Ready To Go (21 page)

Daniel tossed her the keys.

Nicole didn’t know what she was expecting when she walked into the restaurant. It was a dimly lit diner with a few people sitting at booths. She approached the podium by the door. “Hi, I hear you’re hiring here?”

“Yeah, just wait here,” the girl behind the podium said. She headed back towards the kitchen and emerged a moment later, trailed by a slightly paunchy man with graying hair. He smiled warmly at Nicole.

“So, you’re here for the waitressing job!” he said. “Have you had any food service experience?”

“Some fast food,” she replied.

“Sounds great. Follow me to the back, and we’ll talk. How soon could you start?”

Meanwhile, Daniel and Ethan didn’t actually talk much that day. Ethan had just gotten a new video game, and the two guys found that much more interesting. Hours passed without them noticing, and soon there was a buzz on the intercom.

“That’s probably Nicole,” Daniel said. “You should let her in.”

Ethan paused the game just long enough to walk to the door and press a button to unlock the front door of the apartment complex. He returned to the game before Nicole entered.

In fact, neither guy looked up when Nicole did walk into the apartment. “I got the job!” she announced.

“That’s good,” Daniel said, still playing the game. He was excited for her, really, but he was also two seconds from dying unless he frantically pressed B
right now
.

“Well, I’m just a waitress,” she added. She saw him button mashing and wasn’t phased by his lack of reaction. “But they said I could work my way up to being a cook. And it’s minimum wage plus tips, which is pretty high for a waitress, I think. So it’s good.”

Both guys mumbled some agreement. Nicole sighed and walked over to the couch, wedging herself between the two of them.

“All right,” she said. “If this game is so interesting you’re ignoring me, I’ve gotta check it out.”

“No, I’m glad you got a job,” Daniel said. “I just wanna beat his ass.”

Ethan laughed. “Not gonna happen. I’m so far ahead of you.”

The two guys kept moving in their seats while playing the game, leaning back and forth with the characters. Nicole got elbowed in the side many times, being squished between them. Eventually, Ethan won the game. The two guys finally sat still, and Nicole started to laugh.

“What?” Daniel asked.

“This whole time, I’ve never seen you act like such a
guy
,” she said. “You’ve been all Prince Charming and it’s nice to see you be normal.”

“I thought I was being normal,” he said with a sheepish grin. “Sorry?”

“Oh, it’s fine,” she replied. “I mean with the whole thing about how you have to help me and paying for everything for me. I don’t mind you paying for things, though, especially as I am now broke. Thanks to you.”

“You got a job,” he protested. “And I’m sorry about the money.”

She nudged his side with her arm, and smiled. “I know. I’m kind of over it. Doesn’t make it any less fun to tease you.”

“So, when do you start?” Ethan asked. “And when will you start paying rent? Minimum wage plus tips is actually
really
good for a waitress here, you can afford to pay now.”

“I start tomorrow, and I’ll pay rent first paycheck,” she promised. “That’s good enough, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Like I said, it’s not too important, but if you’re going to be here a while, you should pay.”

“Oh, yeah, I definitely will,” she said. “’Cause I got a job now!” She said the last few words in a sing-song voice.

Daniel stood from the couch and headed to the kitchen area. “I’d say let’s take you out to dinner tonight to celebrate, but Ethan’s the only one here with money, so let’s make something.” He started opening up the cabinets to look for food.

“I got nothing here,” Ethan said. “But I don’t mind paying for dinner out. Gotta get you used to LA nightlife, anyway.”

“I have to be at work at nine tomorrow,” Nicole said. “Any way LA nightlife can end at ten pm?”

“That’s when the best stuff starts,” Ethan replied, grinning at the girl. “But yeah, I can get you back in time. There’s some cool stuff open early.”

“Oh, I so want to go out and have fun at clubs and stuff,” she said. “Wait till I have a night off, and you can take me anywhere.”

“Deal,” he replied.

