Human Blend by Lori Pescatore Read Free Book Online Page A

cooked?” The waitress
asked.
    Austin paused and looked to Julie. “Well
done, please,” Julie answered.
    “Okay, that'll be up shortly,” Cindy said,
and then left to put the order in. Austin and Julie smiled at each
other. A greater understanding seemed to permeate the evening.
    The food arrived quickly and was cooked to
order. The meal came with a side of fries. Julie only ate a few and
gave the rest to Austin. “I'm not a fry person,” Julie
commented.
    “How can you not be a fry person?” Austin
didn't understand how anyone could not like french fries.
    “I like baked potatoes better,” she
admitted.
    “My Uncle Gordi makes the best baked
potatoes. He loads them up with everything you can think of,”
Austin remembered, fondly.
    “Does your Uncle Gordi live in Marion?” Julie
asked.
    “No, in the Poconos,” Austin said, finishing
the last of the fries.
    “That's in Pennsylvania, right?” Julie
confirmed.
    “Yeah, we used to drive up every winter
around the holidays to visit and go skiing,” Austin said.
    “Used to?” Julie questioned, catching the
past tense.
    “Yeah, my dad and him had a falling out a few
years back, now we just don't go anymore,” Austin said. “He's a bit
of a strange guy, a loner of sorts, but I always got along well
with him,” Austin elaborated.
    “That's a shame,” Julie remarked.
    Cindy was back, “How was everything?” she
asked.
    Julie smiled up at her. “Wonderful, thank
you,” she said.
    “You guys getting dessert?” she asked. Austin
looked at Julie with raised eyebrows.
    “What does Austin usually get?” Julie asked
her, but smiled at Austin who rolled his eyes.
    “He usually gets the frozen yogurt cup to
go,” Cindy said, seeming to enjoy embarrassing Austin. Austin just
kept quiet sitting back in his chair, letting the girls tease
him.
    “What's his favorite flavor?” Julie asked,
her smile getting wider as Cindy played along.
    “Oh, he likes to add fruit like strawberry
and kiwi to vanilla,” she told.
    “Oh that sounds awesome,” Julie replied.
“Let's get two of those,” she ordered.
    “Coming right up,” Cindy said and laughed as
she walked away.
    “Having fun?” Austin smirked.
    “Absolutely,” Julie smiled.
    “I've got to work on being less predictable,”
he commented.
    “Don't you dare change,” Julie admonished.
“You're fine just the way you are,” she added.
    Cindy returned with the two frozen yogurt
cups and the check. Austin quickly picked it up and paid. “I have
money, Austin, I can...,” Julie started to say, but Austin cut her
off.
    “I told you, you are my invited guest,” he
reminded her.
    “Well, next time, you're going to be my
guest,” she insisted. Austin smiled, he liked the sound of
that.
    “Next time it is,” he confirmed, and stood
with his dessert cup. Julie just realized, then, she had made plans
to be with him again. She couldn't hide her smile. All of this was
new to her. She had never really wanted to be with another person
before. She spent so much time just doing what she had been told to
do, that the only thing she ever desired was to be left alone. She
didn't feel that way now. Being with Austin was different.
    Together they strolled slowly back toward the
hotel, eating the frozen treat along the way. The dessert was
finished as they arrived at the lobby of the hotel. Disposing of
their trash, both were silent for a moment.
    “You have finals tomorrow,” she said,
breaking the silence.
    “You start a new job,” Austin added.
    “We should probably say goodnight,” Julie
said, surprised to hear the reluctance in her voice.
    “Can I walk you to your room?” Austin
asked.
    “Sure,” Julie smiled.
    Upstairs, Julie unlocked her door and opened
it. She entered and turned to face Austin. Down the hall another
door opened, An elderly gentleman shuffled out of another room,
carrying an ice bucket. The ice machine was at the end of the long
hallway. The man began the slow, arduous walk