That might not be in the cards tonight, he realized, as the other, older waitress sauntered over as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Never seen you in here before. Usually we only get regulars.”
“Every regular has to start somewhere,” he pointed out. “I was in here the other night, actually, for the first time. Good stuff. Thought I’d come back.”
“You’re a bad liar,” she countered. “No one accuses this place of being good. But it’s familiar to some. So, they keep coming back.”
He chuckled. “Pie is tasty.”
That wasn’t too big a lie. It wasn’t like his grandma’s Thanksgiving pie or anything, but it was pretty darn good. Better than the main course had been, at least.
She smiled and nodded. “What’ll it be? Or do you need another minute or two?”
Normally, Kendrick could control his actions, but his eyes darted inadvertently to the pretty waitress as she grabbed an apron off a peg on the wall and hung it around her neck.
“Ah,” the older waitress said. “So that’s why you came back.” Light shone in her gray-blue eyes. “Samantha, honey, you have a customer.” In a lower tone, she leaned in closer and said, “Samantha’s a sweet girl. But she can be a bit prickly, between you and me. Watch out.”
She stood upright, winked, and then walked away to check on some other customers.
Kendrick was all smiles. And he’d found out a valuable piece of information.
Her name was Samantha.
She came over and stopped bit further away than Kendrick would have expected her to.
Was something wrong? It was almost as if she were apprehensive. He hoped he wasn’t creeping her out.
Daddy would never make his little girl feel uncomfortable.
Stop thinking like that, Kendrick! You don’t know her. She’s most likely not even a Little. Just chill out with all this.
She recovered quickly, it appeared. Hmm. What was that all about?”
“Hello again,” she said, in a flat tone. It wasn’t rude exactly. But it sure wasn’t warm.
Kendrick thought he noticed a slight quiver in her words, too.
Wearing his most disarming smile, he said, “Hey. Sorry she called you over here. I told her I was here the other night and she thought maybe I’d want to say hi.”
Is that the best you can do? Not exactly a smooth operator, Kendrick. Come on. You’ve got more game than this.
“It’s nice seeing you again,” she said. “Where’s Isaiah?”
A confused smile split Kendrick’s lips as he tilted his head to the side. “How did you know his name?”
It looked as if Samantha was trying to recover quickly.
What was going on with her?
“You said it. The other night. Or I heard you both talking. I can’t remember which.”
Kendrick couldn’t remember them telling her their names. She certainly hadn’t shared hers. Hearing the other waitress say it was the first time he’d learned it.
And he doubted he would have called Isaiah by name during the conversation the other night.
Perhaps his memory was just getting bad. After all, Samantha didn’t have any reason to lie about this.
Did she?
“Well, Isaiah went on home. I’m flying solo tonight.” The old bench creaked a little as he leaned back in the booth. “So I suppose you know my name, too.”
