Chapter 6: Taco Bandito

Abigail’s POV

Elle shot a finger gun greeting to me and James that went right through my heart upon her entrance. She barely knew us, barely knew me, but her charm and confidence around strangers was something I already envied and admired.

Elle darted around a corner and out of our sight. James nudged me to follow her, but I froze. It didn’t matter because Elle whipped around the corner once more to our gossip corner at the counter in minutes.

“Sorry, y’all, I don’t have as much time today.” She slapped her usual six-pack onto the counter. Her tiny ponytail in her hair bobbed with each quick movement. Momma would rather see me dead than let me cut my hair that short.

“What’s the hurry?” James broke the ice for me.

“I’m just on a break from work. Gotta get back to my dad’s shop.” She dug into her a simple leather wallet but stopped.

“Sh*t, I’m starving," She turned to the chip aisle. "Hang on.”

“Hey, Abby, what’s your favorite chip flavor?” She called.

“Huh?” I was baffled.

“Just tell me!” She said.

“Um, kettle-cooked or salt and vinegar.” Was my selection too boring?

“Cool!”

She returned with two jumbo-sized bags of chips, one salt and vinegar, and one sour cream and onion. I recognized them as the brand that was always on sale as 2 for $4.

James rang her up and immediately started shuffling underneath the front counter.

“Oh darn,” James cried, and his eyes shifted towards me. “It appears I have run out of receipt paper! Looks like I’ll have to get more in the back!” He smirked at me, and I felt my face get hot.

“I’ll see you later, Elle!” He waved and walked through the back door marked “EMPLOYEES ONLY.” I saw him peek back one final time before disappearing into the vast world of paperclips, printed shift schedules, and rolls of quarters that awaited behind that door.

My wingman left me alone with Elle.

“In case you didn’t catch on, I grabbed these for you.” She handed me my chip bag. “I didn’t get you anything for your birthday, so I felt bad.”

“Aw thanks, this is what I always wanted!” Did I sound too sarcastic this time? Why couldn’t I just be normal around her? Every time I answered her, my emotions dial was either set to “laugh and nod like the teacher’s pet” or “hide your emotions in a safe, then put that safe inside an even bigger safe.” I needed to be in the middle of the spectrum.

She laughed. My timing was perfect enough to make her laugh.

“But I really would like to make up your birthday to you.” She tucked a loose, dark hair behind her ear. It looped behind a helix piercing on her upper ear and barely stretched to the tiny stud earring in her earlobe.

“Why?” I answered so matter of fact. I sounded so blunt, but I didn’t mean to be. I started twirling one of my blonde curls around my finger. It was my response when someone was rude to me at work or when I asked Momma to stay out late on a Friday night. I knew I was nervous. These nerves felt less threatening but still real.

“Well,” She started. “It seemed pretty obvious to me that by the end of the night on your birthday, you had a lot on your plate.”

“Yeah, maybe just a little bit,” I said.

“Anyway, Abby,” She picked up her bag of chips and six-pack, no grocery bag required. “This bag of chips definitely won’t be enough for my appetite today. How about dinner when I’m out of work?”

Now both of my hands traveled to my safety curl in my hair. I felt through every strand, but this time it didn’t calm me down. Dinner with me? What if I ate something she thought was weird? I should eat beforehand so I don’t stuff myself at the table. Why did she want to go with only me? Should I invite James?

I was too busy inside my own head to answer, so Elle continued. “I’m sorry if that was too forward –”

No! I was going to miss out on my chance to spend time with her outside of a chip aisle.

“No!” I blurted out.

“No?” She raised an eyebrow.

“No, you’re not too forward!” I made myself form a complete sentence.

“Oh, okay!” She relaxed the tension she built up in her shoulders after awaiting my response.

“Sorry, what I’m trying to say is that sounds fun.” I formed a more coherent sentence, finally.

“Cool, cool.” She was smiling wide this time, and her cheeks flushed a little bit, but definitely not as much as mine.

“So, one last thing, you gotta pick the place.”

“How about –” My mind shuffled through the only few places in town that served real meals. Otherwise, we had a single coffee shop and café where half the students from my high school lounged in, so that was out of the question. We have a dozen pizza places, and most of them ranged in quality from school cafeteria pizza to the most expensive pizza in the frozen food section.

She noticed me struggling. “Do you like tacos?”

“I love tacos!” I exclaimed. I think I was happiest at that moment to have an escape from my tornado of thoughts.

“Good! Now, where’s a good place to get tacos around here?”

Everyone in town knew about Taco Bandito, the only Mexican place around unless you wanted to drive through and grab greasy fast-food tacos, so it surprised me she’d never been. The food was surprisingly good, and they weren’t usually too busy unless it was Margarita Monday. Thankfully that didn’t apply to tonight because I’d never take her on an evening like that.

On Margarita Mondays, every couple in town would have a failed date night. Maybe he’d get too drunk, and she’d be embarrassed over his drunken tongue pulling his inner thoughts outward that he was interested in the waitress.

Maybe I’d see one of Momma’s church friends there with a grumpy husband who would roll his eyes while she racked up his bill with Margarita payments. I didn’t need them talking to Momma if they saw me either. Tonight’s crowd, if you could even call it a crowd, would surely be thin and faces I barely knew though.

“Have you heard of Taco Bandito?” I asked.

“Hah! Is that the place with the big, obnoxious sombrero on the sign?”

“Oh, yeah…” I trailed off. She wanted to cancel our plans now. That was a stupid suggestion. I think I would have had better luck suggesting sitting in my car with tacos after grabbing something at a drive-thru.

“Sounds great,” Elle said. She smiled and looked into my eyes. Her gaze was soft and longing.

“Oh, okay!” I perked up.

"I do have to get back to work," Elle walked backward toward the front door. I watched her smile the entire time. “Meet me there at six!”

"I will!" I waved goodbye.

Elle pushed the door open with her hip and shouted “Byeeeee!” on her way out.

“Yeah, I’ll see you a six, Elle.” I sighed and leaned my back over the counter. I turned my face up toward the ceiling. The fluorescent lighting might as well have been golden sunshine kissing my smiling cheeks.

“How’d it go?” James yelled in my ear, startling me.

“Aah!" I jumped. "When did you get here?” My body already felt weightless, and James’ shouting could have easily blown me over and onto the floor.

“I heard the bell at the front door, so I assumed she left.” James smiled, but not as wide as I was. “Tell me everything!”