17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Beth

I 'm sucking on a Twizzler as I work the claw machine's grabby hand over the big stack of plush toys. I've almost lifted the cute pink hedgehog four times already, and I think I must be down to my last buck. I hold my breath as the hand closes over the hedgehog.

It's lifting! It's almost there …

And the claw drops it! Again.

Damn.

Two tries left and then I'm tapped out.

I put my hand into my pocket and pull out three quarters.

Where the hell's the last one?

I frown as I count back over what I did with the rest of them.

Catherine appears back at my side as I'm biting off a piece of the Twizzler.

"Sorry, that was Daniel. He asked if we could meet a little earlier tonight."

I nod as I chew, before swallowing and showing her my hand.

"Do you have a quarter? I think the guy in the candy store stiffed me."

"Well, he probably didn't do it on purpose," Catherine says as she puts her phone back into her purse. She brings out her wallet and looks through it. "I don't have any change. I could go get some …"

"It's okay," I tell her, pointing at the broken change machine. "That's why I asked the guy in the candy store if he had a roll of quarters he could spare. He asked what I was up to today and he told me the change machine's broken."

That's probably why it's not super busy up here.

I put the leftover change back into my pocket.

"So, what time do you need to meet Dan at now?"

"Daniel," she corrects me. "Five. He wants to have drinks before dinner."

"Then, we should probably head home and get you ready," I tell her, knowing she probably has a whole in-depth routine she goes into for date prep.

"We still have … Oh, maybe you're right," she says as she checks the time. "I didn't realize it was almost four."

I shrug. "It's been a fun afternoon. I'm more than happy to head home."

Especially now that I know I have chips I can eat while I'm vegging out on her couch later.

As for dinner … I probably shouldn't, but I'm definitely going to that pizza place.

I can resist flirting with that waiter.

He probably won't even be on shift or whatever.

I'm interested in the pizza, not the guy who brings me it.

I just need to keep reminding myself of that.