THE CODE THAT LINKS US ©

Chapter Twenty

DYLAN

As soon as I turn my alarm off, I check my phone hoping I would have any message from Madison. There are none. Dumbass, how are you expecting any messages if you didn't even exchange numbers? I shake my head smiling to myself and get out of bed.

In the shower, Madison comes back into my mind. Why do I keep doing this? Because she's playing hard to get, that's why. I reply to myself. But she was trying to kiss me last night while I was acting hurt, right? I smile at the thought. Poor girl. I don't even care about what brought her here. I am a bit intrigued about the fact that she seems to want everything about her to remain a mystery, but come on...I am not going to get upset about something like that. That's not my purpose. Give in, Madison and I will leave you alone.

I exit the shower and quickly put on my boring uniform. I turn the blender on to make my breakfast and then prepare toast to accompany it. As soon as I sit down, my phone begins to ring. A number appears on the display so it's definitely no one I care about. I take the call anyways.

"Hello?" I say, mouth full.

"Dylan? Hello!" It's a female. I gulp what I was chewing.

"It's me," I reply with no idea of who's this.

"I didn't get any news from you, so I decided to call," I smile at the guilt I perceive in her voice. She could be any of the last four girls I hung out with, three if we don't count Madison. Who's as hell, not this chick. "I was afraid you weren't picking my call."

"How would I miss the opportunity of talking with someone as unique as you?" I reply and could almost hear her smile. I smile because I really can't believe how well I know them all. And they dare to say guys are all the same. Women are all the same. Same reactions to everything. To me.

"I don't want to look desperate but would you like to come over to my place? I am making dinner tonight and I have no one to share it with since Liz is not in town."

"What time?" I say. I can feel her excitement.

"I don't know... Six?"

"You tell me."

"Six," she states.

"Cool, send me your address. I'll be there."

"Okay! See you tonight!" she says and hangs up. I chuckle and as soon as I leave my iPhone back on the table, I get a text with her address.

Not desperate at all.

***

"Have a nice day!" I say to an old couple as they leave the store, holding each other's hands lovingly.

"Dylan, do you know anything about that man?" Kaycee asks me as soon as I lose sight of the couple between all the people in the mall. I look at her and she nods at a man in a suit at one of the little tables at the corner of the shop. He's not drinking anything, so he technically shouldn't be here. He is looking at some papers he has on the table and seems to be taking notes.

"What's with him?" I wonder, turning around to look at her again. She prepares another drink and turns on the frappe machine.

"He's making me nervous," she mumbles so I can barely hear her. "Could you...?" I nod.

I get out from the counter fixing my red apron and approach him. "Good morning sir," I greet him, and he closes the folder that contains the papers. He must be the age of my parents: forty-something with black gelled hair with a few spots of silver tones. "Can I help you with anything?"

"No thanks, son. I was about to leave." He shows me a smile and takes the folder before standing. "See you soon...Dylan," he looks at my uniform's pin that tells my name and forces one last smile before taking his phone out and leaving.

Luckily, the AM is a very busy place in the mornings and the people come and go from the small store all day, so the suffering hours pass by in a wink.

"So... how was it?" Kaycee reaches me right when I am about to leave. She has her curly red hair tied up in a high ponytail that tries to escape from the uniform's cap. Her blue eyes covered by her big glasses get stuck on mine waiting for an answer.

She is one of the sweetest and funniest people I know. She has the appearance and personality that a typical Christmas dwarf cartoon would have; hyperactive, sweet and really chatty. One of the few women that are not my type, but that has turned out to be a good friend. I am used to telling her about all my conquests since I don't have anyone else I can talk to at work. I totally forgot I told her about Madison, well... that new girl I met at the park that happens to live in the same building I do.

"It was... intriguing," I reply smiling.

"Let me guess, you kissed her," she assures and I push her with my shoulder which almost makes her fall.

"Of course I did not," I laugh. "I almost did, though," I admit thinking of my only failed attempt. "She has a little sister that seems to be trying to make it impossible for me to win this time."

"She's driving you nuts, Papasavvas," she says pushing me this time and I shake my head.

"Just a little."

"How is she?" she asks immediately and I think of it for a moment.

"Gorgeous."

"You say that at least once a week." She rolls her eyes.

"She's really different," I reply. "She's intelligent and has a pretty good sense of humor. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that things are going to go slow with this one." Very slow.

"I can tell that if you haven't kissed her yet, they are truly going slow," she mocks.

"I think she has trust issues, which is good, but really... she doesn't seem to want to tell me anything," I say and she laughs.

"Anyone would have a hard time trusting you," she mocks again when we're at the parking lot.

"Hey," I laugh and she raises her hands.

"You look like you destroy lives," she says. She turns around and walks towards the bus stop. "The worst part is that she's right about anything she might be thinking of you."

"Do I look that bad?!" I shout, drawing the attention of two teenage girls that walk pass me and giggle. I wink at them, making them blush even more and I smile. God, I love that reaction so damn much.

"The opposite of bad! And that's the problem!" she says a few feet away. "Good luck with Monica or whatever." She waves her hand goodbye and I shake my head with a smile.

I find my car, parked as usual in the fifth row of cars and get into it. When I am about to close the door, my phone begins to vibrate in my pocket. I take it out finding the word UNKNOWN on the screen in big bold letters. I am about to answer when the call ceases and my car sinks a bit from the weight of someone getting in.

"What the-"

A humid cloth is placed in my mouth. It burns my nose and mouth when I inhale. I struggle to hold my breath hearing a goodnight, right before everything turns black.