I nodded, thinking of Nik, and how his hair had been a little greasy the day I’d met him, and his mom—the server. Something about her had seemed strikingly familiar. Only I couldn’t put my finger on why. Both of them had a sad, defeated look in their eyes that they worked to conceal. I recognized it, because I used to live it.
“That’s tough.” I croaked, clearing my throat. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Nik’s mom, raising him alone on a server’s wages, with his father gone for good, gone forever, and no other family to speak of.
Just then, Nik stepped out of the diner and zipped up his jacket, walking along the sidewalk until he reached the intersection. He didn’t look up at the Jeep until he’d crossed in front of it. Spotting Asher, he smiled a little—the anxiety in his eyes easing a bit.
“I’ll see what I can do for them.”
“Thanks, Dad!” The relief in his voice was evident, and the warm feeling in my chest hearing him say those two words spread straight to my soul when he leaned between the front seats and wrapped his arms around me for a hug.
As I hugged him back, yellow flashed in my peripheral. The bus turned onto Pleasant, and I let him go. He grabbed his bag from the floor of the Jeep and swung it on. “Have a good day,” I told him as he opened the door to climb out onto the sidewalk.
“Bye, Dad!” He shouted before jogging down the street to join Nik at the bus stop, just as it pulled up, lights flashing and stop sign out. Asher climbed on first, Nik following behind him.
Even after the bus pulled away, heading on to its next pick up, I remained in the Jeep, thinking.
After several minutes of deliberating, I opened the door and stepped out onto the road. Closing it and locking the key fob, I headed down the street to the diner. I pushed open the door, and delicious greasy breakfast scents wafted out onto the street. Most of the tables were occupied, so I approached the counter.
Nik’s mom, Raina, had her back to me. She was facing the kitchen window, smarting at the cook. “Well, put on more homefries, Toby. It’s kind of a staple here.”
Her long dark hair was up in a ponytail, and it swung as she grabbed a few plates. Shaking her head, she turned, suddenly stopping when she saw me standing in front of the counter.
Her impassive expression changed to a scowl. “I’ll be with you in a minute.” She gritted, moving around the counter and heading out to the dining area, the plates balanced expertly in her hands.
She didn’t look at me at all until she was back behind the counter, and she waited long enough to put on more coffee before finally begrudgingly giving me her attention. “What can I get you?” She clipped, notepad in hand.
“Two eggs benedict breakfasts to go, please. One of them with sausage and bacon, one of them with sausage. Homefries, too.” I added, grinning at the end. Raina wrote out the order, her dark brows drawn together and blue eyes icy.
“Toby! Order up. Make it snappy. We have a celebrity in our midst.” She shouted dryly as she turned, ripping the paper off the pad and clipping it to the order wheel above the kitchen window. A tanned hand reached through the window and tugged the paper off as Raina moved over to the back counter, where two large industrial coffee pots sat. One was half brewed, the other full. “Do you want anything else?”
“Sure. Coffee, please. Two cups. One black with two sugars, one—“
“Double double with Irish cream,” Raina finished, turning her back to me. She grabbed two paper cups, scooped out the sugar into both cups, then picked up the coffee pot. Pouring it with a steady hand, she filled one and put the lid on before moving to the refrigerator. She opened it and pulled out the Irish cream, casting a dark scowl over her shoulder.
“I guess you know Harper pretty well,” I chuckled, sensing her resentment and disdain. She pursed her lips, arching a brow.
“I don’t, actually. I just know how she takes her coffee when she’s desperate enough to have it here.” Her shrewd eyes held mine with a directness that felt strangely familiar. It was odd, almost like I saw a lot of myself in someone else, or someone I knew? Either way, her biting tone reminded me of exactly who I’d been just three weeks ago.
Raina put the creamer back and snatched the coffees of the counter. She walked over and placed them on the counter separating us. “Pro tip—the Irish cream doesn’t hide how shitty it is.”
“I heard that, Raina!” A snappy voice said from somewhere in the back.
“Good. Stop cheating on the coffee!”
“Hear hear!” Shouted someone sitting in the dining area, causing a bunch of people to laugh out loud.
“It can’t be that bad,” I hedged, taking a sip of mine and immediately wincing. “Wow. I’ve had some shitty coffee, but that’s possibly the worst.” Bitter and somehow bland, it really was unpleasant.
This earned a smile and almost a laugh from Raina. “Told you. Sludge has more flavor.”
I set the flimsy paper cup down, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “That it does.”
A bell dinged, and she turned back to the kitchen to grab the two Styrofoam containers. I pulled my wallet out, opening it and looking at the wad of bills in it. I pulled out a few hundreds and I placed them on the counter beside the register while Raina put the containers into a large paper bag.
She handed it to me, and I grinned. “Thanks. See you around.” I turned heel, leaving the diner before she had time to ring through my order or count out my change.
I always tipped generously, but I’d been even more generous today and left as much as I dared. I didn’t have to know her to know she was proud—I knew the type. My father’s face came to mind, and I let out an aggravated sigh, forcing him from my mind.
After all, there was a beautiful woman waiting in a bed for me.
