A Wish with a Bow (Girl Power Series)

Chapter 7 - Lunch Break

As the days go buy, I find myself wondering if people will ever stop buying presents. Sometimes I even see people coming back again and again to have an additional gift wrapped.

"My feet are killing me," Filipa says next to me in one of those rare breaks.

"You should take off your heels," I say.

"Never! I have my eye on certain hot Santa and I need to look my best," she says, stretching her neck to look at the Winter Wonderland.

"Are you serious?"

"I am. He is single. I have to admit that he is not my type. I prefer them a bit... less used,"

I start giggling at her remark, but then I notice something. Her costume doesn't look as tight as usual. Her make up is soft and she isn't wearing her bright red lipstick. She even looks younger.

"What about him? Has he made a move?" I ask, feeling fascinated at the new information.

"Nah, Fred doesn't even know I exist," she says with a sigh.

"Excuse me ladies. I got a message that you needed a bit of cleaning around here,"

Brett comes behind the counter with a broom and begins to swipe all the small pieces of paper and ribbon. The space is not really big so after a few minutes, we have a clean floor and he leaves.

"That one is quite handsome as well," Filipa says.

"He is. Probably has a wife and ten kids as well," I say.

"From different women. Although, no, we concluded that he is a bigger dick than the one down there,"

A loud snort leaves my nose and we start laughing uncontrollably. Customers come into the line and our morning goes by quite quickly.

I head to my locker to grab my purse and go to lunch. As I walk out of the employee lounge, I see Carlos standing outside.

"Hey Carlos! How are you?" I say, feeling very happy at his sight.

"Doing great. I came by to see if you wanted to have lunch with me," he says and looks a bit shy.

"I would love to,"

Carlos and I walk together to the food court. He looks as handsome as always.

"How did you know that it was my break?"

"I asked Laura. I swear that I'm not stalking you and that I'm not a creep. I just don't have any friends since we moved here. I love my sister, but she is that, my sister. I really enjoyed our time together at your parents. I feel like I can trust you,"

"It's alright. I appreciate the company. What have you been doing in the last days?"

"Doing a photoshoot for a spring catalog. It was torture to wear those thin clothes outdoors. I would wrap myself in a blanket between takes and it was not enough," he says with a sniffle.

"I think you might also be getting a cold,"

"Wouldn't doubt it. How are things going on here? Laura tells us the weirdest stories every day,"

"It is okay. Filipa is great to work with. I have been wrapping all sorts of gifts. Makes me wish at times that I had a lot of money to buy nice stuff,"

"Money might buy nice stuff, but is not everything,"

"I know, but a girl can wish, right?"

We head to one of the food stands and we get us tower high chicken burgers. We are lucky that some people leave their table and grab our chance.

"So tell me Callie, what is the worst gift you have wrapped this morning?"

"A tie dye pajama, hands down. I kept thinking: who do you hate so much that you are getting this for her?" I say laughing.

"I have had to model clothes sometimes that not only were awful, but itchy or too warm. Then they put a designer label on it and it flies out of the shelves like hot bread,"

"Top worst outfit you had to model,"

"A knitted cowboy outfit," he says, scratching his arms at the memory.

"Are you serious?" I say in a fit of giggles.

"You can't make a lie like that. I knew some people go wild with a bit of yarn, but that was just mad,"

I look over his shoulder and see Brett having lunch by himself. He looks at his phone, shakes his head, grab his tray of half eaten food and then leaves.

"Who is that guy?"

I then realize that Carlos has followed my gaze.

"One of the janitors. We had a bit of an argument, but he has been okay afterwards,"

"What did you argue about?"

"He made a lame joke because I didn't fit in my costume,"

"But your costume looks fine. Did you get another?"

"No, I made a temporary fix,"

Metaphor of my life. I get in a mess and then put a temporary patch on it. I look at my phone and I need to go back so Filipa can take her lunch break.

"This was nice Carlos. We should do it again sometime,"

"When is your next free day?"

"Tomorrow. Why?"

"Let me take you out for dinner,"

I feel myself blinking multiple times.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear right,"

"I want to take you out for dinner. It doesn't have to be a date. Just two friends having dinner," he says, blushing a bit.

I look around. I'm feeling as if I have been transported to an alternative universe. This totally handsome man is asking me out.

"Ah... yeah... sure... dinner... with food..."

What the hell is wrong with me?

"I better... go... tomorrow... see you..." I say, walking backwards.

Carlos eyes widen for a second as a warning before I crash into something or somebody behind me.

"Can you fucking look where you walk?'

I turn around to see Brett. I have showered his shirt with the remains of his cup of cola.

"I'm sorry. It was an accident," I say, trying to clean him with some napkins.

Brett glares at me and throws the contents of his tray in a trash can. I wave goodbye to Carlos and head to the employee lounge. I open my locker and find another folded note.

'He is too good looking for you.'