After Midnight

by Lacy Hart

“What are you doing?” she asked as she reached into her purse for her car keys.

  “I’m going to the diner,” I told her. “What are you doing?”

  “I was going there, too. Get in the car.”

  “Linda, the diner is a ten-minute walk at most,” I told her. “It’s ridiculous to take your car. Besides, this time of night on a Saturday you are never getting a parking spot there.”

  “Fine,” Linda said, tossing her keys back into her purse. “But I’m counting on you to protect me.”

  “Protect you from what? A stray raccoon getting a late-night meal?”

  “Do you really think there are any raccoons out there?” Linda said, hesitating at the top of the driveway.

  “When did you get so soft?” I told her as I grabbed her arm and started to walk with her. “You used to beat up all the boys in the neighborhood without batting an eye.”

  “That was a long time ago now, Caleb. I’m a refined lady now,” she said as she tossed her hair back and smiled.

  We walked along up to Oak Street, with Linda getting skittish at every little sound she heard or thought she heard, along the streets. She was grateful when we got to Oak Street, and there were more street lights to light the way. The streets of Swanson were busy with college kids out and about, hitting all the spots that might offer food or drinks or both. When we got to the diner, we could see the parking lot was full, and there were even some people milling around in the lobby like they were waiting for tables.

  I walked in and up to the front register, and there was Doug, smiling away, happy to see all the business in his place.

  “Well hello there!” he said happily when he saw me. “It’s nice to see you again. And who is this lovely lady you have with you?”

  Linda blushed and smiled when Doug said this, running her hands through her hair.

  “It’s my sister,” I told him. “I don’t suppose you have room for the two of us? I can see you’re pretty busy with people waiting outside.”

  “Oh, those are kids looking for the big tables to sit together. I can seat the two of you, no problem,” Doug said as he picked up two menus and began to lead us to the back dining room. I scanned the room and didn’t see Sarah anywhere.

  Doug sat us at a booth, waiting for Linda to slide in before handing the menu to her and smiling.

  “Let me know if I can get you anything,” Doug said to us, though he was saying it more to Linda than to me.

  Linda nodded and smiled as Doug walked away.

  “Well he was certainly nice,” Linda said to me as she opened the menu.

  “He’s the owner,” I told her. “He’s supposed to be nice to everyone.”

  “Don’t spoil it for me, Caleb,” Linda chided. “it’s not often I get to hear a man say nice things to me.”

  I opened the menu, still taking time to look around to see if I saw Sarah anywhere. I hadn't come across her yet and decided to look at the menu to see if there is something I wanted.

  Linda and I busied ourselves looking at the menus when suddenly someone appeared beside our table. I looked up with enthusiasm but was a little disappointed when I saw it was Francesca.

  “Hey there, sweetie,” she said to me, beaming. “It’s great to see you here tonight.”

  “Hi, Francesca,” I said to her politely, placing the menu down. Francesca could see I was looking past her. “Is Sarah here tonight?”

  I could see the disappointment on her face when I asked about Sarah.

  “Yeah, she is, but she’s working the other room tonight, so I guess you’re stuck with me,” Francesca said, still trying to act flirty. “Can I get you two something to drink while you decide?”

  I looked over at Linda so she could order first.

  “I’ll have sweet tea, please,” she said as she went back to flipping through the menu pages.

  “Unsweetened tea for me, please,” I said to Francesca.

  “Be back in a minute,” she said as she sashayed away from the table.

  “So, we’re not going to see Sarah?” Linda said, looking saddened.

  “Maybe not,” I told her. “They are pretty busy tonight. Sorry about that,” I told her, though part of me was glad that I wouldn’t have to sit through an exchange between Sarah and Linda.

  A moment later, Sarah appeared, walking over to our table with drinks and a smile.

  “Hi,” she said to me. She placed the one glass down in front of me and the other in front of Linda, making sure to smile at Linda.

  “Hi. I didn’t think I would get to see you tonight.”

  “We are crazy busy tonight,’ Sarah said to me. “But Fran told me you were sitting over here with someone, so she switched off with me. I gave her one of my big tables. She’ll like the tip.”

  Sarah glanced back over at Linda and then back at me.

  “Sarah, this is my sister, Linda,” I told her. “Linda, this is Sarah.”

  Sarah breathed a little sigh of relief and laughed.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Linda,” she said and then turned back to me. “Fran told me you were sitting here with a woman and I…, well it doesn’t matter. I was being silly I guess.”

  “Oh… well, I would have come by myself but Linda, she kind of…”

  Linda cut me off.

  “What my little brother means is that he lost at cards to me and had to take me out for dinner, so here we are.”

  “Lost at cards, huh?” Sarah giggled. “Caleb, I thought you were the master of everything.”

