Page 109 of Seasons of Love
“Stillwater is one of those funny places. On the surface, it’s very accepting, open, the perfect place to live. But underneath it all, there’s still some old money trying to influence where they can bring back the ‘old values,’” he says with speech quotes. “Sometimes they get their way, sometimes they don’t.”
I pick up a couple of peppers and roll them in my hand. Maybe this is all a hearsay and nothing will actually happen.
“Thank you for the information, Levi. I’m sure she’s not the most pleasant topic of discussion for you, so I apologize but appreciate the information.”
“Don’t worry about it. If there’s anything Arlo and I can do to help, let us know. Now I gotta go before Arlo and Ava destroy our kitchen. They’re making dinner together, and Ava is the chef.” He looks at the contents of his cart. “I should probably grab some frozen pizzas just in case.”
I wave him off and continue shopping. The peppers go in my basket, along with a couple of onions, tomatoes, and a few more vegetables before I check out the fruit section.
“That’s quite a healthy basket you have there.”
I turn around and see Fletcher and Harrison, who also look as fresh as two daisies in the spring. I really must find out what their secret is.
“Hi, guys. How’s it going?”
Harrison just nods, but it’s Fletcher’s smile as he stares at my basket that scares me a little.
“We’re good. Shopping for movie night with the kids,” Fletcher says. “And you? Just…buying extremely healthy food?”
“Fletch…” Harrison warns, but it goes totally ignored, so he rolls his eyes.
“Or maybe…” Fletcher continues. “Is it because this is the best vantage point to watch a certain cashier?”
I feel my skin warm even though I didn’t see Milo when I came in, but he’s not wrong when it comes to my other shopping trips. My fruit and vegetable consumption has increased. Which is a good thing for a man my age. It’s healthy.
“Not this again.”
“All Fletcher is saying, in a very bad and totally roundabout way, is that if you’re attracted to Milo, it may not be totally unreciprocated. We all see it. But you do what you want with that. Also, add some protein to that basket if you don’t want to be too obvious about your shopping…habits.”
“And ice cream,” Fletcher adds before Harrison pulls him away to do their shopping.
Ice cream might be an excellent idea since it means staying in the frozen aisle long enough for my body temperature to self-regulate.
I still need to handle looking into Milo’s eyes while trying not to wonder if Harrison and Fletcher are right.
8
MILO
“Hey, Milo, wait up.”
I stop and turn around. “What’s up, Jimmy? Did I forget something at work?”
It would be unusual since I never carry much on me. I pat my pocket, feeling for my phone. My sandwich is long gone since I had it for lunch, and I also have my keys.
“No, um…I just thought we could go home together. I finished my shift.”
“Oh, okay, sure.”
I wait for him to catch up before I resume walking past the cars in the store parking lot.
“Where are you going? The bus stop is that way.” He points in the opposite direction.
“I only take the bus if there’s bad weather or it’s too late in the day. It’s three o’clock in the afternoon on a nice day. No point wasting money on the bus fare.”
He stares at me like what I’m saying is ridiculous, but then I see understanding dawn in his eyes and he walks beside me.
We grew up in the same neighborhood, but Jimmy was one of my brother’s school friends. One of the few that got out of the bad life early enough to change.
