Sam, lost, until now, in a flurry of hope that he might actually have a shot with Candace, began to tune in to the conversation of the girls as the three friends entered the food court of the mall. They were bickering about food choices.
“I don’t know how you eat that stuff and keep that figure of yours!” said Mara. “I’m playing sports all the time, and I think I still have higher body fat than you!”
Smiling, Candace shrugged.
“What did you want to eat? Please don’t tell me you want a salad or something…”
“How about Chipotle?” Sam chimed in.
The two girls turned to face him, both considering.
“Not a bad idea…” said Mara.
“I’m in!” said Candace.
“Let’s get a table first,” said Mara, winking at Sam.
Sam saw her wink and gave her a questioning look. He didn’t get it. Mara rolled her eyes at him.
Sam and Candace sat down at the table, but Mara remained standing.
“I’ll be the food mule. I know what you want, Cand. How about you Sam? Burrito? What are your toppings of choice?” Mara winked at him again. Sam simply gave her another clueless look.
As Sam rattled off his preferences, Mara circled behind Candace.
As he finished, he noticed Mara mouthing words in exaggerated fashion. She was using both hands, raised over Candace’s head to point to her. It looked as if she were trying to pound the same letter on a keyboard with each index finger repeatedly.
Dude! This is your chance!
Sam finally understood what Mara was telling him. His heart swelled in gratitude as she left to get their food. Then it plummeted to his ankles.
Oh, my God! The pressure was on. Now he had to a few minutes to do something to impress Candace. Or maybe ask her out?
His palms began to sweat as he fidgeted with his fingers under the table, the pair sitting in awkward silence.
His mind was completely blank.
He was blowing it!
“So… how are you doing since the whole… you know… thing at the pond.” Smooth. Real smooth. Fuck! Sam fought the urge to clunk his head on the table.
Candace reacted unexpectedly strongly to the question, lips curling downward and eyes darting down to the table.
“I’ve been feeling…” she started before pausing to shift in her seat. “...kind of different.”
“Different? How?” asked Sam, nervousness fading as his curiosity rose.
“I, um, don’t really know how to explain. Sometimes I feel lighter… like more positive, more grateful.”
Candace still didn’t meet Sam’s gaze. Sam had never seen her like this. She was usually so confident. She normally had this friendly aloofness that made her approachable but not relatable.
When he had asked her about how she was feeling—a routine question, really—she had become hesitant and unsure of herself. It was so unlike her. She seemed to want to say more but was having trouble getting it out.
“I-I’ve also been having these thoughts, you know…?” A blush blossomed on Candace’s cheeks, but she seemed to be forcing herself to continue. “L-like, um… God, this is so embarrassing!”
“What is it, Candace? You can tell me…” Sam attempted to help her along.
It backfired.
Candace met his eyes briefly, then looked away again.
“It’s nothing. Really. I’m fine.” She gave an insincere smile and crossed her arms under her breasts, making them more visible under her movement-tightened top. Sam hadn’t realized quite how big she was getting up top. Her breasts had always been nice, but they seemed fuller than before.
Mara arrived with a tray, and Sam let out a breath. It was the end of his moment alone with Candace. He now had more questions than answers. And he hadn’t impressed her. And he hadn’t asked her out.
But she had begun to confide something in him… though he wasn’t entirely sure what. That was something, though. Right?
Mara looked from one to the other and furrowed her brows.
“Burrito time, guys!” she announced, shrugging away her confusion.
They ate their burritos, chatted for a bit, wandering through the mall, then went their separate ways.
When Sam flopped in his bed to think over today’s events, his phone dinged with a text from Mara.
“WTF happened lover boy? Xoxox XD”
“FU”
“That good huh?”
“She started to talk then got embarrassed”
“?”
“Exactly”
“So no xoxox?”
“FU”
“Lol”
There was a pause for a few minutes, then another text from Mara.
“U me Cand tomorrow her house at 3. Thank me later”
“Feeling sick. *Cough* *Cough* Might just be u2 ;)”
“U = rockstar”
":)"
Sam cracked a huge smile. He owed Mara. Big time.
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