  “Ha!” Linda laughed loudly. “Hardly. I can tell you all kinds of stories about him. Why I remember when he was ten…”

  “Okay, Linda,” I interrupted, wanting to end this quickly. “There’s no need to bore Sarah with stories about me. What would you like to eat? Get whatever you want so we can get some food in your mouth.”

  “Hmmm,” Linda said, looking back over the menu again. “I think I’ll have the turkey club sandwich on rye.”

  “Got it,” Sarah said. “How about you, Caleb? My choice or yours tonight?”

  I could feel Linda staring at me, and suddenly I felt flustered just trying to order something to eat.

  “I’ll have the BLT please,” I said to her. I realized I had polished off my iced tea already from nervousness thanks to my sister.

  “And a refill on your tea?” Sarah said, taking the glass from my hand so that our fingers touched.

  “Please.”

  “Great. I’ll be back in a bit.” Sarah walked off to get my refill while I scowled across the table at Linda.

  “Very smooth, little brother,’ Linda said to me.

  “I knew this was a bad idea,” I muttered.

  “You compose yourself while I go to the ladies’ room,” Linda said as she slid out of the booth and walked off.

  Sarah came back with a tall glass of iced tea for me and placed it down on the table.

  “Your sister seems like fun,” Sarah told me.

  “Yeah, she’s a real hoot,” I answered.

  Sarah leaned down and whispered in my ear.

  “I think it’s cute the way you got all flustered,” and then she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I could feel my face get warm right away. Sarah grinned and walked away from the table to go back to work.

  The kiss on the cheek made my night, and I was glad Linda wasn’t here to see it. It took her a bit to get back to the table, and when she came back, I noticed she had a big smile on her face and was looking back towards the entrance.

  “What took you so long?” I asked her.

  “Oh, well there was a line at the bathroom. This place is crawling with college kids now. So, I was chatting with the owner while I waited. He is such a nice gentleman. He was asking about me, what I did, how I knew you, if I was seeing anyone…”

  “He was hitting on you?”

  “I wouldn’t say it so crudely, Caleb,” Linda replied. “We were having a nice, friendly conversation. Maybe a little flirting took place.”

  Lind
a took a long sip of her iced tea and smiled at me while I just shook my head.

  “So, he wasn’t scared off that you are a lawyer?”

  “No, actually he was interested. He said he could use some good legal advice.”

  “I’ll bet he can.”

  Sarah appeared again with our meals, placing Linda’s sandwich, piled high with turkey, in front of her, and then sliding my BLT in front of me.

  “Can I get you guys anything else?” Sarah asked me.

  “I think we’re good,” I said, smiling at Sarah.

  “Okay, if you need anything, track me down. Enjoy!” Sarah said as she raced off again.

  Linda dove into her turkey club, eating it like a lion tears into a gazelle. There was no disputing that when she was hungry, there was no stopping her. I looked at her in amazement when most of the sandwich was gone, and I had barely taken a few bites of mine.

  “What?” she said as she swallowed another bite. “I’m hungry! I’m not used to waiting to eat until this late at night. I get cranky if I don’t get my meals at regular times, Caleb. You know that.”

  Linda polished off her sandwich, fries, coleslaw, and pickle and then helped herself to my coleslaw and what was left of my fries. I was glad my hands moved away from the plate fast enough before she took a bite out of me.

  By the time Sarah came back to clear the plates, all the food was gone. Sarah grabbed the empty plates and asked if we wanted anything else. Before I could say no, Linda chimed in.

  “Do you have any seven-layer cake?” she asked.

  “Yes, we do,” Sarah replied.

  “Caleb, let’s get some. It was always one of your favorites.”

  “Okay,” I said resignedly. “Two pieces of seven-layer cake, Sarah, please, and coffee too.”

  Sarah laughed as she walked off to get the cake. She returned quickly with two big slices of cake and placed them down on the table along with our cups of coffee. No sooner had Sarah placed the forks down when Linda attacked her piece of cake, savoring every bite she took. I did manage to get one or two bites of cake before she decided to help herself to most of my piece as well. When Linda looked up at me, she had a long smear of chocolate just under her bottom lip. Naturally, I didn’t tell her about it.

  Sarah came back over with the check and slid it onto the table. Linda just looked at it and then looked at me, assuming I was paying since I had lost at rummy. I grabbed the check and smiled at Sarah.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t really have time to chat with you two,” she said apologetically. “We’re just so busy tonight I barely get ten seconds to breathe.”

  “It’s okay,” I said to her. “I think I am better off anyway. Goodness knows what might happen if Linda had time to talk to you.”

  Before Sarah could say anything else, we heard the familiar ding of the bell from the kitchen.

  “I have to run, that’s me,” she said hurriedly. “Linda, it was nice to meet you!”

