The morning dragged on. Mary, her heavyset co-worker, made polite conversation with her on and off, but Elise's mind was elsewhere. Had Danny really asked to eat lunch with her? Or was that a leftover delusion from the weekend? The ridiculousness of this thought was not lost on her. It really is just like school, she thought. Getting excited over eating lunch with a 'boy'...Jesus...You're almost 25 years old, Elise. Grow up.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcb9JsqY3q
11:42. Elise waited anxiously at her work station, pretending to be busy with some invoices when Mary asked if she was coming to the break room for lunch. 309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0WDtHOrF0
“Oh, I'm going to finish up what I'm working on. Then I'll be in,” she smiled politely, but buried her face in her hands once the woman had left the room and she was all alone in the office.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa1bzoGiR5
The jingle bells, just like the ones people used for Christmas decorations, that hung on the front door (and she thought were stupid) to announce when someone was entering, rang. Elise jerked upright, attempting to look normal.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOo8Mg5Q3r
“Everything alright?” Danny asked, eyebrow raised.
“Yah,” she said a little too enthusiastically, if not a little exasperated.
“Come on,” he waved a hand toward the break room. “Let's eat.”309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QBrG3dOYg
Elise was so nervous she was on the brink of tears. She was glad to be eating, at least. It gave her hands something to do. She desperately wanted a cigarette. A nasty habit she picked up in college in place of biting her nails when she was stressed out or nervous, which was a lot then. She had tamed her nasty addiction, though, and barely went through an entire pack in a month.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ltf1e8Cwk
Just being in this close of proximity to Danny made her a ball of nerves. She had never felt this way around a guy, not even Jeremy. Elise tried, unsuccessfully, to convince herself it was just because it had been a while since she'd had any guy...friends. 309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHAhbUNMPH
“So, what's your deal? Where are you from?” Danny asked as they neared the end of their respective lunches. She hadn't been wrong about getting funny looks. Some of the other road crew guys happened to be in for lunch that day, a rare occasion, it seemed, and elbowed each other and nodded towards them, smirking. Mary simply gave her a knowing smile, as if she knew something Elise didn't.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4kNd3Y19I
“I just moved here a few months ago. I'm originally from up north.”
“Up north? Like Minnesota?” he laughed.
“No,” she joined his laughter. “North of Indy.”
“Ah, I see. Did you move down here for the job?” Danny paused. “Please tell me you didn't move down here for the job,” he winced, jokingly.
“Sort of,” she chuckled. “I've always liked it in this area. We used to visit a lot when I was a kid. Damn tourists,” she joked. “Besides, I needed to get away from my last job,” Elise made a face.
“That bad?” he plopped another potato chip in his mouth. God, how she wanted to taste his mouth.
“The worst. I worked for an attorney in Indy and he was the sleaziest human being I think I've ever met.”
“Well, he is an attorney. That should have been your first sign.”
“I know, I know. I had dollar signs in my eyes, I guess,” she paused. “No job is worth getting harassed daily by everyone you work with, though, including the women.” Danny's face contorted and his brow furrowed at this.
“Harassment?” he ventured, inquiring further.
“Yep. Just plain meanness from the women I worked with. Sometimes of a sexual nature from the attorney. All of them tried to make me feel like I was the one running clients off. Can you imagine?”
“You didn't believe them, did you?” Danny got very serious.
“No, of course not. I'm not an idiot. Those people were monsters. I can tell you, college there was fun, but I'm completely burnt on living in the city after that experience.”
He nodded his head thoughtfully.
“Can't say I blame you there. I never have been a fan of cities myself, though.”
“A country bumpkin, eh? She teased.
“I guess you could say that,” he chuckled. They held each other's gaze a long moment before either of them continued talking. Elise felt like puking.
“So what about you?” she tried to steer the conversation away from her. “Have you always lived here?”
“Born and bred,” he spread his hands out and smiled.
“You're lucky,” she said wistfully, thinking of all the great memories she had of the town and state park as a kid. Danny laughed.
“It's alright, but why do you say that?”
“It's such a fun, weird little town. In a good way,” she added quickly. “Plus you have the park. It's one of my favorites.”
“Yah?” he seemed to perk up at this. “What are your other favorites?”
“In Indiana?”
“Sure. Or wherever. What's your favorite place to visit?”
“Hmm,” she thought momentarily. “Brown County is probably my favorite one here. If I had to choose elsewhere, I'd probably say Cumberland Falls or Pine Mountain, both in Kentucky.” She suddenly felt herself blushing. Elise felt like she was either coming off as a snob or showing her total lack of traveling more of the country.
“Pine Mountain, huh? Never been to that one. Cumberland Falls is nice, though. You ever get to see the 'moonbow'?”
“No,” disappointment filled her voice. “I always wanted to, but we never got around to going at night.”
“Well, you should go some time. It's pretty cool,” another silence filled the air. Elise nervously averted her eyes sideways.
“So what are you into, Elise Roberts? You like going to parks. Do you like hiking? Camping? Anything like that? Or are you one of those people I've heard about that likes to just stay at the inns?” Danny asked with a hint of contempt in his voice.
“No, no,” Elise chuckled. “Well...yes. I mean, my parents and I used to stay at the inns, but I recently got into camping in the past few years. While I was in college, I mean.”
“You say 'I mean' a lot when you're nervous,” Danny laughed.
Elise scoffed. “I do a lot of things when I'm nervous,” she glanced sideways.
“Like that?” he pointed at her averted gaze.
“Yes,” she forced herself to meet his eyes again.
“Why are you nervous? Do I make you nervous?”
“Yes, and I think you already know that,” she lowered her eyes slightly towards him.
“I don't mean to. Quite the opposite, actually,” he smiled broadly.
“I know you don't. It's just me. I'm a little, ok, more than a little, neurotic, if it's not painfully obvious.”
“I've noticed...But I don't understand why,” a quiet settled over them again as they stared at each other, trying to figure out what the other was thinking.
“Why don't you just come out and say it?” Elise lowered her voice so much it was practically a whisper.
“Say what?” Danny furrowed his brow, leaning forward slightly, conspiratorially, with her.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMnKHSMIv0
“You keep making these vague comments and not expanding on them further. And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about,” she continued talking quietly so that no potential eaves-droppers could hear.
Danny sighed tiredly. “I like you, Elise. I don't know what it is about you, but I liked you from the moment I met you last week.” he was looking nervous himself now.
“Then let's cut the bullshit,” the words flew from her mouth without any thought. Seriously. What had gotten into her! She was never this straight forward. With anyone!
Danny mulled this over for a minute.
“Ok,” he finally replied, as if being challenged. “I wanna take you out Friday night. How's that for cutting the bullshit?” he crossed his arms over his chest, looking almost defiant. Elise stifled a giggle at the ridiculousness of their entire exchange, especially now that this grown man sitting across from her was looking more and more like a petulant child.
“Ok,” she agreed, bobbing her head. “It's a date,” she emphasized.309Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6No8HphY9
