Oliver Ausman Lives Again

six

Still, the relief doesn't last for long. The realization that I have to talk to her again is enough to erase all the worry I just had for Charlie and replace it with more frustration. What exactly does he hope to accomplish with this, apart from making me a nervous wreck and watching me embarrass myself?

I take a deep breath as I continue the walk over. I slip into the booth next to Charlie, moving my pancakes from the other side of the table and offering a quick smile in Kat's direction. "Thanks."

"No problem," she says, meeting my eyes and giving me a soft smile of her own. I like her voice, silvery with just a hint of hoarseness. She raises an eyebrow, jutting her chin towards Charlie. "Charlie was just telling me you guys are on a trip?"

I nod, cutting into my food, half because I'm hungry and half because I need an excuse not to look at her. If I do, I'm not sure I'll be able to think straight, let alone talk right. "Yeah. We're on our way to New York City."

"Just the two of you?"

I can't help but resent the question, hating the insinuation that I'm not old enough to be in charge of the situation.

"We snuck out," Charlie answers, taking a big bite before continuing and rendering the rest of his explanation unintelligible. "Wrr gung tufine Olver's dad."

Kat's eyebrows raise in confusion, gaze flicking to me. 

"We're going to find my dad," I translate, figuring there's no reason to keep it a secret. "It's a long story."

"How old are you?" She questions, head tilting to the side as she squints at me.

"Eight," Charlie answers, too busy with his pancakes to realize the question wasn't directed at him.

"Eighteen," I say sharply, again not liking what the question implies. I've got this under control-- what does she know about any of it? "You?"

"Twenty."

"What's got you out to eat at three in the morning?" I ask, not sure where I get the courage for the question. I guess it comes with being annoyed, which I am thanks to both her question and answer making me feel like a child.

"Got fired a few days ago-- I worked a night shift and the whole thing made my sleeping schedule kind of fuuu--" she hesitates for just a second, drawing out the vowel sound while she glances at Charlie. "--unky."

I smile slightly at the attempt to cover her swear, especially since I'm pretty sure Charlie's smart enough not to be fooled. Not that it matters, since thanks to my potty mouth, he's heard his fair share of foul language. We continue to eat, a minute or two of silence floating between the three of us. I feel a small kick at my right ankle and glare at the culprit, who once again is looking at me with wide, urgent eyes.

"So, you're from around here, then?" I ask, not sure why I keep falling victim to the pressure of an eight year old.

She nods, finishing chewing before responding. "Real close by. You guys?"

I shake my head, setting down my silverware, done with the pancakes at an embarrassingly fast rate. I try not to wonder if I'd been woofing them down like some sort of animal in front of her, and instead answer the question. "We're from Virginia. We've been driving for an hour or so."

The waitress comes by to sort out the checks; the fact that we're all sitting together now causes a little bit of confusion. Once she's gone I count the money and calculate the tip, tucking the cash into the black book and folding it closed. I watch as Kat pulls out a cracked brown wallet from her shorts, taking out her own money and organizing it next to her bill.

The waitress is back in a minute thanks to how barren the restaurant is, which I resent. Now that we're all paid for and our food is gone, there's no reason for us to stay. Even with feeling a little patronized, and knowing that she's older than me and there's little to no likelihood that she has half the interest in me that I have in her, her presence has me captivated to the point that I don't care-- I just want to stay sitting here with her, fooling myself into thinking this will be anything more than a chance encounter.

"You know," Kat breaks the silence, for the first time looking nervous as her eyes shoot back and forth between me, Charlie, and the table. "My brother lives up in Brooklyn. Maybe... I mean, if you guys wouldn't mind the company, maybe I could hitch a ride?"

"Yes!" Charlie answers the same way my brain does, his voice filled with excitement and a smile on his face.

Kat laughs, gaze shifting to me, waiting for a response. I want to say yes-- I'm going to say yes, because it isn't every day you meet a beautiful girl and she asks to sit in your car with you for the next three hours-- but I don't want to seem too eager.

"You wouldn't have to leave Charlie with any more strangers," she persuades. 

I stay silent, annoyed that Charlie's plot reflects so poorly on me-- then again, I was the one who went along with it. 

"Well... sure, yeah. I don't see why not," I say, liking how she looks as she breaks into a large smile.

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