County Line Road by Marie Etzler Read Free Book Online

said, trying to act casual. “You know teenage boys. They eat you out of house and home.”
    The doctor smiled, picked up a file and kept going.

CHAPTER 9
    “You still haven’t seen Allison since the party?” Double A asked Jimmy as they stocked the grocery store shelves with cereal boxes on aisle 12. “That was three days ago.”
    “I’ve been jogging, looking for her,” Jimmy said. “I thought she was going to come by.”
    “Maybe she’s avoiding you,” Double A said with a laugh. “Love ‘em and leave ‘em. Wait a minute — a girl just like you. How does it feel?”
    “I am not like that,” Jimmy said.
    “Yeah. Have you had a relationship that lasted more than two weeks ever in your life? No.”
    “So what? A little variety is good for you. See it says right here.” Jimmy pointed to a cereal box. “Part of a balanced diet.”
    “Girls aren’t fruits and vegetables,” Double A said.
    “You ain’t seen them up close like I have,” Jimmy said. “There are some real nut jobs out there.”
    Another bag boy came up the cereal aisle. “Hey Jimmy, Double A. Beatrice wants you bagging.”
    “What?” Jimmy said. “Brendan, you can’t just make up stuff like that.”
    The loud speaker came on: “All bag help to the front.”
    “Told ya,” Brendan.
    “I’ll put this cart back,” Double A said. “Tell her I’ll be up in a minute.”
    Jimmy and Brendan headed toward the cash registers when Jimmy saw Anna.
    “Hey, Brendan,” Jimmy said to the bag boy. “See that girl there? Yeah, ask her what she’s looking for and send her to aisle 12.”
    “Why?” Brandon said. He rubbed his nose and sniffled.
    “Just do it,” Jimmy said. “Aisle 12 - No matter what she’s looking for.”
    Jimmy hid behind the magazine rack to watch Brendan approach Anna and point to aisle 12. She walked to the aisle. Jimmy followed at a distance.
    Double A had kneeled down to put some cereal boxes that had fallen off the bottom shelf.
    Half of Double A’s body was swallowed up by the bottom shelf as he reached in the back for another fallen cereal box. He extricated himself from the hole to meet a pair of tasseled loafers. His eyes moved up a set of round tanned legs that led up to the cuffs of khaki shorts and the shadow between the skin and the fabric.
    “Hi, Double A,” Anna said.
    He stared and blinked as if he’d just come out of a cave into the light.
    “I need to get some mustard for my mother. Do you know where it is?” she said. “I wish they’d stop changing this store around. The bag boys don’t even know where things are.”
    Double A had to stop his mouth from hanging open.
    “Hi. Yeah, it’s on aisle three now.” He stood up and pointed, but then he regained his senses and realized that she would go away, so he said, “I’ll show you.” They started walking. He forgot all about the cart he was moving. “That was fun at the beach this weekend, wasn’t it?” he said.
    A guy he worked with called out, interrupting, “Hey, Double A, up front.”
    Double A looked up the aisle with desperation. “Yeah, just a minute.”
    “Want to go out?” Double A surprised himself. “I mean sometime, maybe.”
    “Yeah,” Anna said.
    “Okay,” he said. He felt so good he laughed out loud.
    “Anthony.” The manager’s voice broke into his reverie. “Up front.”
    “I gotta’ go,” Double A said. “Uhm, Anna? Can I have your phone number?”
    “What’s your cell phone number? I’ll call you, then you’ll have mine.”
    “Good idea,” he said. He gave her the number as they walked up the aisle.
    She entered the number in her phone and waited for his voice mail.
    “Hi. Double A,” she said into the phone, smiling at him. “Call me later.”
    “You bet,” he said.
    “Thanks for the mustard,” Anna said and waved the bottle. She got in the express lane, and Double A ran over to bag the bottle for her, but the manager redirected him.
    “Register 4,” the manager said.
    He looked