Hate to Love You [Elvis]

Chapter 3 - To the Rescue... Maybe?

"It just is, and that's why I want to keep this a secret. Will you do that, Nay? Keep this a secret from everyone. I don't want to get hounded, and I don't want you to, either."

Her face drained of the blush, and she calmed herself down, but her heart was probably racing faster than it ever had. "Okay, I promise."

"Good. Now, let's get on with our day, okay?"

She nodded and bid me goodbye. I reminded her again about not saying anything. She just said, "sure, sure," and was off. Something told me that my meeting Elvis Presley wouldn't stay a secret for long.

~ ~ ~

The lunch hour came, and thankfully, no one bothered me about Elvis. That meant that Nay kept her mouth shut. She came up to me at our table in the employee cafeteria, a gleaming smile on her face.

"Hi," she said and put her brown paper bag on the table and pulled out a sandwich. "Boy, I don't know how I'll be able to eat knowing that my best friend met my favorite star."

"You'll be able to eat just fine."

"Can you tell me more about the encounter? Please?"

I looked around and saw our other co-workers eating their lunches. I might as well. No one was going to sit with us. I leaned in close to her, my own sandwich in front of me. "Okay, I'll tell you. So, it's like I said this morning—I heard some talking through the bushes, and it turned out to be Elvis and some other man, maybe his manager. He wanted to go and say hi to the workers, but that other man tried to stop him, but he kept on going. I tried to get into the building before he could round the bushes, but I wasn't fast enough. He saw me and greeted me, and I had no choice but to turn around and greet him back."

She squealed again. "Oh my, this is unreal! Tell me exactly what he said."

"He said 'Hi.' And he apologized for startling me, but I told him that he didn't. I said that I was expecting to run into him at some point, and that it was odd that he came up to me first. He asked my name, so I told him to call me Miss Paul."

Nay's mouth dropped open. "Miss Paul? Are you kidding me? You didn't tell him your first name?"

"I didn't feel the need to. I told him that I work here, and he said it was a pleasure to meet me. I had to lie through my teeth and say that it was a pleasure as well, but I had to get in to work so I wouldn't be late. He looked a bit confused when I said that and said not to let him keep me from being late, so I went on into the building. That's it."

"That's it?" she repeated, her nose twerked. "I really can't believe that your very first conversation with a star was so rote and boring."

My brows rose in indignation. "Would you have liked me to say what I really think of him? That I hate his guts? I wanted to be professional and not get in trouble. I need this job, you know, for college."

"Regardless, you should've at least given your first name."

"Like I said—I didn't feel the need to."

I took my peanut butter and banana sandwich and took a bite. Nay stared at me, shaking her head back and forth. "I love you, Sarah, but sometimes I don't understand you."

"I can say the same. Hopefully I don't run into him again. I may actually speak my mind."

"Just hold your tongue if that happens. Remember: professionalism."

I huffed through my nose. "I know, I know."

We continued with our lunch, and Nay said a minute later, "You know, he was probably confused when you spoke with him because he's used to girls going crazy at seeing him. You didn't."