Missed Connections (27 page)

Austin instantly regretted those words, his face turning red and hot. "Not, that I
liked you
liked you." Great, now he sounded like he was still in elementary school.

"Oh. That's amazing you remembered me after all those years, I can barely recall my teaching years at all. I only did it for like four years. Then I realized I hated it," Oliver said with a deep laugh. It wasn't exactly the response Austin had wanted, but then again Austin didn't know what he had expected.

"It hasn't been too many years," Austin said while scratching at the back of his head. "I mean, yeah it's been a while but it hasn't been super long or anything. But maybe I'm just weird for remembering. Of course you wouldn't remember me though. I was just one annoying kid. Ha, whatever. I'm going now. This was weird. Why did I say that out loud?" Oliver laughed as Austin picked up Allison. Austin waved his hand, feeling eager to leave the scene that kept on increasing in embarrassing and regretful words.

"Well, it was nice running into you again Austin." Oliver smiled but it was different than all the smiles he had given. The smile that crossed his face had that familiar curve that made it more of a sly smirk. "So you
liked
me huh?"

"Yeah!" It came out in the form of a yelp and Austin dashed away from the scene, his head pounding. Some part of him was screaming to go back and see where the conversation would go but the other part was the reason he had hurried Allison into the back seat and started the car in less than a minute.

He gripped the stirring wheel with sweaty hands and took a deep breath. It was the same one that had been on his face all those years ago when his tennis shoes had scuffed the desk they were propped up on. It was the same one that had made Austin's spine shiver. It was slick, perfect, cunning, oh God it was too many things all at once. Austin took a deep breath and turned up the radio, loud enough to drown out his heart thumping.

"Uncle Aussie, are you okay?" Allison asked, curious and a bit worried.

"I'm fine Allison. Are you buckled baby girl?" Austin asked. Allison nodded and gave a yes and Austin backed the car up. Oliver's grin was a little bit different than it had been when Austin was his student. Previously, it had only been mischievous and daring. The one he just gave Austin was… devious. It was inviting and charming in a way that was more than that of a cocky young adult. It was that of someone who expected something, and furthermore,
wanted
something.

Austin laughed loudly at the idea. There was no way that Oliver—correction, Mr. Halper—wanted something from him. There was no way that he was interested in Austin. Even if it was, Austin had just dashed away from the scene so that was the end of that. He had met him for as second time and ran away like a coward, end of story.

Now that Austin thought about it, he felt horribly lame. He wasn't usually one to act so pathetic. He was the one who flirted at the bars. He was the kind of guy to drop numbers and hand out free drinks to whatever cute guy was sitting across from him. Seeing Oliver had sent Austin all the way back to his high school days where he was a bumbling and idiotic mess.

"Allison, I'm sorry you saw me like that," Austin said sadly.

"Like what?"

"Exactly."

Austin knew that Allison was being honest. She had no idea that Austin had just made a complete and utter fool of himself and probably ended a relationship before it could ever start. He wasn't quite sure he could handle being in a relationship with Oliver anyway. The idea that Oliver had taught him once made Austin feel unnerved. Wasn't it like a taboo subject or something, teacher and student?

Austin told himself that his thoughts weren't really anything. It was perfectly fine for him to think about how well Oliver had taken those extra years of age. Their brief moment was gone now and Austin just had to push it to the back of his mind. He managed to convince himself that there was no way the relationship would lead to anything. He was sure that even with Oliver's wicked grin that he had no actual intentions on doing anything serious with Austin.

Austin pulled up to his sister's house to see her car already there. Good, he didn't want to sit outside in the car waiting for her. Allison unbuckled herself and kicked the car door open excitedly as she ran to her house. Austin followed, clicking the lock button and waiting for the beep. The neighborhood wasn't the worst, but it definitely wasn't the best.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Allison called out as she knocked rapidly on the door. It was opened almost instantly and Alexis appeared at the door, swooping Allison into her arms.

"There's my little girl! Were you a good girl for Uncle Austin?" Alexis asked with a grin as she kissed Allison on the nose, making her giggle. Alexis's curly and wild dark brown hair was barely tamed in a thick black ponytail. She was darker than Austin, but he was prone to staying inside. Alexis liked to go places and be outside, smelling dirt and all that other weird stuff that Austin didn't understand.

