Ren & Wade

 "I think we should stop talking about your boobs," Ren says to Roni. After all, she can't concentrate on everything she needs to do at the coffee bar in the corner of the old bookstore. Of course, Wade looks perfectly normal at the cash register if he doesn't have to interact with anyone. She knows he's itching for a cigarette.

"Do you think your brother likes me?" Roni looks at her blankly as Ren hands over her attempt of a latte.

"What?" Ren forgets that Roni thinks of Wade as her family. She nurses her bottom lip. Suddenly, she is on rewind of the morning. Especially when Auntie M caught Wade coming out of Ren's room.

A part of her cracks up at the thought of his award-winning performance. He does look quite fetching in Auntie M's late husband's black vest and dress pants. Out of nowhere Wade announces he's Ren's fiance that morning to Auntie M.

"We, we are having money troubles right now," he tells her and grabs Ren's hand. "I can't live without her, you know."

Ren wonders now if it was just the painkillers talking. But Wade isn't limping. Actually, he's not saying anything now.

"He's got a lot on his plate, you know," Ren assures Roni. "He just needs to love himself, OK?" She tells Roni that Wade has had some hard times. She can see from here he doesn't know how to talk to people. Actually, he's being so indifferent. Why didn't she pick up on this in the beginning? She knew it must  have taken a lot out of him to say those things to her old Aunt who can only see her dead husband in Wade.

"I would do anything," Roni says but Ren cuts in asking if the latte is OK.

"You're really good at this," Roni smiles wondering about her secret ingredient. She won't tell him it's mostly chocolate milk.

"I think you need to decide, you know," Ren doesn't want to go back to all this talk about how big Roni's boobs might get if he goes on with the hormone treatment. 

"Decide what?" He's (or she's) drinking the latte as if he/she might need another.

"Never mind," Ren smiles. And then she gets the almost wink from Wade as he points to his watch. It's break time.

Later, they meet at the roof while Miss Lily tends to the coffee bar and the register.

"Are you sure you don't need to go back to the shack," Ren says as she watches Wade in a nicotine fit. His anxieties are in high gear evidently.

"I can handle it," Wade takes a puff and lets her have a little. She takes it as if she can handle more than he can.

"But you could be naked there, one with nature," she shrugs as if she knows he likes his alone time. He looks down at her out of the corner of his eye. He remains even-lipped as if he didn't hear a thing she said.

"I meant what I said," he goes back to his cigarette as if he sucks face all day long with it if he had enough of with him.

"Which time?" She looks up at him grinning.

"You know when," He isn't exaggerating. "I'm not letting you go." He grabs her hand tightly.

"Where would I go?" Ren asks so meekly.

"No where with Roni," he practically shouts.

"You know, nothing is going on," she winces thinking this should not even be a conversation. "You're the one he wants to be with."

He fumes with a sigh and stomps out his cigarette until it is barely smoldering. 

She knows he doesn't want to go back to the bookstore. She tells him he looks smart and his foot is moving swell.

Wade only sighs. He hugs her, pressing his lips on her forehead.

He's a looker and she was certain his relationships were a lot like throw-away lunches. But she doesn't know anymore. It's looking like it might be the long haul and she's never gotten much more than a one-nightstand. She knows it's best never to mention it.

However, when they get downstairs, guess who's waiting to see her?