Daniel came back from the kitchen and sat on the arm of the couch beside Nicole. “Anywhere you really want to go tonight?”

She glanced at him, and then leaned against him. “Yeah. I kind of want to go see the Hollywood sign. Is it far from here?”

“Not too far,” Ethan said. “We can go see it, go to dinner, and then get you back so you can sleep.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “So until we go, can I play this game?” She picked up Daniel’s discarded controller. “I’ve never played many video games, but this one looked interesting.”

She played a round against Ethan. Daniel kept leaning over and murmuring advice in her ear. Ethan made some bad moves that Daniel could tell were on purpose, but neither of them mentioned it. Nicole ended up winning the game, and when she did, she cheered and hugged Daniel.

“So, should we go?” Ethan asked. “You’re ready, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Nicole said. She stood and stretched her arms over her head, then turned to Daniel. “Ready?”

“Sure,” he replied, standing up. “Let’s go.”

Later, the group was gathered at a park that boasted a good view of the famed Hollywood sign. Ethan had taken them to a liquor store that he swore had some of the best imported beer in the city, and he and Nicole were getting very drunk on them. Daniel had one bottle, but then volunteered to drive back to the apartment.

“So
awesome
,” Nicole proclaimed of the sign. The sun was beginning to set, and the air was getting a slight chill. She shivered a bit, and leaned against Daniel, who wrapped an arm around her.

“Totally,” Ethan agreed. He glanced at Nicole and Daniel and frowned. “Hey, uh, Nic-Nik-Nikki, can I talk to you over here?”

“Uh huh,” she said, moving away from Daniel. Ethan led her just a few feet away, close enough that the other could still hear them. He pretended not to listen to every word.

“You are really way hot,” he said. “And I don’t-I don’t get it. You and Dan. He’s gonna be gone and I’m here.”

She frowned. “You’re asking me out?”

“Uh huh,” he said. “’Cause you’re hot.”

There was a pause then, and as much as Daniel wanted to tell Ethan to back off, he waited for Nicole’s answer.

“No,” she said finally. She hadn’t been considering it for long, but she did have to think of the best way to let him down. “You’re short. No offense, I mean. But I think you’re a good friend and that’s it. And there’s Daniel.”

Ethan frowned. “Not gonna get over him?”

She glanced at Daniel and shook her head. “Never.”

“Sucks,” Ethan proclaimed. “You’re hot.”

Nicole’s reply was to return to Daniel and lean against him as she looked at the sign again. “’s cold out here.”

“You want to go back?” Daniel asked. He slid his arm around her shoulders.

“I dunno,” she mumbled. “Do I have a jacket?”

“You didn’t bring one,” he replied. “Come on. Let’s take you back so you can get some sleep before working.”

“Okay,” she said. She rested her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes, already tired. Daniel nudged her a little, and she sleepily walked to the car.

“Come on!” Daniel shouted to Ethan, who downed the last of his beer and headed to the car as well.

When they got back, Daniel led Nicole to the bedroom. He left Ethan to fend for himself, figuring the other guy was sober enough to get himself to sleep.

“I wanna fuck you,” Nicole murmured as she clung to Daniel. He shut the door to the bedroom.

“Every time you get drunk,” he said. “Swearing now, too? That’s not like you.”

“Fuck me,” she begged. She lay down on the bed, trying to arrange herself in a provocative position.

“When you’re sober,” he replied. He pulled back the blanket on the bed and tried to guide her under it. “Go to sleep. You have to work in the morning, and you don’t want a hangover.”

“Good idea,” she mumbled in a slur, shutting her eyes and pulling the pillow closer. “Sex tomorrow?”

He smiled as he pulled the covers over her. “Sure.” He sat on the edge of the bed beside her, and set an alarm on his cell phone to wake her in the morning. He placed the phone on the bedside table, and then headed out of the room to get her the aspirin and water she’d surely need in the morning.