"I was good! There was a mean kid at the park though! But Uncle Aussie got his dad to make him stop being mean!" Allison said. Alexis set Allison down and Allison giggled a little more before disappearing inside.

"Some jerk at the park huh?" Alexis said looking Austin who just shrugged.

"Yeah, some little kid just acting out. But he wasn't with his dad he was with his dad's friend." Austin felt obligated to say that. He didn't want Alexis to think Oliver was the type of parent who couldn't raise his kid to act decently at a park, even though sometimes kids just did shitty things because they were kids.

"Oh, so he didn't know how to tame the little rascal did he?" Alexis asked with a laugh. "Well, to be fair Allison can be a bit of pain too. Fortunately, I managed to get hours where I'll be back to watch her myself by the time she comes home from school once the summer's over."

"That's good you know I was wanting to–" Austin stopped talking as his phone vibrated. He smiled apologetically at his sister before taking the phone out and answering it. It was his boss, the editor of the newspaper. "Hello?"

"Austin, I don't make you hang around the office as much as the average worker because I know you get it done. But, you did promise to be here today for—"

"Oh! Yeah! Okay, I'm so sorry Jerry, I'll be there really soon okay? Give me five minutes," Austin said quickly. He hung up and laughed. "I totally forgot that I was supposed to head into work today. Wow, that sentence makes me sound terrible doesn't it?"

"Yeah I don't ever want to hear you complain about your work schedule. Okay?" Alex said. "There's a whole group of people who'd take your job in a second. It doesn't help that the boss is a sucker for your stupid dumb words."

"Hey, I've been working there for a while, it's only natural that he would take to my charm." Austin found it strange that once he had left Oliver's presence he returned to his normal self. The one that could actually talk without a nervous laugh or mangled sentences. It only made him feel more like an idiot for the way he acted earlier. It had been a long time since he had seen Oliver and Austin felt like all he did was show Oliver that he was still a dumb high school kid at heart. Seeing Oliver just shot him backwards in time. Maybe a little bit too much but Austin was sure everything would be fine.

He got back in his car after hugging his sister goodbye and shouting farewell to Allison who screamed "LATER!" back at him. Jerry was generally very nice about not making Austin go to work often and was usually fine with Austin doing what he needed to get done at home. Austin worked better late in the night by himself than nine in the morning with the clicking and clattering of his fellow writers. He didn't mind their presence; he just didn't want them all to see the horrible slow processes he went through to finally make something he found worth putting in the paper.

They all seemed to think highly of him at the office and if they saw him screaming his head off and threatening the computer it might fade a little. Austin drove down the road, music playing softly and kicked thoughts of Oliver to the back of his mind. He didn't want to worry about it. It was gone, had past and everything was okay now. He hummed to himself and turned up the music.

Austin pulled up into his parking spot and got out, locking his car again. The office was pretty large, two stories, but it only had a few people working in it. The newspaper business wasn't exactly doing great but through digital sales, fewer staff, and loyal customers the paper managed to stay afloat rather well. Austin never had a fear of it going under.

He opened the glass door and looked around with a smile. He really did love the office, even if his rare appearances there made it seem otherwise. It was an old white brick building that was different shades of painted blue inside. It smelled like newspaper, ink, and maybe the occasional microwave meal. There was supposed to be a receptionist at the desk but she was currently missing and Austin didn't know where she went but decided to head on in without questioning it.

"Hey! Jerry! I'm here! What did you need from me again?" Austin called out.

"There you are!" Jerry called out. He was a scrawny man, and he was old as hell. His bones stuck out and his skin looked tight but he had bright and youthful blue eyes and a shining grin, even if it was made of dentures. He wore a Hawaiian T-shirt and long pants and looked ridiculous but Austin loved it. Usually Austin enjoyed Jerry's quirky appearance. But after a moment of seeing Jerry and feeling a little better about his day, Austin immediately noticed the man behind Jerry. "I told you, I needed you here when we hired the new guy. Wanted you to show him around. I'm too old to be going up those stairs."