  I grabbed the check and left a tip on the table and waved to Linda for her to get up. We walked over to the register, where Doug had just finished ringing up some teenagers. Linda smiled widely at him as we got up to the register.

  “How was everything?” Doug asked Linda as I handed him the check.

  “Just wonderful,” she said coyly. “You have fantastic food here, Doug.”

  “Why thank you, Linda,” Doug answered politely as he handed me my change. “I guess you liked our cake,” he said smiling at Linda.

  “I did,” she replied. “How did you know we had cake?”

  “Well, you have some here on your chin,” Doug said. He whipped his handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and gently wiped the chocolate off Linda’s chin for her.

  Linda was mortified and looked at me, while I could barely contain my laughter.

  Linda marched out the front door, with Doug yelling behind her that he hoped to see her soon. I saw Sarah walking by before I walked out and stopped her.

  “Can I come by at six to walk you home?” I asked her.

  “I was counting on it,” she told me as she put her hand on my right forearm. “See you later,” she said with a sly smile.

  I nodded to Doug and walked out, finding Linda standing there on the sidewalk, tapping her left foot rapidly on the pavement.

  I walked over to her, and she immediately punched me in the arm. Linda always threw a good punch, and it was probably harder than I had been hit in a long time.

  “You jerk!” she said to me as I laughed. “You let me walk up to him with chocolate all over my face!”

  “At least he knows you like the food,” I told her as she hit me again.

  We began our slow walk home without Linda saying much before she chimed in.

  “I didn’t get to talk to her much, but Sarah seems very nice, Caleb.”

  “I think she is too.”

  “She obviously likes you too if she was jealous enough to switch tables to see who you were sitting with,” Linda said.

  “I guess so.”

  “Does that mean you are going to ask her out?” Linda asked me.

  I walked along a bit without answering, moving myself a little bit ahead of Linda, so she had to scurry to catch up to me.

  “Are you going to answer me?” Linda said, pushing me with her shoulder.

  “I would like to, yes,” I finally said.

  “Oh, that’s so great Caleb. I am so happy for you! Where are you going to take her? There are some nice places you can go for dinner.”

  “I don’t know. I think I’ll ask her if there’s anything she might like to do. She doesn’t get much free time to herself.”

  “It would be better if you had a plan, Caleb. I’ll see if I can come up with some choices for you,” Linda said to me as we reached the driveway.

  “Great, you can be my social director too,” I answered.

  “Geez, it’s nearly 1 AM,” Linda said, letting out a small yawn. “I don’t know how you do this staying up late thing. I need to get to bed.” Linda gave me a hug. “Thanks for dinner, little brother. And, really, I am glad that you found someone.”

  “Thanks, Linda,” I said as we broke the hug.

  “And if she can put up with you make sure you don’t piss her off. We need to keep her around and happy, for all our sakes,” Linda said as she walked towards the house.

  “Go to bed, old lady,” I yelled as I walked up to my apartment. I could see that Linda raised her hand and gave me the finger as she kept walking.

  I made it up to my apartment, took off my sneakers and relaxed. I had five hours to kill before seeing Sarah again, so I set the alarm on my phone for 5 AM again to wake me up in case I fell asleep. I walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. I noticed the picture on my nightstand, a picture of me, Adam, and Ella taken about a year before she passed away.

  I picked up the frame and held the picture for a moment, and it made me wonder if what I was doing right now was the right thing. I hadn’t felt this happy at all in the last two years or so since she was gone. Part of me still felt guilty, but I think what Adam had said to me was right – Ella wouldn’t want me to be sad about her forever.

  I put the picture back down and blew her a kiss.

  16

  Sarah

  Saturday night turned out to be one of the most exhausting nights I have had in a while. There was a constant stream of customers from the time I arrived at 10 PM Saturday night until quitting time rolled around at 6 AM Sunday morning. I slumped onto the couch in the break room, pushing aside Francesca’s legs on the couch so I could sit down. The push seemed to rouse her from the quick sleep she had fallen into.

  “My feet are killing me,” Francesca said with a grunt. She sat up next to me and put her head on my shoulder.

  “Mine too,” I added. “Today is one day where I wish I had my car, so I could drive home.”

  Justin had come into the breakroom, opening his locker and grabbing his jacket so he could head home.

  “I c
an give you a ride home if you want Sarah,” he said to me.

  “Oh, thanks, Justin, that’s sweet of you, but Caleb is coming by to walk me home this morning.”

  Justin looked over at me and smiled, and Francesca lifted her head off my shoulder to look at me.

  “You two have something going?” Francesca asked me.

  “No… I mean, I don’t know, maybe,” I told her, with Justin taking an interest in what I was saying. “We haven’t gone out on a date or anything, but we’ve become… close.”