S.O.S

Ok I got in – we knew this was going to happen but wow I got it! As I sat in my kitchen looking at my girls we were all rendered speechless – for me that’s nothing new but for them other 2 well I knew it couldn’t last long.
“Oh my goodness we have to celebrate!”
“Fridays!” this both coming simultaneously from Dani and Maxi.
You could always gage the events in our lives by food; no so much what we ate but where we chose to eat it. The everyday good/happy events usually warranted IHOP because you can never ever tell when something popped up that you needed to celebrate and they were open 24/7. When we were younger it was the best place to be – who doesn’t love breakfast all day every day? We’d get go there for Aced test, and sports events: every time Maxi had a tournament and/or got promoted to a new belt or Dani had a swim meet. As we got older the really special occasions were marked by TGI Fridays – it had something for everyone no matter what we were in the mood for and it was a “grown-up” place that you didn’t have to get dressed up for. We 1st went there after Dani’s 1st guitar solo at a band concert Sophomore year and we’ve been going every time we had something special to bench mark. Now the personal moments are indulged at home – sitting in someone’s room in front of the TV or just listening to the radio – talking. Usually with at least 3 pints of Ben & Jerry’s a case of Coke (goes with everything) kettle corn and each other. This marked a few occasions – when puberty hit for each of us, after Dog died (he was our hamster – but we wanted a you guessed it), when Maxi’s abuelo died --- it felt like we all lost our grandfather—in essence we did. I looked up at them and smiled – I had to work this Friday but I’m sure I could find some who would be willing switch with me.
I had gotten to work pretty early today --- I had an Anatomy and Physiology to study for do I figured I’d get some in before my shift. So there I was sitting in the café which was very much crowded Man I didn’t realize how noisy and jam packed the hospital can get late afternoon. Good thing I had my handy dandy ipod to drown everything out. Suddenly I saw a shadow cast over my book, I looked up to find myself staring at one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen.
“Hey you mind if I sit here; it seems every where else is taken?”
“Yeah sure no problem” I say as I check my watch real quick – yikes! “It’s all yours I gotta leave anyway.”
“Why was it something I said?” he says playfully
“No it’s time to head to the pharmacy my shift is about to start.”
“Oh ok well I guess I’ll see you around”
“Yeah later” I say as I gather my stuff.
As soon as the stepped outside the building I pulled out my phone heading round the corner of the hospital just out of the ER wing just out of sight. Sitting with my back against the wall I dialed Maxi’s number.
“You got Friday off?” she asks I can barely containing a grin
“Oh I got better news than that; but yes I got Friday night off – I traded with Doug but that means I was to work later than normal on Thursday can you come get me?”
“No problem, come on did you even have to ask?”
“Well it is the polite thing to do but like I said that wasn’t the news.”
“Then spit it out then!” Laughing out loud I reach out to absentmindedly pluck out random weeds.
“Ok to day while I was waiting the café for my shift to begin and I get approached by the cutest guy I have ever seen. I mean we’re talking take Mark Walhberg put him in a blender and had a dash of Justin Timberlake and a killer tan fine. Granted all he wanted was to use the table I was sitting at …”
“How do you know that’s all he wanted chica, we keep telling you that you’re a hottie, you’re my girl you have to be!” She says cutting me off.
“Nah he didn’t want me, he didn’t even ask me name.”
“Well Cinderella if you hadn’t bolted so fast I would of”
“Uh oh……..Maxi?”
“What’s the matter babe?”
“Hold on a sec will ya?”
Slowly I look up afraid to see what I thought I might when I raised my head he wasn’t there – but than I looked to my left praying -- I had imagined that voice – and slammed eye to eye into a pair amazingly blue eyes and a smile that was so white he should be handing out shades to go with it, because if I hadn’t and he was on the ledge there is no telling how long he’d been sitting there. I wasn’t actually paying attention to my surrounds while I was dialing
“Maxi lemme call you back ok?”
“Wait what’s going on, who was that I just heard?”
“I gotta go I’ll tell you later.”
“Aw you didn’t have to hang up on my account, I would have waited.”
“How long have you been standing there?”
“I’m not following you if that’s what you think I was just getting a bit of fresh air on the ledge there when I recognized your voice.”
Inwardly I groaned, “How much did you hear?” I asked trying to be all calm lucky for me I was still sitting down.
“Walberg huh? I always thought I was more of a McConaughey man myself, must be the accent.”
That’s when I noticed it that rich tone with just a little bit of bass (not all over powering like Barry White, no it was very subtle) with a very nice southern twang to it. Not confederate flag hop in the General Lee Southern or those annoying hard to understand rappers Southern but smooth and mellow – make me think of porch swings and iced tea and soft stolen kisses in hot summers – Now where the hell did that thought come from?
“Did you mother ever teach you it’s not polite to eavesdrop?”
“Yeah she did, that’s why I stopped you before the conversation got even further…just imagine what you might have said…”
“Probably not much more considering my break is over, bye.” I say as I get up and start walking away.
Smooth real smooth slick – could you be anymore of a dork?
“Hey what’s your name?”
“Why?”
“Well I don’t mind calling you Cinderella, but some how I don’t think you’d like it”
“Aiden Cooper” he says as he sticks his hand out for me to shake. I wrinkled my nose “You’re right I hated that story as a kid, it’s Alejandra.” Shaking his – his grip was warm, firm and self-assured – thanks goodness I hate guys with whimpy handshakes, such a let down.
“I’m really sorry but I have to go my break has been over for like 2 minutes already, well I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Oh don’t worry, you will.”