"O-oh." It was all Austin could manage to say. He looked at the man standing beside Jerry. "Hey... Oliver."

"Hey," Oliver said. He smiled, well, he smirked, again. A very thin, cunning, and completely nerve-wrecking smirk. "Didn't expect to see you so soon." He stood there confidently with his hands in his pockets. All prim and proper, if one discounted Oliver's grin. Austin was beginning to think that act was a façade though.

"I… I didn't either." Austin said with a nervous laugh. Shit, he thought he had that under control. He took a breath that was obviously noticeable. He could tell because Oliver's smirk became a little bigger. Austin had completely forgotten they were hiring a new editor. Blank spots seldom happened, but the paper just had one leave due to "better opportunities". Austin's mind had been so sidetracked he had completely forgotten everything.

"Well, you going to show me around Austin?" Oliver asked. "I guess… you're the boss now huh? Bet you weren't expecting that."

No, Austin had not expected that. The reversal was strange and he felt confused. Austin actually felt a bit giddy at the thought and he zoned out for a while, then blushed.

"Yeah, I'll show you around. I got this Jerry. Sorry I didn't come in right away," Austin said. Jerry nodded before walking away, most likely to go mumble compliments to another writer in the building. Austin looked at Oliver and shrugged. "Wow, so um, you're working here now huh. Man, I should really check the accepted applications more thoroughly." He was upset to know that he could have been more prepared for the moment especially since he knew that Jerry probably asked him to double check on the new employee and Austin had probably just signed the paper without a second glance.

"So you had no idea I would be working here then?" Oliver asked in disbelief, his arms crossing. That voice came back slightly, the one Austin recalled from high school. "That whole meeting up at the park thing was an entire accident then?"

"Of course it was! Even if I actually checked the application, I wouldn't have any way to know that you'd be at the park!" Austin practically yelled. "Oh wow, you actually thought I would plan something like that? That would be creepy. Anyway, we're just going to pretend the entire thing at the park didn't happen at all."

"Really? The whole thing? But I enjoyed it." Oliver chuckled, his blue eyes shining in the bright lights of the building.

"Well… you know what? No, don't forget it. This is our third time meeting now. Kind of, and third time's the charm right? Well, then we'll just get off on the right foot from this point out." Austin held out his hand. "I'm Austin Vale and I'm co-editor here. Co-lead-editor… if that means anything. I help run the place with Jerry, that's what I'm trying to say. Damn it, I'm messing it up the third time as well. Whatever, follow me. I'll show you where you'll be working." He headed out of the room and down a white and blue hallway that was decorated with framed articles and accomplishments of the newspaper.

"To be fair, I don't like to think about the first time we met as us meeting. You were a random student in a class I substituted for a little while. It really wasn't much of a meeting. I barely remember you at all," Oliver stated as Austin started going up a set of stairs that creaked rather loudly with each step taken.

It wouldn't be a complete lie to say that Oliver's sentence wounded a piece of Austin's heart. Austin knew that as a one week student in a small town school that he didn't have a chance of meaning anything to Oliver.

"Ah, don't get so quiet. Now I know I hurt your feelings," Oliver said, holding back a chuckle.

"You didn't hurt my feelings! What do I care if you didn't like fifteen-year-old me? What, you think I wanted you to? No!" Austin shouted over his shoulder. They entered the top floor, the oldest part of the building and the part that probably needed renovating the most. "You're going to be working here okay? Okay?"

"Good, because I didn't," Oliver said. "I remembered you a little bit I mean, once you talked about it. I remember you as that stuttering kid who couldn't look me straight in the eye. It looks like that much hasn't changed however." He laughed again as Austin froze in his steps. In a flash he whipped around to face Oliver.

"Okay then! You're going to make fun of me then? Is that it? You're going to make fun of me just like everyone else? I'm your boss! You're not allowed to make fun of me! I'm in charge here!" Austin stomped his foot childishly and realized exactly how outraged he sounded. The way Oliver talked, it just reminded Austin of how dumb Oliver made him feel his whole life, whenever they met and how little Oliver cared. Austin was tempted to just kick him out right then and there.