Camp Red Lake

Chapter 41. Date

After I agreed to have lunch with him, Nathan and I exchanged numbers. I had to help him punch my number into his contacts because he was still getting the hang of using his new cell. He didn't know much about apps, settings, or even ringtones. It was sort of...cute. We began texting that same night after we met at the shelter. We talked about movies and possibly going to watch one after grabbing a bite. I ended up choosing a horror movie that had just premiered a few nights ago. The more we chatted, the more I started to like him

Eventually, the day of our date arrived (except we didn't call it that, we called it hanging out). I had to work that day, so the hours seemed to drag on forever. As soon as three o'clock hit, I punched out and changed into some jeans and a t-shirt before making my way outside. I looked around but I didn't see him, so I leaned against the wall next to the shelter doors. I took my time to look up at the sky, it was clear.

"Took you long enough." His voice startled me.

"Hey! I didn't see you. Where were you?"

"I was waiting by that tree over there." He said as he pointed to the far end of the parking lot.

"I'm sorry I took a while, I had a lot of work to finish." I admitted sheepishly. "Were you waiting long?" Nathan shook his head.

"No, I just got here a few minutes ago as well. Ready to go find some lunch?" He asked with a smile.

"Sure!" I agreed as we took off walking.

The animal shelter was a big and wide building that stood alone in a neighborhood filled with old factories. It had two, large double-doors that opened automatically when patients walked in. Although it wasn't in a dangerous area, the animal control officers were constantly on the lookout for coyotes that liked to stumble across our parking-lot. The shelter was in the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles, where the hills rose and became barren. There was a large bridge that took you over the highway, it was tall and wide, and made of solid concrete. I glanced at Nathan and noticed that he was intrigued as we crossed the bridge. He kept peering over the edge like a kid.

"Hey, is that the 251?" He asked, squinting his eyes to get a look at the orange vehicle approaching the bus stop we were headed to.

"Aw shit. I think it is. We won't make it." I told him as I stared at the bench across the street.

"Like hell we won't." He said seriously as he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and pulled me forward into a sprint. A few cars honked as we weaved through stopped traffic. My heart lurched forward along with the rest of my torso. Not because I was afraid to get caught jaywalking, but because this scene replayed so familiarly in my mind. Croy would drag me along too...

We made it into the bus just before the doors closed. It was a tight squeeze. The afternoon rush was starting. People were just getting out of work, crowding the bus. I nearly fell over when some dude in front of me backed up and shoved his bag into my face.

"You okay?" Nathan asked as he steadied my stumble with his free hand. A chill ran down my spine as his breath fanned over my neck. That was when I realized how close together we were standing. My back was pressed against the front of his torso.

"Yeah...I'm fine." I muttered, grateful that he couldn't see the blush that had crept up to my cheeks. It took nearly thirty minutes to reach our destination. Once we were at our stop, we had to squeeze out the back so more people could pile into the front again.

"Oh god. I hate rush hour. It sucks!" He complained as he stretched out his back. "I swear some old geezer was grabbing my butt." He told me in a whisper, causing me to snicker.

"And I bet you liked every second of it." I teased as I brushed past him.

"Hey! A little attention is nice every now and then." He protested as he caught up and matched my strides. I laughed, which only caused him to laugh too. Soon we looked like a pair of unstable goofs laughing at nothing as we walked towards the shopping center. It was...odd. The way he matched my steps perfectly gave me an uneasy feeling. It all felt too...comfortable. Only one other person had ever made me feel like that.