Hutch

13

Daisy

The job interview went well and they offered me the position on the spot. It helped that Christa vouched for me. And I don't need to start until next week. I think the manager saw me sneeze and then hack up a lung near the end of the interview and took pity on me. I explained to her that I was taking antibiotics to clear up the chest congestion and I should be set to go by the weekend. She told me to come in at five on Monday instead. It would be slower through the week and easier to train me. I was grateful. With a job I have some room to breathe. Money isn't going to be as tight as it would have been.

Hutch and the hockey team is out of town for the next three games. Christa and Jenny were talking about it when I came home from classes today. They're gone more than they're here apparently. I pretended not to listen as I went into the kitchen for a bottle of water.

"Hey, we're all going out to eat later, if you want to come." Jenny wanders into the kitchen and plops down on one of the island bar stools. "It's a Friday tradition for us girls."

"Uh..." I'm not sure if I want to hang out with all the girls in the house or not. I mean I'm here to graduate, not to go out.

"We were thinking of trying a new soul food place that opened up downtown. Manny swears by it."

"Manny?"

"He's a football player. His friend was telling Lisa about it and that Manny swears by it."

So she heard it from a friend of a friend. Doesn't mean Manny actually said that unless she heard it herself.

"I'm in the mood for fried chicken." Christa yawns. "Maybe a nap first though. I'm tired."

I could use a nap too. This is why Christa and I are going to be good friends. Girl has her priorities straight.

"There's going to be a party over at one of the frats we might go to later as well.

"I'm not a party girl."

Christa shrugs. "Me either. I tend to skip those. Since there's going to be no party here tonight, maybe we can do a movie night or something. I'm sure we can find a new movie streaming."

That I might do. I love movies, but watching them by yourself is not nearly as fun. I worked summers at a theater until Gran got really sick. I'd get free movie passes all the time and lived there with friends and or my boyfriend during most of my free time.

"So, I hear that Hutch has been bringing you pumpkin spice lattes every morning." Jenny blows a bubble with her gum and it smacks loudly as it pops. "That's very sweet, don't you think?"

I shrug. I told him not to, but he only grinned and handed it over to me. "Sure."

"He likes you."

"But..."

"And don't say you don't like him, because you do." Christa wags a finger at me.

"Even if I do, it doesn't matter. I'm here for school and nothing else."

"So you'd ignore a great guy because of school?" she sounds incredulous.

"If it means I graduate without headaches, yeah."

"Hutch isn't a headache. He's adorable."

"Look I had a really bad breakup and I don't want to put myself through that again, especially not an athlete."

"Last boyfriend an athlete?" Hailey asks as she comes into the kitchen. I hadn't seen her lurking in the living room. Her boyfriend is an athlete too if I remember correctly.

Sighing, I take a long pull of water before answering. "Yeah. He got a football scholarship to Texas and let's just say, he got away from his parents and me and went a little wild. I found out about it on his best friend's Facebook page. The conversation didn't go well. I was supposed to go to Texas with him, but my Gran got sick and there was no one but me to take care of her. So he decided he'd do some wild oat sowing while I watched my grandmother die."

Total silence.

"So to say I don't trust athletes, that's a little bit of an understatement."

And that's the abbreviated version. The whole truth is even uglier than that. He came home over Thanksgiving and the fight was spectacular. There were things said on both sides that don't bear repeating. We tried talking again at Christmas after my grandmother's funeral, but again, it ended up with even nastier comments. I told him to leave me the hell alone after that and then I came here, as far away from him and West Virginia as I could get.

"Well, that's his loss then." Haley nods and sits next to Jenny. "You have every right to not trust assholes. Take your time and get over it in your own way. Don't let anyone try to force you into anything you're not ready for."

Exactly. At least someone gets it.

"We're talking about Hutch," Christa says. "He's not an asshole who cheats."

"No, but he doesn't really have girlfriends either," Hailey points out. "He tends to go out with a girl a few times and then moves on."

See? I'm right not to get attached.

"Have you ever seen him feed one of his dates?"

She arches a brow. "I'm sure he feeds them when he takes them to dinner."

"I'm not talking about that." Jenny gets up and gets her own bottle of water. "He makes sure she eats first, before he feeds himself and is always checking to make sure she's eaten if he's not with her. He called me today to have me make sure she eats while he's gone."

"That's completely different." Hailey tilts her head thoughtfully. "Most guys I know wouldn't do that. My own boyfriend doesn't do that."

Gran always told me if I found a man who cared enough to make sure I ate, then he was a keeper. Jack never did that. Gran always disliked my high school boyfriend. Maybe she saw his selfishness when I was too blinded by love. Hutch appears to be anything but selfish. But I don't think I'm ready to risk another relationship so soon after the disaster of my last breakup. I'm too raw, especially after losing Gran and having to sell the house to pay off debts and hospital bills Medicare didn't cover.

"So, are we going out to eat tonight or what?" Hailey asks.

"Well, there's that new soul food place..."

"What?" Christa asks.

"I don't think its any good."

"Why not?"

"Because," Hailey flips her long hair over her shoulder, "the online reviews are awful."

At least one of them had enough sense to check out the reviews.

"But Manny..."

"Is an idiot without taste buds," Hailey cuts Jenny off.

"How about I cook and we just stay in and watch a movie."

Now that got their attention.

"Do you feel well enough to cook?" Jenny doesn't look like she believes me.

"I will once I get a nap."

"Oh, nap...I'm all in on a nap."

"Tell you what, let me nap and you girls go get the groceries I need to make fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and I'll do a tomato salad."

"A what? I've never had a tomato salad." Hailey looks intrigued. Lots of people don't eat the same foods I grew up on.

"I'll make list of what we need and you can try it when it's done. Deal?"

"You want to cook, I'll eat all day." Christa yawns and then goes over to where her purse is. "Twenty each should cover everything, yeah?"

"Should be more than enough," I agree and go upstairs to fetch money out of my backpack. Going out is something I'm not up for, but cooking a very simple meal and watching Netflix? I can do.

And it'll take my mind off the past and hopefully Hutch.