Popcorn Love

“Allison.” Elena repeated the name softly on her tongue. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Wow.” Allison laughed. “No one’s ever said it was ‘lovely’ to meet me. Good, yeah. Nice, definitely. But lovely? That’s a new one. Let me guess. You went to some fancy prep school immediately followed by Harvard or Yale or something, right?”

The surprised look on Elena’s face made Allison smile. She slipped a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses out of her backpack and onto her face as she pulled the menu toward her. This is going to be a trip, she thought as she glanced back up at the woman, who was still just staring at her.

“Yes, actually,” Elena said as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “I earned my MBA from Harvard Business College.”

“Knew it,” Allison said smugly. This woman certainly wasn’t the first upper-class person she had worked for. She had had several catering jobs at random high-class events throughout her first couple of years in college, and she had babysat a lot of friggin’ kids, for rich and poor families alike. So, she was used to the five-minute delay that the wealthy folks sometimes required in order to acclimate themselves to what Allison referred to as normal-people speak, but they all eventually caught on. Or they sneered and decided not to hire her.

Whatever.

“So, what’s good to eat here, Elena?” She paused. “Is that okay?”

Elena looked up at her, confusion in her eyes. “I’m sorry? Is what okay?”

“That I called you Elena. I can call you Mrs. Vega if you prefer that instead, or whatever.”

“Actually, it’s Ms. Vega.” Glancing away, Elena rubbed a hand down the side of her neck before clearing her throat and turning back to Allison. “I am not married, but the formality is unnecessary. You are welcome to call me Elena.”

“Awesome!” Allison smiled before letting her gaze fall back to her menu. “So, what’s good to eat here?”

The small smile that tugged at the corners of Elena’s mouth did not go unnoticed. It was soft, more natural than the tight smile she had worn before, and Allison hoped it meant the woman was relaxing a bit.

“Well, I suppose I almost always order a Cobb salad.”

“Okay.” Allison shrugged. “Let’s go with that then.” She put her hand up and waved the nearest waiter over.

When the young man reached their table, he pulled a pad and pen from his apron and politely asked, “What can I get for you ladies?”

“Uh, yeah.” Allison chewed on her lip and pointed at Elena. “She’s ready to order, and I’ll have whatever she has plus another water with like three lemons.”

An audible chuckle escaped the waiter as he turned to Elena, who was staring at Allison as if she was some sort of natural phenomenon.

“Okay,” Elena said, “then I will have a sparkling water and the Cobb salad, and I suppose Ms. Sawyer will have the same.”

“I’ll have it right out, ladies.”

“Thank you,” Elena replied at the same time that Allison said, “Thanks, man.”

As soon as he walked away, Allison scrunched up her nose. “Can we not do the whole ‘Ms. Sawyer’ thing?” she asked. “Ever again, preferably.”

“Is it a problem for you?” Elena asked, intrigued.

“It’s just that a few of my professors call me Ms. Sawyer, and it grates on my nerves. I know it’s supposed to be respectful or whatever, but it just makes me feel old, and I’m way too young to feel old.” Allison winked at her. “You know what I mean?”

Clearing her throat, Elena rested her hands in her lap and crossed and uncrossed her legs. “Yes, I can certainly understand that.”

“I figured you would get it. You can’t possibly be older than twenty-five, and I bet you get that Ms. Vega crap all the time, right?”

A soft blush decorated Elena’s cheeks even as she smirked and corrected Allison. “I’m actually twenty-seven, but you have just earned a few points in your favor for making me feel at least two years younger.”

“Go me!” Allison took a sip of the extra-lemony water the waiter had delivered.

Elena laughed in a soft sigh. “But yes, I am often only referred to as Ms. Vega while at work.”

“Right.” Allison nodded as she pulled off her glasses and stuck them back in their case before slipping them into her bag, having forgotten for a moment that she was still wearing them. She only needed them to read, drive, and sometimes to watch television and hardly ever wore them otherwise. In fact, she tried to avoid handling them when she could, because she was a tad clumsy. She had broken a pair before and had had to save up to afford the ones she now owned. She was in no hurry to break those as well.

“You look younger with your glasses on,” Elena said, tilting her head. “Striking either way, of course, but younger.”

