two of us.”
He leaned, and I leaned and we leaned and my head was spinning and I was afraid I was going to go off balance, but I was falling just as much into his eyes....
The door opened and a surprised voice invaded our space. “Whoa, sorry, man. Just came in to get a soda, but I’ll get one later. Sorry.” I didn’t even turn to see the guy. My eyeballs were otherwise occupied.
Dusty and I were frozen, with those last few inches of air between us. How was it that air, so insubstantial most of the time, could suddenly be so...substantial?
“I don’t know what I’m doing here, Red. You are a complication that took me completely by surprise.” His breath moved across the space between us.