“No, I’m not done,” I tell her.
“When Noa asked me if he could propose to Lea, I knew everything was going to be perfect. It’s what I’ve always wanted for her. It’s what I’ve hoped for. She is the closest person in my life, and I’m willing to share her with a standup guy who went through the motions of tradition. Though I wasn’t completely sold on his Buns, I appreciate the balls it took to come talk to me.” I re-lift my glass. “To Lea and Noa. Cheers.”
Lea’s biting down on her lip as tears shroud her eyes, and she mouths the words, “Thank you,” to me.
I nod my head and push a smile into the corners of my lips, trying not to lose any of my own tears. I feel like I didn’t let Mom and Dad down. I think they’d be proud right now—well, maybe prouder if we were in a different restaurant, but still.
“See, Lea, I told you she wasn’t as tough as she acts,” Noa says with a quick wink in my direction.
I give him the stink eye and return to my seat. As I slide back onto the cool cushion, I notice Denver looking over at our table, specifically at me. He’s standing in front of a table full of women ogling him, but he’s giving me a thumbs-up.
He heard all of that?My face ignites with heat, feeling exposed at the moment.
He returns his attention to the table and begins to take their order just as the lights dim slowly, as if someone were turning a dial.
The country music that was playing softly in the background goes mute, and the sound of a record scratch echoes through the restaurant.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats for our mid-evening entertainment, featuring our hot and spicy man buns.” I don’t know who was speaking through the microphone or loudspeaker, but the man has the deepest voice I’ve ever heard.
“Den, you’re up,” Noa yells over to him. “Lani has a mic for you at the bar.”
The other waiters join a confused-looking Denver up in front of the bar where he’s taking ahold of the microphone. I can’t even imagine what’s about to go down in here, but for some reason, I haven’t been this excited for as long as I can remember.
I
Like
Big
Buns
And
I cannot
Lie
The song starts off uncomfortably slower than it should, and I’m looking around at everyone, eager to see what happens next, assuming they haven’t seen this “show” before.
You other ladies …
The lyrics are different. How would Denver know what to sing? Not that it matters because the other three waiters are each in the process of picking out a random woman. My stomach falls into the pit of my stomach like a lead weight. Denver watches the other guys for a minute before realizing he needs to pick out a woman too. He doesn’t seem flustered or put off by this “show,” and it’s probably because he knows exactly what he’s about to do.
Make me just as uncomfortable as he probably is.
Can’t deny, that when a man walks in …
The other guys stop singing, and Denver is walking toward me as if this was preplanned, which I can’t imagine, seeing as he’s been working for approximately two hours now.
I want to hide under the table. I might be imagining a spotlight … or maybe I’m just seeing things, but there’s a mostly naked man walking toward me, and I’m definitely not imagining that.
I have tunnel vision, but I hear laughter from around me, and now I’m almost positive this is a setup. If it is, I’m the only one who wasn’t in on it.
Denver reaches for me, so I shove my hands under my legs and shake my head furiously. I’m thinking he wasn’t just a Marine, but maybe a male stripper somewhere because he knows exactly what he’s doing. The smile and the look in his eyes—stop it, stop it!
I can’t breathe.
I need air.