Struck momentarily speechless, Allison scratched at the back of her head and let out a choked gurgle of a laugh. “Uh, thanks,” she said, “for the ‘striking’ part or whatever.”

Elena smiled, and Allison could see the amusement dancing in the woman’s eyes. “You are welcome.”

“So, you’re like some super successful businesswoman, right?” Allison asked, quick to change the subject. “You must be pretty awesome at what you do to be so successful when you’re so young.”

“I would like to say that yes, I am quite successful at what I do. However, Allison, I believe we are here so that I may interview you, not the other way around.”

“Right. Totally. Fire away. Oh, and you can call me Alli if you want; that’s what my best friend and a few others call me. Or, you know, Allison is fine if that’s what you prefer. Just throwing that out there.”

“Allison it is, then.”

Allison let out a small laugh and nodded. “All right, then.” She wasn’t terribly surprised by the choice given how much Elena seemed to favor formalities, but it might take some getting used to.

The waiter returned then with their Cobb salads, and the two women began to eat as Elena started in with a list of questions.

“Why don’t you start by telling me a bit about yourself,” Elena suggested as she nibbled at her salad. “Vivian mentioned that you were a senior at NYU. I’m guessing that puts you at around twenty-one or twenty-two, unless you are an accelerated student.”

“Nope, no acceleration here. I’m twenty-two, and yeah, I’m a senior at NYU. I’m a social-work major with a lit. minor.”

Elena arched an intrigued brow. “Social work and literature,” she said. “That is an interesting combination. Why the interest in either?”

“Well, the first is a little complicated,” Allison admitted. She didn’t like to go into detail on this particular subject. “Let’s just say that a lot of stuff gets overlooked in the system or doesn’t get looked into hard enough, and I want to help correct that, or at least, I want to make strides in correcting that.”

Allison’s stomach lurched when Elena visibly stiffened at the words. She should have just said she wanted to help people or something, but she tended to ramble and give herself away. She hoped Elena wouldn’t read too much into it, but the way the woman’s smile slipped back into its earlier strained form made Allison suspect otherwise.

“And the other is simple,” Allison said, clearing her throat. “I just really like to read.”

“I see,” Elena said. “I enjoy reading as well. I have quite the collection at home, so, perhaps, if I hire you, you may find a book or two to entertain you while Lucas naps or once he has gone to bed for the evening.”

“Lucas?” Allison grinned. “Your son’s name is Lucas? Is he the only one you’ve got? How old is he?”

Elena smiled brightly, clearly unable to help herself. “Yes, his name is Lucas. He is three, and yes, he is the only child I have.”

“Three.” Allison cooed. “That’s a great age. I bet he’s adorable.”

“Beyond, but he is also quite the handful.”

“Most toddlers are. I’m sure I can handle him.”

The way Elena narrowed her eyes gave Allison the impression that the woman was a bit skeptical about that statement.

“How has he been with other babysitters?” Allison asked.

“I have never hired a babysitter before.” Elena shifted in her seat. “My parents keep him when I cannot.”

“Ah.” That explained a lot. Elena was obviously very protective of her son, and parents tended to be a little skeptical when starting out with babysitters anyway. “Well, hopefully I’ll be a good fit.”

“So, you like children?” Elena asked. “What I mean is, do you actually enjoy caring for children or are you simply in it for the money? Is this your first potential babysitting job?”

“The last family I babysat for moved across the country. So, Lucas would be my one and only if you hired me, and yes, I like kids. I love kids, actually.”

“Oh? Do you have any siblings?”

Allison laughed so hard that she snorted, and Elena simply stared at her with a perplexed expression. “Sorry. It’s not really funny, but yeah. I’ve had siblings before. If you count them all up, in fact, then I had twenty-nine siblings by the time I was sixteen.”

The surprise in Elena’s widened eyes quickly gave way to an understanding nod. “You’re a foster child.” She whispered the words so softly that they were almost inaudible.

Scratching at the back of her neck, Allison shrugged to hide her discomfort. “Yup. I’m an orphan. Spent most of my life in the system. Anyway, I don’t really like to talk about it, so if we could move on to the next subject, that would be great.”

“Yes, of course.” Elena glanced away and licked her lips before turning back to Allison. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You didn’t. You asked a perfectly acceptable question and I answered it. That’s that.”

