Page 76 of Dirty

“You are breathtaking. I just want you to know that. Treat your spouse well. If he’s worth the salt in his sweat, he’ll return the favor.”

I smiled. “Thank you. And, I will.”

The lunch rush continued for some time, and when I looked back at Silicon Valley’s table, he was gone.

I dropped off a drink order, and walked past his table to pick up his bill holder. Inside was a note written on the back of one of the receipts, and five $100 bills.

My jaw dropped. His bill was slightly less than $50.

I glanced over each shoulder, and then picked up the note. He’d written it in cursive, and the penmanship was perfect.

Once in a great while we encounter someone that has a particular presence about them that doesn’t allow us to dismiss them from memory any time soon. You’re one of those people.

Thank you for making my meal memorable.

Take your spouse out on me with a portion of this money. Without doubt, he recognizes your beauty no differently than I have.

Sorry if my honesty made you uncomfortable.

If your situation ever changes, or if you ever get in a legal jam, feel free to give me a ring.

Warm Regards,

Jay Parsons

239 336 4040

I looked around the restaurant.

He was nowhere to be found.

My heart swelled with pride. I realized he wasn’t anything but a man who was blatantly honest about what he felt.

In a sense, he was me.

A person with no filter.

I wondered what the legal jam part was about, but wasn’t about to call him and find out. I grinned and shoved the money, and the note, into my apron; knowing I’d cherish the note forever.

In an hour, the rush was over and Sandy and I were in the break room.

“That was insane,” Sandy said. “We’ve never been that busy. Did you see the line to get in?”

“I couldn’t help but see it. It was out the door, and in front of the window.”

“Good shift?” she asked.

Including the tip Silicon Valley left, I had made just shy of $1,100. “It was great, yeah.”

I picked up my phone and sent Adam a text, telling him about the tip, and that I wanted to take him to dinner.

At the end of the shift, he hadn’t replied.

I wasn’t concerned, he often didn’t reply when he was at work, and I expected he was immersed in his new project. The house in La Jolla was very important to him. He said it exposed him to an all new clientele, and the income from the jobs in that neighborhood would be four times what he was accustomed to.

“Want to go get a drink somewhere?” Sandy asked.

“I think Adam and I are going to go out to eat tonight, but I can go for a little bit. Until he texts me back, anyway,” I said.