Daniel finally decided to go to sleep himself after making sure Ethan was okay. He looked like he’d passed out on the couch, but after Daniel got a closer look, it was clear he was just sleeping. So, Daniel went to the guest bedroom and got in the bed beside Nicole. He lay there for a while, listening to her snorting snore, and a realization hit him before he finally drifted to sleep.

He couldn’t leave her.

Daniel woke up a little bit the next morning when he heard a rock song blaring from an alarm clock and Nicole crying, “Crap!”

He heard her shuffling around, heard the door shut, and then he drifted back into sleep. He silently wished the girl luck.

The day was pretty boring. Daniel was left alone while Ethan went to get a spare key made for Nicole. He played some more video games, clicked around Facebook for a while, and took a nap. He was relieved when the intercom finally buzzed.

“Can you let me in?” Nicole’s voice called.

Daniel pressed the button to let her in the building, and waited by the door for her. “Hey,” he said when she arrived. “How was work?”

“Good,” she replied absently. “Where’s Ethan?”

“Going to make you a key,” he replied. “And a spare. He doesn’t even have one, just the one key.”

“Good idea,” she said. She glanced at Daniel and grinned. “So, you were right about drawing.”

“I was?” he asked.

She nodded, and pulled her tips from her pocket. “This twenty? That was from a drawing I gave a customer. Apparently I
am
good. I’m not even supposed to get tips yet, but Lauryn said that since it was for the drawing, I should keep it.

He smiled. “Who’s Lauryn?”

“My trainer,” she replied. “She was pretty okay. She kind of hated the customers, though.”

“You probably will too, eventually.”

Nicole shrugged. “I might. There was this one guy today who complained that his salad was cold.” He gave her an incredulous look, and she added, “I wish I was kidding. He yelled at me, and swore at me even, but Lauryn helped me out. She said customers are like that all the time, but this guy was really stupid. I mean, you know I worked in fast food before, right?”

“You mentioned,” he said. It was only a few days ago, even if it did feel like much longer.

“Anyway, seriously, he wanted his salad
warm
,” she continued. “That’s beyond idiotic.”

“Sounds stupid,” Daniel agreed.

“Lauryn wants to be a singer,” she said abruptly, glancing down at the twenty in her hands. “I guess the stereotype is true, everyone out here wants to be famous.” How could she compare to everyone else?

“You don’t,” he pointed out.

She shook her head. “No, I do too. A famous chef or a famous artist. I’d love to be able to do something I’m good at and get paid a lot for it.”

He reached over and grabbed the twenty from her. “This is a good start, then, right?”

She smiled. “Yeah, it is. Now give it back, that’s all I made today.”

Daniel smiled as well as he handed the bill back. The whole time he’d known her, she’d acted like she was fighting a losing battle with the world. Now she was winning, and that smile she had made him feel like he was winning as well.

After a moment, she handed the money to him again. “Yeah, changed my mind. You can keep that.”

“Why?” he asked.

“So you can get home,” she replied.

Daniel stepped towards Nicole and hugged her, planting a small kiss on her forehead. He murmured, “I can get home without your money. Keep it.”

“When are you leaving, anyway?” she asked. She didn’t take the money back from him, but she didn’t move away, either.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t aimlessly hang around here anymore, but I don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t want you to leave either,” she said. She finally got the hint, took the money back from him, and stuffed it back in her pocket. “But you have to. You should go soon, like tomorrow.”

“Kicking me out?” he asked, a bemused smile on his face.

She frowned. “Of course not. It’s just going to be harder if you stay longer. So you should go soon. Like taking off a Bandaid. Make it quick.”

“Are you sure?” He kissed her cheek and held her close. “I don’t have to leave, you know. It’s not like I’m going back to my classes.”

“I’m sure.” She pulled away from him. “Let’s make something for dinner tonight. I want to cook something.” Her eyes were a little red, either from being tired or about to cry. Daniel couldn’t tell which, and decided not to ask.

“Okay,” he said. “What do you want to make?”