But not today. I came prepared.
Troublemakers indoor amusement park is the place to be during the winter, but not so much at summertime. So with the place practically empty, there’s little to distract me from my goal. I’ve got a heart full of love and a stuffed Yoda to declare it for me. The little recording inside it even does the asking out for me. Just give that guy’s ear a squeeze, and my voice—in a spot-on impression of Yoda, if I do say so myself—says, “Go out with me, you will?”
Damn, she’s gonna love it.
I push up onto the Wheel Zone’s counter, twisting my torso enough to grab the mic to make the half-hour to closing announcement. Brink’s usually here by now, but I’m not sweating it. She never misses the opportunity to board, even if it’s only for a half hour.
“Attention skaters and boarders. Troublemakers will be closing in thirty minutes. So get your last tricks in before we shut down.”
The two people on the rink give each other a look before deciding to do one more lap, then check out of here. The sun is still out, casting sunset rays through the windows and creating gigantic shadows as the skaters take their last lap around. My knee bounces as I cut my gaze to the Wheel Zone entrance. Brink’s usually in here by now, bursting through the doors with her scratched up board, long dark hair waving around near her hips, an old, dented helmet tucked under her arm.
Gah, I remember it like yesterday—the moment I realized I was completely hooked. She busted through those doors in the exact same way she always did. There was nothing new… other than how my stomach suddenly knotted, my heart did an irregular beat, and sweat broke out along my hairline.
Brink was… gorgeous. Her smile, her attitude, her skills as a boarder, her dedication to her family… all of that. Gorgeous. My dumbass took three years to see it.
Course, I have a habit of falling hard and fast for people. It’s bitten me in the butt on more than one occasion. Most recently, my attention was directed toward my now-boss Candace, who showed little interest in reciprocating those feelings. Not that she had a chance. I fall fast, but I also keep it to myself… another cause-and-effect situation I’d rather not think about.
I glance toward the doors again that stay annoyingly closed. The clock ticks down to twenty till close, and my knee starts bouncing overtime.
“Uh… Tanner?”
I blink and focus in on my trainees, Kinsley and Kolton. They’re on their first week, so they’ve been in the other zones, shadowing the more seasoned employees. Honestly, I’ve been so focused on my plan to ask Brink out I completely forgot they were here.
“What’s up?” I ask, hopping off the counter.
“Are we good to go?” Kinsley asks. “We wiped down the rink and sanitized the rentals.”
“Yup. I’ll clean the half-pipe arena.”
“Sweet. We can hit Josh’s party.” Kolton pumps his fist, and Kinsley rolls her eyes at him. She grabs the sleeve of his white Troublemakers tee—the color we give all our trainees—and tugs him to the breakroom to punch out.
I keep my eyes on them only because they’re going through the same door Brink would walk in… if she’s ever gonna get here.
The double doors swing slowly shut, the click echoing around the now-empty Wheel Zone. A frown presses on the corners of my mouth, and I check the time again.
Five minutes till close. Where the hell…? And I was so ready to ask her out, too.
I take the Yoda that’s been sitting on the counter all night and put him in the cupboard next to my jacket and wallet and lock it up. Guess I’ll have to do it another day.
I grab the push broom with a huff and set my board down. It clatters against the floor, then the wheels roll smoothly as I jump on, taking it for a spin while I sweep.
The sound of Hewy Lewis and the News plays in the background, and I jam out to The Power of Love and kick dirt and dust up with the push broom. Disappointment settles in my gut as the minutes tick toward nine-thirty. I hope she’s all right; she has been working long hours at that farm she manages during the day. Or maybe she’s hanging with Demi tonight, or even Pete. Candace is working tonight, so it makes sense that Pete wouldn’t be on a date and spending time with his sisters instead.
Yeah, there’s gotta be a simple explanation for her not showing tonight.
After sweeping and polishing and shutting off lights, the clock officially states 9:47, and I’m outta here, I guess. I grab my wallet and jacket, leaving Yoda in there for when Brink decides to come in for a boarding session.
The Wheel Zone is an easy shut down, so when I leave, the Zombie theater, the arcade, and bowling are all still closing. I nod toward Candace as a goodbye, and she smiles and calls out, “See you tomorrow, Tanner!”
Management suits her. Her red-brown hair is in a high, no-nonsense ponytail. She doesn’t wear an official Troublemakers shirt with khakis anymore, but a pair of black slacks and a blouse, a gold nametag pinned into the fabric. She’s doing the rounds, checking off each zone as they close up. With my exit, she makes her way to the Wheel Zone, her thoroughness making me shake my head and crack a grin. She’s the only manager who double checks my closing work. The others figure I’ve been here so long I know what I’m doing.
I push open the main doors to the parking lot with my butt, then pull the neck of my black Troublemakers shirt until the thing comes clean off. The fresh summer air blows across my sweaty white tank.
“Shoot.”
Just when I didn’t think I’d hear that voice tonight, there it is, lighting up my entire freaking universe.
An auto-smile creeps onto my lips, and I crank my neck over my shoulder to see Maddie, leaning up against the brick building, her board resting against her leg, her signature Star Wars shirt hanging loose on her toned upper body.
“Wondered when I’d see your face.” There’s a tease in my voice, but I’m pretty genuine about it. She’s here. Maybe I can run back in for Yoda real quick. Ask her out. Go out right now, even. Hold her hand during a movie or board around the park until it closes. Kiss her goodnight…
She lets out a hefty sigh and pushes off the building. She drops the board to the ground and glides around me like a vulture circling its prey.
“Pete had a ‘family meeting’ and now I’ve lost my boarding time.”
I raise a brow, my high spirits teetering back down as I catch the redness of her eyes, the streaks of mascara across her temples like she’s been wiping tears away for the last few minutes.
I swallow hard. Yeah… I don’t have the guts to ask what sort of family meeting topic has her in tears. So, I go with a sarcasm instead.
“I could sneak you in back. Candace will never know.”
That gets a laugh out of her, and I feel like a freaking superhero. She puts her foot down, kicking the board into her hand flawlessly. She was born on a board.
“As appealing as that sounds, not sure we could get away with it.”
A half smile tilts my lips, and my fingers tighten on my black tee I’ve got bundled in my fist. She may think that, but we could completely get away with it. Everyone leaves by ten-thirty at the latest, including Candace. They lock it all up, leave the lot, and it’s a ghost zone until we open at ten the next morning.
But there’s the garbage door out back that me and one other person have the key to. There’s no camera, and it leads right up to the half-pipes and boarding park. Brink could practice for an hour easily, and I’ll sneak her out the way we came in and then lock up. Cake.