Spin City

Chapter 8

Spin City 8

Kyla's POV

"Kyla, how are you?" Sal asks as I sit down at my usual spot at the bar.

It three o'clock and there's only a couple people here. Luckily, I didn't see Ford at the hospital but I figure he must be working now. I don't want to avoid him forever but I know our next meeting will be awkward and tense. Then again, maybe that's just my anxiety speaking and Ford really couldn't care less about what I do. I don't know. Maybe a tiny part of me did want to see him at the hospital.

"I'm good, Sal," I lie.

The fact is, I'm not alright. After my conversation with Jenny, too much has been weighing on my mind, burdening me. All day, I've been thinking about what happened with my mom and wondering about my father. All day, I've been pondering about Ford and his possible feelings about me leaving the bar unannounced. Not to mention, my hip has been killing me all day after my workout this morning. I look around the bar for Ford but he's nowhere in sight.

Sal studies me as if trying to figure me out. She must know I'm lying. I stare at her silver curls. They're a unique shade of gray and she doesn't look nearly as old as she is. My eyes dart to the counter as her eyes study me relentlessly. She picks up the coffee cup in front of her and takes a sip but I can still feel her prying eyes over the rim of the mug.

"So, what's going on with you and Ford?" she asks.

If there's one thing I can say about Sal, it's that she's direct and to the point, never wasting much time with anything she deems unnecessary. I'm sure she must drive Moody crazy. In fact, I know she does. When Moody and I were in high school together, she swore something was going on with us and I think she worried him to death about it to the point where for a while the boy wanted nothing to do with me. Eventually, I think we both agreed there were no feelings there but that we were great friends and probably always would be.

I cover my face from her, resting my elbows against the countertop. I feel the heat from the fireplace on my back and I take a few breaths in preparation for more of Sal's prying. I know it's coming.

"Nothing's going on with us, Sal. We're just friends and he's just my doctor."

She rolls her eyes and pulls my hand from my cheek. I huff under my breath but sit up and look at her, remembering that I'm not a child and should be able to handle this old lady with an agenda for butting into my life at the most inconvenient of times.

"You should really tell him that," she says. "The man was a wreck after you left, moping around like a lost puppy and snapping at everyone who asked if he was alright."

Sal raises her eyebrows as if recounting this. It shocks me and suddenly, I'm the one who wants to pry. Luckily, I don't have to because it takes her about two seconds to continue.

"He looked like a complete mess. I think the boy likes you a lot and you shouldn't mess with his heart, Ky. There's no one in this town as truthful and genuine as that man is and I could be blind and still know that he's got a crush on you."

"We don't even know each other," I say.

It's true but even as I say this, I know deep down there's a connection there, one I can't seem to deny.

"Well, it looks like he wants to know you. Why can't you give him a chance?"

"I don't know, Sal," I say. "I try but you know what it has been like for me. It's not exactly a secret that my dad is the town's drunk and my mom had all these issues that I guess she passed on to me. If there wasn't another bar in town, my father would be in here every night, drunk and raging, and I'm almost positive that would scare Ford away for good. I'm just being rational enough to recognize these things and cut it off before it's too late."