Hell, it could have been a month ago at this point. It’d been over a month since he’d seen her again but didn’t know the exact time they got into each other’s personal space verbally. Sexually, it’d been a few weeks.
Jim and Stacy walked closer to the bar. He thought they were going to a table right by the bar, but they pulled out two high back chairs in front of him and took a seat.
“Jim,” he said, moving the three feet closer with his hand out. “Good to see you outside my other work.”
“Chance. This is my wife, Stacy. She was here before with Jocelyn. Loved the food and wanted to come back. You might have yourself a couple of regulars now.”
“Glad to hear it,” he said, grabbing menus. “I’m assuming you want some food or just a drink?”
“Food,” Stacy said, reaching for the menu, then shaking his hand. Firm like her daughter’s was. Looking him over the way Jocelyn did too. Like she was watching and waiting for something.
“What can I get you both to drink?”
“I’ll take number five on tap,” Jim said.
“A ginger ale,” Stacy said.
He almost slipped and said just like Jocelyn.
Since the menus were now closed when he handed over their drinks he asked if they were ready to order.
“My wife won’t cook me bacon, so I’m going with the bacon burger with extra bacon and fries,” Jim said.
Stacy pushed her elbow into her husband’s playfully. Just like Jocelyn did to him when they joked with each other.
“I’ll take a chopped salad so that I can feel as if I’m doing something healthy between the two of us. The house dressing is good.”
He took the menus back and walked over to the computer to put the order in. “Shouldn’t be too long,” he said.
He went back to the other end of the bar to check on those customers, then filled a few orders that were brought over with two more tables being filled.
When he got closer to the sink, he saw his phone light up. He kept it hidden back there but could glance at it as he walked by if there was something.
He tapped the screen to see what it was and saw the text from Jocelyn asking how his day was going.
He picked it up to reply. Moving toward the end of the bar, he turned his back as if he was looking at something on the back and clicked a picture of her parents in the background, then sent it to see if she’d notice. He only put a caption with:half my bar filled.
His phone was buzzing a second later with a shocked face:I’m going to kill my mother!
He laughed.Did you know they’d be here?
No! She’s been super nosy and someone saw us out on Sunday. She’s putting things together.
He didn’t know what that meant and since someone walked up to the bar for a drink, he put his phone away. He’d have to talk with her about it later.
When Jim and Stacy’s food was ready, he walked to the back to get it and bring out, setting it down in front of them.
“Can I get you another drink?”
“I’m good,” Stacy said.
“I’ll take another beer soon,” Jim said.
“The same? I’ll keep an eye when you’re empty.”
“Yep,” Jim said, picking up his burger and diving in with a big grin.
Chance nodded and went back to work. There was a huge part of him that wanted to stay close by and see what they were saying to each other, the other part not sure if it’d make him feel all that great.
