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The video on the screen was of a guy eating it on the sidewalk and his shoes flying off. It just kept repeating again and again.
It must be nice to be so easily amused, Nate thought to himself.
As the counter kid started typing on the computer, phone kid started lip-syncing a song with really inappropriate lyrics.
Nate’s eyes shifted between the twins and he couldn’t help but see the resemblance between himself and counter kid and Neil and phone kid. Not physically, though. Nate and his brother had dark hair and eyes and these kids were towheads with blue eyes. The similarities were in their personalities. The way they carried themselves.
Nate had always done the right thing. Been responsible. Followed the rules. Neil had always done whatever he wanted. Whenever he wanted. No matter what the consequences.
It was odd to experience it from the outside looking in. He’d only ever experienced it from counter kid’s POV. Like Nate, counter kid didn’t look upset about being responsible while his brother wasn’t, just resigned that they both had roles to play and he was playing his.
“It won’t open.” Counter kid said as he pressed the same button several times then looked behind it to make sure all of the cords had good connections. He looked up at Nate with a serious expression. He didn’t look worried…just serious. “I’m sorry, the register won’t open. My aunt will be back any minute and I’m sure she’ll be able to fix it.”
Nate pulled a twenty out of his wallet, now damp from his shorts and set it on the countertop. “This is for the glasses, you can keep the change. And my friends will be back in an hour or so, why don’t you give my deposit to someone in their party and I’ll—”
Mid-sentence, the door that phone kid had come through swung open again and the woman that checked out the jet skis to the group walked through holding two large bags of fast food.
Nate was struck by her beauty, just like he had been the first time he’d seen her when they’d arrived. Between her long wavy blonde hair, large almond shaped eyes, golden-toned flawless complexion and full lips she was absolutely stunning. And he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. When she’d helped them this morning, the energy in the group shifted. It didn’t matter that ninety percent of the guys were married, devoted and madly in love, you get a group of alpha guys together and throw a girl that looked like that in the mix, and it was a lot of peacocks spreading their feathers. Nothing inappropriate. Just a lot of standing taller, speaking a little deeper.
It was actually a pretty funny phenomenon to witness.
If Nate hadn’t been head over heels for Eliza, he might have considered asking her out. Getting to know her better. As it was, no matter what the outcome of last night ended up being, Nate now knew he wasn’t available. He was taken. He’d given up his heart when he was fourteen and it belonged to Eliza, whether she wanted it or not.
“Oh!” She almost dropped the bags when she saw him at the counter. Phone kid didn’t let that happen. He grabbed them both out of her hand and started shoveling French fries in his mouth. She didn’t seem to notice as she apologized to Nate. “I’m sorry. I went out to get lunch. I thought your group would be out for another hour. Is there something wrong with your ski?”
“No, it’s running great. I just came in early,” Nate explained.
Counter kid pressed the button again. “I was trying to get him his deposit but it won’t open again.”
“Seriously?!” He saw a moment of panic flash in her eyes. “It won’t open again?! Did you try—”
“Yes. It’s plugged in,” he relayed calmly, but she was already beside him jiggling the connections in the back of the monitor.
The color drained out of her face, leaving her looking pale and anxious. He could only detect a hint of panic in her voice as she began hitting buttons, “I’m so sorry about this. I may have to call someone, but hopefully it won’t take long. Can I have one of the boys get you a soda or bottle of water while you wait?”
He had to give her credit, she maintained a professional demeanor when it looked like she wanted to chuck the computer across the room and cry. “I can look at it, if you want. I work with computers and I might be able to help.”
“Seriously?” This time when she said that word it was with hope and not despair. “I normally wouldn’t take you up on that, but I have two other large parties coming in this afternoon and it’s hard to get my tech guy to come out on the weekends.”
“It’s no problem.”
Both counter kid and his aunt stepped out from behind the barrier to make room for Nate.
“Oh, I’m Allison, by the way,” she introduced herself and the twins, starting with counter boy. “And this is Patrick and K-man.”
“Kade,” phone kid corrected her, giving her a dirty look before turning to Nate. “I’m named after my godfather, Kade Donavon. He’s a fighter. MMA.”
That name did sound familiar, but if memory served, Kade Donavon was as well known for his behavior outside of the octagon as he was in it. He was more notorious than famous.
Nate noticed the sour expression on Allison’s face when her nephew said the MMA fighter’s name. She reacted to it like she’d just bitten into a lemon.
Interesting.
“I’m Nate,” he introduced himself as he began a forced reboot of the computer. He could tell by the screen that the system had frozen and that it had an ancient operating system. He realized this might take longer than he thought.
Still, he was happy for the distraction. He’d had a next-time-I-see-Eliza countdown clock going in his head since he’d watched her walk away from him last night. It was down to six hours and forty minutes. To someone else that might not seem that long. To him it was six hours and forty minutes too long.
He half-listened as Allison broke up several arguments between the twins. Well, that was unfair to Patrick, who wasn’t starting or participating in any of the altercations. They were all instigated and carried out by Kade.
