Lizzie still had to eat dinner, and she was running late to pick up her brother Matt from soccer practice. Where would she eat? She spotted the Hillridge McDonald's. Didn't that Gordo say that he worked there? Lizzie did not normally eat fast food, but that was where she chose to eat. Maybe she could say hi to her new friend. Matt can wait.
"Hi, welcome to McDonald's. May I interest you in one of our new premium salads. More taste, less guilt," Gordo said, trying to follow the formula welcome response his manager carefully laid out for him. He had only worked there for a couple of days, and he really did not want to mess up.
Lizzie noticed that he did not look up from the cash register.
"Hi, Gordo! Remember me, Lizzie, form school? I came to say hi and eat."
"Oh, hello. How are things going?" he asked.
"There going fine. I'm stuck bringing my little brother home from soccer practice everyday, so I came here to get something to eat. What's good here?"
"You've never been to a McDonald's?"he asked, thinking that she might just be the only person that he knew that had never been to a McDonald's.
"I'm not really into fast food."
"Oh, then you might want to try a salad. I think they might be healthy or something like that," he answered.
"okay, I'll take one of those."
"What kind of dressing?"
"Lite Italian."
"That will be...ummmm...$4.79," Gordo said.
As Lizzie handed him her money she said, "So...why do you have to work?"
"For extra spending money, and my car."
"Do you have to work everyday?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"How do you have time for anything else?"
"I manage."
Gordo would have loved for Lizzie to stay and talk with him some more, but the line behind Lizzie was growing increasingly longer.
"Listen, I think some of these customers are going to revolt any second now. When do you get off of work?" Lizzie asked, hoping that they could talk some more.
"Nine."
"Do you want to meet somewhere? Maybe work on our project, and talk?"
Gordo's insides were leaping for joy. He would absolutely love to talk to Lizzie, but he did not want to sound too desperate.
"Ummmm..I don't know...sure," he replied.
"Cool! How about the Digital Bean?"
"Do they have coffee there?"
"Of course."
"OK, I'm in."
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"So... any hobbies?"
"I like to make films...direct them," Gordo replied.
"That is so cool."
"Yeah."
Lizzie noticed that Gordo had just finished his second cup.
"I can see that you really like coffee," Lizzie said.
"Being from Seattle you kind of have to be. I am a caffiene addict."
They both laughed. At that moment, an attractive young man sauntered over to their table.
"Hey, Liz-zie. What's up?" the young man said.
"Oh, I'm doing pretty good. What's up with you?"
"Same old, same old. C'ya," he said, and with that he walked away.
"Who is that?" Gordo asked. "Is he a boyfriend?"
"No."
"An ex?"
"Kind of."
"What happened?"
"He and I were going out, freshman year. I thought things were going fine, until one day, out of the blue, I see him and Kate Saunders, making out in the library," she replied.
"Ooooh.."
"Yeah, I know. And I thought, you know, there must be something wrong with me. I could not figure it out, at all, and it completely ruined my first year of high school. And, he still has the nerve to talk to me, like nothing ever happened."
"Nothing is wrong with you."
"Thanks...omigod, I am so sorry. I bet you just wanted to hear the soap opera of my life."
"It's okay, really."
"Thanks, you are a great listener. So about that English project..."
"Hi, welcome to McDonald's. May I interest you in one of our new premium salads. More taste, less guilt," Gordo said, trying to follow the formula welcome response his manager carefully laid out for him. He had only worked there for a couple of days, and he really did not want to mess up.
Lizzie noticed that he did not look up from the cash register.
"Hi, Gordo! Remember me, Lizzie, form school? I came to say hi and eat."
"Oh, hello. How are things going?" he asked.
"There going fine. I'm stuck bringing my little brother home from soccer practice everyday, so I came here to get something to eat. What's good here?"
"You've never been to a McDonald's?"he asked, thinking that she might just be the only person that he knew that had never been to a McDonald's.
"I'm not really into fast food."
"Oh, then you might want to try a salad. I think they might be healthy or something like that," he answered.
"okay, I'll take one of those."
"What kind of dressing?"
"Lite Italian."
"That will be...ummmm...$4.79," Gordo said.
As Lizzie handed him her money she said, "So...why do you have to work?"
"For extra spending money, and my car."
"Do you have to work everyday?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"How do you have time for anything else?"
"I manage."
Gordo would have loved for Lizzie to stay and talk with him some more, but the line behind Lizzie was growing increasingly longer.
"Listen, I think some of these customers are going to revolt any second now. When do you get off of work?" Lizzie asked, hoping that they could talk some more.
"Nine."
"Do you want to meet somewhere? Maybe work on our project, and talk?"
Gordo's insides were leaping for joy. He would absolutely love to talk to Lizzie, but he did not want to sound too desperate.
"Ummmm..I don't know...sure," he replied.
"Cool! How about the Digital Bean?"
"Do they have coffee there?"
"Of course."
"OK, I'm in."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"So... any hobbies?"
"I like to make films...direct them," Gordo replied.
"That is so cool."
"Yeah."
Lizzie noticed that Gordo had just finished his second cup.
"I can see that you really like coffee," Lizzie said.
"Being from Seattle you kind of have to be. I am a caffiene addict."
They both laughed. At that moment, an attractive young man sauntered over to their table.
"Hey, Liz-zie. What's up?" the young man said.
"Oh, I'm doing pretty good. What's up with you?"
"Same old, same old. C'ya," he said, and with that he walked away.
"Who is that?" Gordo asked. "Is he a boyfriend?"
"No."
"An ex?"
"Kind of."
"What happened?"
"He and I were going out, freshman year. I thought things were going fine, until one day, out of the blue, I see him and Kate Saunders, making out in the library," she replied.
"Ooooh.."
"Yeah, I know. And I thought, you know, there must be something wrong with me. I could not figure it out, at all, and it completely ruined my first year of high school. And, he still has the nerve to talk to me, like nothing ever happened."
"Nothing is wrong with you."
"Thanks...omigod, I am so sorry. I bet you just wanted to hear the soap opera of my life."
"It's okay, really."
"Thanks, you are a great listener. So about that English project..."