The Comeback Season

|chapter seventy-six|

A month later

"Shit!"

"Is everything okay, Lia?" My assistant, Lexus, walks into my office in a frazzled manner. "I just erased my entire English paper." I rest my head on my desk as I try to comprehend what just happened. I have been working on this paper about Romeo and Juliet since this morning. It was supposed to be a group project with Bryce, but he hasn't been talking to me. Instead of waiting, I decided to email Mr. Parker and ask him if I could do it alone. It took a lot of convincing, but it worked.

"Wait, I think I know someone who can help." Lexus runs out of the room, leaving my office door open. I start hitting all these different buttons, hoping to get the document back. After what seems like hours, I hear a soft knock on my door. "Lexus called." I look up and see Brandon standing in my office. He has both of his hands in his pocket and looks very collected. The touch of confidence is also a turn on. "Yeah, yes. Please." I stand up from my desk and point to my computer. "Calm down. This should only take a minute." Brandon walks further into the room and straight to my computer. He types a few things and hits a few buttons. "There," he says after hitting the Enter key.

"You are a saint! Thanks so much," I say hugging him. I quickly let go when I realize I crossed a boundary. "It's nothing. I'm here to help." Brandon rubs the back of his neck as we stare at each other. "Umm, I should get back to work. Thanks again, Brandon," I say, giving him a small smile. "Oh, yeah. Of course." Brandon walks from around my desk and starts leaving the room. I lean on my desk and watch him leave. "Hey, do you want to go to lunch with me?" I almost fall off my desk, hoping he didn't see me drooling. "Yeah, I could eat. You know lunch is important and stuff," I stutter.

Damn, I've never been this nervous.

Brandon quietly laughs and says "okay," before leaving the room. I wait a few minutes before walking towards the hall. "Lexus, thanks. You are a lifesaver." She gives me a small nod and smile. I walk back into my office and sit down at my desk. I proofread my paper and email it to Mr. Parker. I'm finally able to take a breather. I finished all the office paperwork this morning and now I'm caught up on my assignments.

Sitting in my quiet office gives me time to think. Some major dates are coming up. Homecoming, prom, and the senior trip are within months of each other. I'll be graduating in a few months and I haven't even heard back from UCLA. This year is ending, but I still feel like there's so much left to do.

I'm so happy Nicki is throwing a party tonight. Tonight I'm going to focus on my friends, instead of the future.

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"I've never eaten here before." Brandon holds the door open to a small café. "Not that many people know about it. I recommend the burgers." The restaurant has a small crowd which gives it a homey feel. We seat ourselves at this booth near a wide window. "Wow, they have a lot of burger options," I say, flipping through the menu. "Yeah, they're kind of known for them." I nod my head and say, "I can tell." I decide to order a simple bacon cheeseburger and fries.

"So, how old are you?" Brandon stops drinking from his straw. "I'm 21, you?" I almost choke on my soda. "Sorry, your age shocked me a little. I'm 18." Brandon laughs at me and takes another sip of his drink. "Is it a good shock or a bad one?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. "Good," I reply, unconsciously biting my bottom lip. There's a slight sparkle in his eyes and it draws me to him.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question. Tell me about yourself." I tell Brandon about my family, focusing more on Cayden and Uncle Jace. When the food arrives, we quickly start eating. "Jace is a great boss," Brandon says after eating one of his fries. "You don't have to say that just because he's my uncle." I bite into my burger and it is good. I moan a little from the taste. "Woah, I didn't mean to make you moan on the first date." I lightly giggle as I clean my mouth with a napkin. "A date?" I question. "Is this not that?" He smirks at me and my body heats up.