Tessa's POV:
"Really. She did that. It's was so hilarious." Robert says and opens the restaurant door for get us out. I cover my mouth with my hand to control my laughter.
As we get out, a shadow came in front of me and I step back. Then I get a good look who's that, it's Hardin.
"Hardin? What are you doing?" I exclaim loudly. "You
scared the crap out of me!"
He look at Robert, then at me.
What he's thinking?
He shrugs and says, "I came
to make sure you got home okay." He's annoyed by seeing me with Robert, I can see that in his green eyes and frown on his face.
I turn to look at Robert and he nods and shrugs his shoulders, like knows exactly what I'm thinking. "Text me when you get home," he says, brushing his hand across mine as he departs.
I watch him go, then turns to Hardin with understanding smile.
"I'll hail a cab," he says.
"I usually walk."
"You walk? Alone?" he asks and look around. Then he looks at Robert's direction and says, "He walks you home."
I wince. "Only the shifts we work together."
"How long have you been dating him?" he asks. Dating?
"What?" I stop us before we even make it around the corner. "We aren't dating." I push my brows together.
"Seems like it," he shrugs.
"We aren't. We spend time together, but I'm not dating at all." I clarify.
"He wants to. The way he touched your hand," he look at me and at my hand then at me again.
"Well, I don't. Not yet." I look down at my feet while we cross the street.
I want to know him about his dating life but I don't know how to ask that to him.
"Not yet? You haven't dated anyone?" he asks and stare into the street.
"No, I don't intend to date for a while." I look at him and finally ask the question that I dieing to know, "Are you? Dating anyone, I mean?"
He turn and smile at me. "No. I don't date."
I smile back at him,"I've heard that before."
"I'm a conservative guy, remember?" I laugh.
"Why are you working in a restaurant?"
"Sophia got me the job. It's a really nice place, and I make
more money than you would think."
"More money than you would at Vance?" He asks.
"I don't mind it. It keeps me busy."
"Vance told me you didn't even ask for a recommendation, and you know he's planning on opening something here, too." I know he's looking at me but I stare at the street.
"I know, but I want to do something on my own. I like
my job, for now, until I can get into NYU." I say.
"You haven't gotten into NYU yet?" He exclaims.
"No, but I am hoping for the spring semester." I reach into my bag and pull out a keys. "The
deadlines had all passed."
"You're okay with that?"
"Yeah, I'm only nineteen. It will be fine." I shrug, "It's not ideal, but I have time to make up for it. I could always take double courses and maybe even
graduate early like you did." I calmly explain.
"Yeah, I suppose you could-"
Before he can finish, Joe steps out in front of us. Hardin steps in front of me in defence, I supposed.
"Hey, girly," Joe says.
"Hey, Joe. How are you tonight?" I gently nudge Hardin out of the way and pull a small bag from my purse.
"I'm good, darling." Joe smiles and reaches his hand out for the bag. "What did you bring this time?"
"Some fries and those sliders that you love." I smile, and Joe grins back before unfolding the paper bag and lifting it to his face to smell the contents.
"You're too good to me." He pushes a dirt-stained hand into
the bag and pulls out a handful of fries to shove into his mouth. "Want some?" He looks at both of us with one fry hanging from his mouth.
"No." I giggle, waving my hand in front of me. "You enjoy your dinner, Joe. I'll see you tomorrow." I wave for Hardin to follow me around the corner, where I punch code to the apartment building, as he was standing there staring at Joe.
"How do you know that guy?"
I stop in front of a row of mailboxes lining the lobby and opens one with my key.
"He lives there, on that corner. He's there each night, and so when we have leftovers in the kitchen, I try and bring them to him." I say.
"Is that safe?" he look behind us as we walk down the empty
hall.
"Giving someone food? Yes." I laughs. "I'm not as fragile
as I used to be." I genuinely smile at him.
Inside the apartment, I steps out of my shoes and pull the tie from my neck. As I unbuttons the
black shirt, revealing only a tank top underneath, I goes to the kitchen and tell over my shoulder, "I'm going to get to bed. I have an early shift tomorrow."
He walks toward me and wait until I finish my glass of
water, then asks, "You work tomorrow, too?"
"Yeah, I work all day." I put the glass down.
"Why?" he frowns and I sigh.
"Well, I have bills to pay." I lie.
"And?" he presses.
I wipe at the counter with my hand for a minute. "And maybe I was trying to avoid you."
"You've been avoiding me long enough, don't you think?" he
raises a brow.
I swallow. "I wasn't avoiding you. You barely reach out to me anymore." I lie again.
"That's because you avoid me." he calls me out and I walk past him, pulling my hair from its ponytail.
"I didn't know what to say. I was pretty hurt by you leaving the graduation and-"
"You left. Not me."
"What?" I stop and turn around to see him.
"You left the graduation. I only left after looking for you for
thirty minutes." he says.
I am offended by this, because I was the one look for him. "I looked for you. I did. I never would have just left your graduation." I finally say.
"Okay, well, I seem to remember a different story there, but there's no real point in arguing over it now." Where's that old Hardin who always argue with me and conclude everything wrong. But I like this Hardin clam and collected.
"You're right." I refill my empty glass. And take a small sip.
"Look at us, not fighting and shit," he teases. I lean my elbow onto the counter and shut the faucet off.
"'And shit,'" I repeat with a smile.
"And shit." We both laugh and continue to stare at each other. Nothing really changes in his edgy behaviour and I like it.
"This isn't as awkward as I thought it would be," I admit.
Untying my apron, my fingers get stuck on the knot.
"Need help?" he asks.
"No." I answer quickly and tug at the strings again.
"You sure about that?"
After a few more minutes of struggling, I finally scowl and turns around to give him access to my back. While he do it and start to counting my tip money on the counter.
"Why won't you get another internship? You're more than a
waitress," he says.
"There is nothing wrong with being a server, and this isn't
the end goal for me. I don't mind it and-" before I'm going to finish he interrupts.
"And because you don't want to ask Vance for help." I turn to look at him with my eyes wide open.
He shakes my head, pushing his hair back. "You act like I don't know you, Tess."
"It's not only that; I just like that this job is mine. He would have to pull some serious strings to get me an internship out here-I'm not even actively enrolled in college for a few months." I gave him a logically explanation.
"Sophia helped you get your job," he points out. "What you really wanted was something that wasn't tied to me. Am I
correct?"
I take a few breathe, looking everywhere in the room
except at him. "Yes, that's true." I finally admit.
We stand there quietly, too near each other and too far away in the tiny kitchen. After a few seconds, I stand up straight and gather my apron and water glass. "I need to go to bed. I have to work all day tomorrow and it's late."
"Call in," he softly suggests.
"I can't just call in," I lie again
"Yes, you can." He knows me too well to know that I can get off a day from the restaurant.
"I've never missed a day." not giving him a reasonable reason.
"You've only been there three weeks. You haven't had time to miss a day, and really, it's what people do on a Saturday in
New York. They call in to work and spend time with better
company." He gives me a reasonable reason.
I control to cease my emotions but small smile came up. "And
you are this said better company?"
"Of course." he waves his hands over his torso to prove a point. He's right, of course. Should I take a day off and spent my time with him?
I shouldn't give in that easily, so at last I say, "No, I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't. I can't risk the shift not being covered. It will make me look bad, and I need this job."
After what looks like he talks himself out and finally says,"I get it." He shrugs and smile at me. "I'll let you go to bed, then."
He really does change. He didn't forced me to do anything and try to convince me to sleep with me in my bed or regarding to my work stuff. I'm already much more impressed by him.
But I'll not give in that easily so I take one more look at him and head to my room.