White Sound - Chapter Five

Monday morning, Josh walked into Sarabeth’s like it was any other day. He breathed in contently through his nose as the familiar sounds and smells surrounded him. That sort of balance put him at ease. The girl that always flirted with him, Emily or something, was working this morning.

Her face lit up when he saw her take a seat in her section. “Good morning, Josh.”

“Morning. How have you been?”

She shrugged. “Just trying to pay the rent, you know? At least I got good-looking guys like you walking in to keep me occupied.”

“Guys, huh?” he teased. “You been hanging around other guys, Em?”

She playfully smacked his shoulder with her pen. “Don’t even try it, Josh. I saw you in here the other day with that cute little bookworm.”

He smirked up at her and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t think you have anything to worry about, sweetheart. She’s cute no doubt, but I’ll be damned if she’s got any interest in me.”

“You’re getting soft,” she said. “You could get any girl in this city if you wanted to. Don’t go hanging your head because one of them won’t put out.”

He gritted his teeth a bit but kept his cool. “It’s nothing, really. She’s pretty stuffy, you know? Always reading and does everything she can not to laugh when we all know I’m hilarious. And she’s got these big hazel eyes that just…what?”

Emily was trying her best not laugh at him as he rambled. “How long have you known this girl, anyway?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I dunno, like a week.”

“And she’s already got you acting like this?” She scoffed. “I guess I’ll have to find a new favorite customer, huh?”

“Don’t act like you can resist me, Emily. I’ll always be your favorite.”

She ignored his cockiness. “Tell me what you want for breakfast before the manager comes out and nags me again.”

“A spinach and goat cheese omelette would be great, beautiful.”

She was about to retaliate with a smart quip until she looked up to see if any new customers were walking through the door. “Six o’clock,” she said in a hushed voice.

“What?”

“Turn around.”

He did, and then he simply leaned back in his chair and laughed.

“Miss Clarke,” Emily called.

Josh stopped laughing and looked at her with wide blue eyes. “What do you think you’re doing? And how the hell do you know her name?”

She ignored him and went on talking to Madison. “Would you like to join Mr. Demming over here?”

She winked at Josh as he scowled at her. He turned around in his chair and shot a smile in Madison’s direction. He got a kick out of her obvious frustration. “Did you miss me?”

She paid him no mind and said to Emily, “No thanks. I’ll take my own seat, please.”

The waitress nodded, and then looked back to Josh. “She’s a keeper,” she teased.

“Shut up.”

“Right this way, Miss Clarke.”

The girls walked passed him, Madison ignoring him completely. That didn’t keep him from blatantly checking her out, though, catching a whiff of her strawberry shampoo. She sat at the farthest table that Emily could find, with her back to Josh. He simply chuckled; she was cute when she acted like a complete ass to him. Two could play at this game.

When Emily came by to give him his omelette, he asked her to add Madison’s bill to his own. “Aren’t you a little poor to be paying for two meals?” she said.

“Financial struggles take a backseat to irresistible charm,” he told her. “Now, gimme a pad of paper.”

“Say please, Romeo.”

“Pleeeeeease.”

She gave him a smug look before ripping a sheet from her notepad and handing it to him along with her pen. He scribbled a quick message on it, and folded it up. “Give this to the pretty lady, will you?”

“I can’t say I’m too fond of you picking up other women in my presence,” she said.

“I’m sure you’ll survive. Besides, you’ve got lots of other good-looking guys coming in here, don’t you?” He waggled his eyebrows and she couldn’t help but giggle. “Don’t give her that note until after I’m outta here, okay? And don’t be nosey!”

“You have my word, lover boy.” She pressed her lips to the folded paper and then tucked it into the pocket of her black apron.

---

“Come out with us tonight,” Tom begged his friend via cell phone. “You’d just be up painting all night anyways. You might as well stay out at a club or two.”

“I dunno, Tom. I gotta be somewhere in a little while. I’m headed out the door right now.”

It wasn’t a total lie. He was balancing his cell phone between his ear and shoulder, shuffling around the loft looking for the pack of gum he had bought earlier that day with Calvin trailing behind him loyally.

“The girls won’t be ready until nine, at the earliest. What do you got going on today?”

Josh found the gum on the couch cushion, popped a stick in his mouth, and headed out the door. “Don’t worry about what I got going on, alright? I’ll come by Greenhouse around ten. Don’t wait up.”

They hung up and Josh got a cab and took it to the New York City Public Library. He grinned to himself feeling cool as ever and looking forward to the following hours.