“Oh, please! She’s so into you!” She sits up on the couch, cats pawing at her because she stopped petting them. “You guys would be theitcouple! Like rule the school couple.”
“We aren’t in high school anymore, that’s just weird.”
Kate scoffs at me, “Whatever, now what are you going to do?”
I put Frankie in her carrier, adjusting her sweater and placing her catnip toy at the bottom. She scratches at the catnip frog, rolling over onto her back, flashing me her pink, fat gut—all modesty gone. I watch as she plays without a care in the world, the question Kate asked me putting a sinking feeling into my heart. “I don’t know.”
“Ugh, are you afraid of the rules? Is that why you’re so hesitant?”
Heading toward the door, Frankie in tow. “Yes, actually. That is exactly why.” The irritation in my voice is obvious as Kate follows on my heels.
“You have got to be joking. What are they going to do,fire you?”
We leave the daycare and turn down the sidewalk towards Wafflin’. It was a breezy autumn day, having rained just the night before, and every business on the strip was taking full advantage of the perfect weather. Jodie had her salon door propped open with a sign promoting her usualHalloween Special - Wash and Trim 40% off.
We walked past the salon and continued in the direction of Wafflin’, waving at Jodie as she trimmed a baseball player’s mullet, then at a sister from Three Sisters’ Cleaning sitting at a table outside their entrance taking a smoke break, Frankie hisses at the cigarette fumes. We stop as a few students run out of Ken’s Sporting Goods with shiny new cleats and pads slung over their shoulders. My heart tugging at each person I see, memories filling my brain as we mosey down to the dead end where Wafflin’ sits perpendicular to the rest of the street.
“They could,” I finally respond to Kate as we walk into the diner. Theycouldfire me.
“I call bull. There’s no way Mr. Clinton would want to lose you. Not with everything you do for him, and for that school. You are the sole reason the place is still standing,” she says, picking a table for us to sit at.
“That’s a stretch,” I say, sliding into the booth, setting Frankie on the floor.
“I’m serious.” She opens the menu to peruse. I don’t know why she even opens it, she gets the same thing every time:Vegan spicy waffle with avocado.“And I’m confident he would go to bat for you if you wanted him to.”
“What am I supposed to do?” I ask, not looking up from the menu. “Tell him I’m in love with the new hire and he should let me break the rules?” I laugh at myself. “That’s insane. The man would do a lot, but that is pushing it.”
Nancy, the oldest of the Wafflin’ employees, approaches the table and sets down two mugs. “Hiya, sweeties. What’ll it be?”
“Can I get the special, with no onions,” I respond, as Nancy hands me the decanter to fill my own cup. She learned early on to just leave the pot at my table until I pay the ticket, it saves her a few steps.
“Good choice. Kate, what can I get ya?”
Kate doesn’t respond. I look up after filling my cup to see she’s just staring at me—like a lunatic.
“Kate? Are you alright, dear?” Nancy asks.
I widen my eyes at her to answer the little woman who just had hip surgery so she could go sit down, Kate doesn’t speak. “Give her the usual.” I smile at Nancy.
“Extra avocado this time,” Nancy whispers to me, giving me a wink as she scribbles down our order. Her pace is slow and cautious as she walks back to the counter.
“What is wrong with you?” I whisper at Kate, who is still bug-eyed.
“Did—uh—” she stutters.
“Please don’t be having a stroke. This is not the place.” I cross my arms as she tries to make her brain communicate with her vocal chords.
“Did you say . . .” she whispers, leaning halfway across the table, “youloveher?”
OhGod.
“Umm . . .” Flustered and mentally punching myself for not thinking before I speak, “I, uhh, didn’t mean it that way. I was just, ya know.”
I take a huge swig of coffee, shrugging as if this conversation means nothing to me. I reposition in my seat, tapping the table, straightening the napkins, doing anything I can to avoid making eye contact with Kate. The clear physical response of a nonchalant man who spoke too fast and meant nothing by it.
Nothing to misconstrue here.
Just good ole Benny, putting his foot in his mouth.