“Very well.” Taking a quick peek at her watch, Elena sighed. “I’m terribly sorry, but I should be on my way. I am already late in returning to work.”

“Oh, right.” Allison nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, I get it. I have my next class in an hour anyway.” She stood as Elena did and stretched out a hand. “Well, uh, it was nice to meet you, Elena.”

“You as well, Allison.” With a firm shake of Allison’s hand, Elena collected her things and laid several bills on the table. “I will take care of lunch.”

“You don’t have to do that, but thanks. I appreciate it.”

Elena nodded in answer and turned to leave, but she whirled around again when Allison called her name. She began walking over until they were a little closer than was typically considered appropriate.

“Look, I know you don’t know me,” Allison said. “And I know that you probably just want the best you can get for your son. I get that, and I’m not asking you to pity me or to throw me a bone just because of my past or because I need the money. I’m asking you to give me a chance because, unlike a lot of people who get these jobs, I do actually care, and I’m a good person. I work hard, really hard. I’m an honor student. I’m trying to make something of myself. And I may not know a lot about family, but I will take care of your kid. I’ll make sure he’s safe and happy anytime you need me to. I’m punctual and I’m clean and I’m a good choice for this job.”

Allison reached into her pocket then and pulled out a small slip of paper with a string of numbers scrawled across it. “This is my number,” she said as she handed it to her. “I hope you’ll give me a chance, Elena.” She gave the brunette one last smile before slipping by her, out the door, and into the rush of the city.

* * *

The soft sound of Lucas’s breathing sang like a comforting and familiar lullaby in Elena’s ears as she drove home from her parents’ house with her sleeping son in the backseat. Lucas always fell asleep in the car, whether the drive was five or fifty minutes. Something about the hum of the road always knocked him out.

Elena watched the road beneath the orange sky as the sun set and her thoughts wandered. She thought of the hectic day she had at work, but mostly she thought of the woman she met on her lunch break, Allison Sawyer. Something about Allison stuck with her after she returned to work and even now. Elena was accustomed to taking command of the majority of the social situations she found herself in, and considering she had intended to interview this young woman as a potential employee, she had assumed this situation would be no different. Boy, had she been wrong. Allison Sawyer had slipped right in and taken the reins like she was entitled to them, like she had bred and raised that horse herself, and strangely enough, Elena had simply let her—no arguments, no fuss. Elena couldn’t stop thinking about it but as she contemplated the young woman, she made a split-second decision.

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently for the remaining few minutes it took to reach her house. As soon as she parked the car, she dug through her purse until she found the small slip of paper she had been given earlier that day and punched the numbers into her cell.

“Who’s this?” the voice on the line asked without any form of greeting, and Elena couldn’t help the small smile that formed on her lips. So blunt, she thought.

“Hello Allison. This is Elena Vega.” Before she could say anything else, Allison jumped right in. Elena was surprised that she had been expecting anything else from the woman.

“Elena, oh my God, are you hiring me?”

“Well, I was hoping that we could do a trial run. I want to make sure that Lucas is comfortable with you before I make a final decision. If you are interested, when might you be available to come meet Lucas and perhaps spend a bit of time with him?”

“Yeah, I’m definitely interested.” Elena swore she could hear her grinning over the phone line. “And well, it is now officially the weekend. I just got out of my last class, so I’m available right now. I mean, if that’s okay with you and everything.”

Mouth agape, Elena tried to think of an excuse to pick a different time and day. She hated impromptu anything. It always made her feel flustered and nervous, but, then, impromptu seemed to be the definition of Allison Sawyer. So if Elena was going to hire her, she had better get used to it. She glanced at the small digital clock above her stereo. Five forty-five blinked back at her. She swallowed before stuttering, “Oh, well, okay. Um, yes, I suppose that right now would be fine.”

After she had rattled off her address and listened to a pen scratch down each word, Allison’s voice came back over the line. “Sweet. I just need like fifteen or twenty minutes, then I’ll be there.”

“Very well.” Elena’s palms were beginning to sweat as she thought of everything she had to do prior to Allison’s arrival. She wanted to tidy up, despite the fact that her house was almost always immaculate, considering she cleaned up after Lucas on an hourly or even half-hourly basis. Clutter drove her mad. She supposed she should also provide dinner, considering Allison said she had only just left class, so she likely had yet to eat. What could she cook in fifteen minutes?

