“That’s Uncle Miles,” Noah says with a huff. He’s tired of correcting people.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Okay, as long as it’s okay with Uncle Miles.”
“Fine with me, just don’t tell Mom.”
She laughs, and I put in my order for a strawberry milkshake with extra whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. It’s not that Audrey will actually get mad at me or Noah for this, but I will get an eye roll or a scold for possibly spoiling his dinner.
I check my phone. I still don’t have a text from JJ. Who knows if he’s even still on shift? Or he could be out battling a fire. What a crazy thought… I’m here about to drink a milkshake and he could be risking his life. Wow.
Thankfully, there are milkshakes to distract Noah, and if we don’t get an answer by the time we leave, I’ll just tell him they’re too busy and we have to go another day. He’ll have to understand.
“Here you are,” the waitress says, putting down our milkshakes just a few minutes later.
“Whoa!” Noah says, his eyes going wide. His milkshake is almost the color of a chocolate bar with chocolate sauce drizzled on the inside of the glass and along the top. “That’s a lot of chocolate.”
The waitress winks. “You get what you ask for, cutie. Can I get you anything else?” she asks, looking at me.
“Just the check is fine, thank you.”
Nodding, she pulls her notepad from her apron pocket, writes something on it, then rips it off and hands it over. I glance at it, pull a twenty from my wallet, and leave it on top of the slip and slide it to her end of the bar. She grabs it when she walks by again.
“You can keep the change,” I say with a smile.
“Thank you so much. Enjoy your milkshakes.”
My phone vibrates on the counter.
“Is that him?” Noah asks, bouncing in his seat. He has chocolate all over his mouth.
My screen is lit up, and JJ’s name is right there.
“Is it? Is it?” Noah pushes.
“Hold on, Noah,” I laugh, holding the phone up so it catches my face to unlock it.
JJ’s text comes up.
JJ:
Come by whenever. I’m here until tomorrow morning. If I’m out, let them know you’re here for me. They’ll get you comfortable.
“He said we can go by,” I say to Noah.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” he says, wiggling his body and reaching for his milkshake.
“But that doesn’t mean down the whole thing. You’ll get a brain freeze.”
That doesn’t stop him. He still sucks it down. The little bugger doesn’t get a brain freeze though.
Me:
We’re at the diner down the street from the school. Can I bring you anything to eat?
I stare at my phone, idly sipping my milkshake as I wait for JJ to answer. Noah is sucking on his straw, the slurping sound loud and so very annoying.
“Noah,” I say. “I think it’s empty.”
He puts it down, then pats his belly.
