The Road to the Cup ~ Wattys 2015

Touch

Sidney picked me up as promised. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I thought that he'd be spending time with Annalise. "Hey," he said, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, where are we going?" I replied, locking my door and following him out of the building.

"I was thinking that we could go to the movies or go somewhere to eat. Have I taken you out for Chinese food?"

"Yes, we tried to eat the rice with chopsticks and failed miserably," I laughed as I pictured Sidney attempting to pick up more than one grain of rice at a time.

"Not my best decision, I'll admit, but it tasted pretty good," he replied.

"So, movies it is, then. Mockingjay: Part One is out. You told me a few weeks ago that you were excited to see that."

"I am! And Annalise didn't read the books, so I wouldn't take her to see it. You haven't seen it yet, have you?"

"Nope, I haven't had time. I've been policing a large group of overgrown children and keeping them from poking each other with sticks," I joked.

"We are more than overgrown children," Sidney protested.

"Uhuh, right," I said and could practically hear Sidney rolling his eyes at me. "So, Mockingjay it is?"

"Yes. I'm buying," he said.

"Didn't you buy lunch?"

"Don't I make more money than you?"

"Don't you have a girlfriend to spoil and a house to pay off?

"I already paid off the house and I don't need my entire salary to spend on Annalise. Don't you have a ridiculous rent to pay?"

"It's not ridiculous," I said.

"Why don't you buy a house? Unless you're planning on leaving us after this season..."

"I wouldn't leave by choice, Sidney. If we don't do well, I'll get fired. I don't want to put down such deep roots in case I have to move again."

"Where would you go?"

"Maybe back to New York, or maybe Detroit to coach at my high school."

"Your apartment is kinda small," Sidney pointed out.

"I'm one human being, I don't need a ton of space!"

"You don't want a room just for books?"

"I don't like buying books when I don't know if I'll like them! I don't need a ton of space for books."

"Liar," he accused.

"What?"

"You're lying. I've seen you in my library; you'd love to have one like it. There are plenty of houses for sale in the area, and if you don't like them, I know a good contractor, we could have one built for you," Sidney said.

"Why do I need house?"

"Do you not want one?"

"Not really; not yet," I replied.

"Not yet?"

"Well, if I ever get married and have a family, I'd want a house then, but for now I'm fine," I said.

"Could Derek be that guy?" Sidney asked. His tone was neutral, but I saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

"I don't know. Maybe. We are still getting to know each other, but he's very nice. It's kind of weird, actually. My experience with guys before him was very... different," I thought about the run-ins I'd had with Sidney, Robert, James, and Alexander.