Page 13 of That Conflicted Feeling

“Niceto chat, though.”Henods toward the line of picket signs again. “Hopeyour friends turn up soon.”

I’msuddenly aware of how aloneIam, and completely on display.It’slike one of those nightmares where you’re giving a speech, then look down to see you forgot to get dressed.Imust look pathetic.

“Itreally isn’t only me, you know.There’llbe more people next time.”NowIsound pathetic, too.

Hepurses his lips and nods as if to say, “Yeah, yeah.”

Iresist the overwhelming instinct to run away and escape this humiliation.Mineand my mom’s futures depend on my making a success of the shop, soIhold my ground.

“Thisisn’t the end of it.There’llbe petitions.Anddemonstrations.And…flyers.”

Heholds up his hands in dramatic surrender. “Oh.Well.Ifthere’s going to beflyers.”

Hespins around, pretends to walk toward his car, then turns back, raises his eyebrows, and smiles.It’sa smile that lights up his face, makes his eyes sparkle, and probably wobbles the bellies of every human who finds men attractive.

Handsomejerk.

“Cutevan-slash-bus thing, by the way,” he says as he heads for the town hall.

Thatsuit fits his backside as perfectly as it fits his shoulders.

Idrop the placards to my side.Myarms are killing me.

5

MAX

Polly’soblivious to me approaching.

She’sslumped low in the driver’s seat of her ridiculous bus.Gluedto her phone.Feetclad in socks with a weird pattern on them, up on the dash next to the steering wheel which is wearing a blue and white polka dot cover.Theposition pulls her overalls tight around her thighs.

Irest my elbow on the open door. “You’restill here?”

Shebolts upright and pulls her feet down.Herface flushes in exactly the same way as whenItouched her hand outside the shop.Bloodrushed to parts of me in that moment too.

“It’snot nice to sneak up on a person.”

“Hardly.Iwalked right over here in a completely non-sneaky way.”Shetucks her feet up under her, as if to hide them. “Oh, come on.Whatare they?”

“Whatare what?

“Thesocks.What’son the socks?”

“Nothing.”

“Goon.Showme.”

Shesticks out her chin and shakes her head like a defiant child, her ponytail jiggling from shoulder to shoulder. “Mysocks are none of your business.”

She’shilarious.Andannoying.Butin a cute-annoying kind of way.Imean, it’s hardly like she can cause any actual trouble for me.

“Thenthey must be extremely embarrassing.”

“No.Justprivate.”

Yeah, extremely fucking cute. “Privatesocks?”

Sheshifts uncomfortably and sighs. “Canwe please forget about my socks?”