“Elena?”

Elena snapped back to attention, her cheeks flushing for no one to see. “Yes, I’m here. I will see you soon, Allison.”

As soon as she hung up, Elena jumped out of her car and quickly collected Lucas from the backseat. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily as she carried him into the house, but, by the time they reached the living room, he was wide awake again. Elena chuckled as the boy smiled slyly at her and said, “Momma, you wanna make dinosaur nuggets.”

“Oh I do, do I?” she asked, still laughing as she carried him into the kitchen, held him at the sink to help him wash his hands, and then put him in his seat.

“Uh-huh.” His nod was overly dramatic.

Elena opened the freezer and looked inside. “I suppose I’m in luck then, because we happen to have an entire box of dinosaur nuggets.” She pulled out the box of grilled chicken nuggets cut into dinosaur shapes and waggled it at her son.

Giggling, Lucas threw up his arms. “How long?”

“Not long, baby.” She stopped to drop a kiss to his forehead and muttered to herself. “Now, what to make for Allison?”

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Lucas had already devoured his dinosaur nuggets and sweet peas and had run off to play. Elena still found it strange how much her son actually enjoyed peas. He was one of few kids she knew to actually love them, but she was far from complaining. She finished straining the pasta before going to answer the door. The pitter-patter of Lucas’s feet running toward her from the other room meant he was too curious to stay away, but he was also quite shy. He hid behind her leg as she pulled open the door.

Allison looked exactly as she had earlier that day—long blonde ponytail, jean jacket, and everything.

“Ms.—sorry.” No formalities, she remembered. “Allison, hello. I’m glad you could make it.”

“Hi,” Allison chirped with a little wave. Her eyes raked down Elena’s body as they apparently were going to do every time she saw the woman, then shifted to the little hand clinging to Elena’s pants and wide caramel-colored eyes peeking out from around Elena’s leg.

Smiling and shaking her leg, Elena softly said, “Stop hiding, dear. Come out and say hello.”

His little head poked out just a bit farther with a shy greeting. “Hello.”

“Hi Lucas.” Allison waved at him, and the boy narrowed his eyes at her. She glanced back up at Elena. “He looks like you.”

“Yes,” Elena said and then suddenly realized that they were still standing in the doorway. Stepping back, she motioned for Allison to enter. “Come in.”

They barely managed more than a few steps inside before Lucas tugged on Elena’s pant leg. He crooked his finger at her, motioning for her to bend down. When she did, he cupped a hand around his mouth and pressed it to his mother’s ear.

“Momma, who’s that?”

“That is Allison.” Allison offered him another small wave, but he just continued to look at her with narrowed eyes. “She is a babysitter.”

“What’s a babysinner?” He shrank behind Elena a little more.

Both Elena and Allison laughed. “Babysit-ter,” Elena repeated.

“Yeah, kid,” Allison said. “I sit on babies.”

Lucas’s eyes widened comically and so did Elena’s.

“I’m not a baby. I’m a big boy!”

Winking, Allison said, “Well then, I guess you and me can just be friends then.”

Elena watched closely as Lucas seemed to consider Allison’s words, and when he took a step out from behind her leg, she couldn’t help but smile.

As if testing the water, Lucas quietly asked, “You like dinosaurs?”

“Are you kidding me?” Allison gasped dramatically. “I love dinosaurs!”

That was all it took. A wide smile spread over Lucas’s face and in seconds, he ran right past them and into the next room, shouting to Allison over his shoulder. “Come on!”

Allison looked up at Elena and smiled. “Can I go and play with him?”

Pure childlike excitement filled the younger woman’s bright eyes in that moment, and Elena could see why babysitting was a good fit for Allison Sawyer. “Go ahead. Oh, and I am making pasta. I thought you might be hungry.”

“Awesome! Yeah, I’m starved. Thank you. That’s really nice of you.”

“My pleasure,” Elena said. She watched as Allison darted off after Lucas and out of sight. Only minutes later, giggles from both of them echoed into the kitchen from the living room, and Elena grinned as she brought her pasta sauce to a simmer.

“Perhaps this will work out after all,” Elena murmured, now only hoping that Vivian could keep her word and set her up with at least a few decent dates.