Chatty and friendly waitresses are great way of insuring patrons come back. It’s also a great way to shine a bright light on all your deep, dark secrets.
I drum my fingers against the table.
Harley’s eyes are burning a hole in the side of my head as I pretend to study the daily specials on the chalkboard.
“Kaz?”
“Yes.” My gaze doesn’t waver from the menu.
“Kaz?”
I sigh and look at her.
“I can’t believe you did that. That’s so… sweet. And amazing. And freaking awesome. And it makes me feel like I’m a superstar. And like I’m ten feet tall…” Sadness veils her eyes. “Your gesture makes me feel like I’m more than a string of failures.”
Harley bursts into tears.
Chapter 8
A flower can’t bloom without dirt
Harley
Igrab the napkin and hide my face in it as I sob.
I’ve cried so much in the past week, I’m surprised there are still tears left.
A warm hand strokes up and down my arm.
“Not now, Katie,” Kaz says.
A beat of silence hangs in the air.
Thank God we’re in a corner booth.
“Do I pack everything to go, boss?”
“That would be great,” Kaz says. “Can you give us a minute? I’ll give you the heads up when we’re ready to leave.”
“Not a problem. I hope it’s not something I said…”
This poor woman thinks she’s the cause of my emotional breakdown.
I lift my head up. “I’m having a bad day.”More like a bad year, but I wouldn’t want to burden you with my baggage.
She offers a sad smile. “We’ve all been there.”
We each have our crosses to bear. Mine is really heavy.
I nod.
With that, Katie is off.
“Let’s talk about that,” Kaz says.
“About what?”
“Your bad day… I don’t want to overstep my boundaries, but I must say, I was surprised to see you at Grazie Mille. A lot has happened in my life in the last year, so maybe I got things confused, but I thought you were going into business with a friend of yours and her husband?”
