by Jiffy Kate
“I do.”
“I know, which is why I’m here.”
“You’re here.”
“I am.”
The smile on her face is everything. It means she’s not mad about the business plan. It means she wants me involved. It means there’s hope and that’s all I want. Well, it’s not all I want, but it’s enough for now.
“I have to meet with my father in a few minutes, but I’d love to discuss this with you.”
“Right, well, I can come back,” she says, the nervous edge is back and I hate it. I want so badly to tell her exactly how I feel about her and exactly what this means to me that she’s here asking for my help, but I don’t have time to properly convey those feelings. I need more time. I need more privacy.
“How about we have dinner? At my place?”
I remember a stupid business dinner I have tonight and it pisses me off, but I can’t cancel. My father flew in all the way from New York just to be here for it. I have to be there. There’s no way out of it.
“Okay. Tonight?” she asks, her eyes darting around my office and then back at me.
“I can’t tonight, but how about tomorrow night? I can pick you up at your apartment or the diner.”
“I’ll be working until 6:00.”
“Perfect, I’ll pick you up at 6:00.”
She picks the envelope back up off my desk and sticks it in her bag, but I can tell she’s stalling. I hope it’s because she feels the same pull I feel. I hope it’s because she’s back in the same room with me and she doesn’t want to leave, because that’s what I’m feeling.
“My mom left me some money,” she blurts out. “It’s not a lot, but I think it might be enough to get my business started. I don’t want you to think I’m just back here looking for a handout.”
“Never,” I tell her. I’d never think that about her. “But that’s great.”
“Yeah, like I said, it’s not a lot, but it’s something.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out the best way to use it. I’m really good at making an investment stretch.” I smile at her, hoping to give her some assurance that this is right—she did the right thing coming here.
“So, tomorrow night at 6:00?”
“Yes, and if by some chance you get off early, let me know. I’ll be there.”
“Okay.”
“Do you need a ride home?” I ask, because I can’t help myself. The diner isn’t that far, but her apartment is, and I don’t want her walking.
“I’m going to the diner. I have to let Mack know I’m back.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Thank you,” she says with a hesitant smile.
“No need to thank me.”
With that, she walks out, quietly shutting the door behind her and I want to run after her, but I don’t—I can’t. She came back. She came to me. She’ll be there tomorrow. I’m going to be patient and take my time.
Kadi is worth the wait.
Chapter 9
Kadi
Sitting in my apartment, I look around at my things—every materialistic piece I have in my life, everything that makes up my space—and I feel happy to be back. I know it’s not much to most people, but it’s mine… it represents the life I’ve created for myself. And yeah, my life isn’t easy, but it’s mine.
There’ve been several times over the past couple of weeks where I’ve found myself comparing my life with my mother’s. I know there’s similarities—we both left Humble, we both chased a dream.
But I’m not like her.
She was never satisfied, never content.
I’m content, even in my struggles.
I’m content being back at this apartment.
I’m content going to work in the morning at the diner.
I’m content knowing that even though Nathan and I aren’t where we were a month ago, we’re talking.
It’s been a long day, starting with my bus ride home and then going to Nathan’s office and then to the diner. It took a lot out of me showing up at Nathan’s office unannounced. I was so nervous and out of my comfort zone, but after I read his letter and saw what he had put together for me, I had to see him. I had to know if he was serious about helping me, because as I sat on the bus and read through the dozens of documents he prepared, a plan started building and that spark began to grow.
For the first time, I saw what could be. And for the first time, it felt attainable.
Turning over in bed, I look at my alarm clock and think about calling Nathan, just to hear his voice, but I don’t. If he wanted to talk, he’d call.
In his note, he mentioned being friends. I hope one day he wants more than that.
I want him to love me like I love him. I know this is love. The squeeze in my chest every time I’m around him. The flutter in my stomach when he’s near or I merely think of him. The way he consumes my thoughts. The fact that I can’t imagine a future without him in it.
It’s love.
I know I should tell him.
I know my dad said it’s worth it.
And I believe him.
But I’m still scared.
Eventually, I drift off to sleep, back in my bed, in my space, and it feels good. So good that I sleep through my alarm the next morning.
After quickly showering and dressing in my uniform, I practically run down the sidewalks, making my way to the diner. It’s my first day back in two weeks and I can’t be late. Even though I have plans of leaving the diner, I can’t afford to be out of work. I doubt Mack would fire me for being late one day, but I can’t risk it.
The money I had saved up from selling pies will go to my rent for the month, and there won’t be much left over.
When I fly in the back door, Mack is humming away at the counter, chopping vegetables. He doesn’t look up at me, but I see the smile on his face when he asks, “what kind of pie are you making today?”
I smile back at his bowed head and reply, “I was thinking chocolate and maybe a lemon, those always sell well.”
“Sounds good.”
We don’t exchange any other words, just fall back into our comfortable silence of working side-by-side and it’s exactly what I need. I think about mentioning my plan for opening my own shop, but I decide to wait. I want to tell LuAnne first. She’ll know how to break it to Mack.
As I’m pulling the pies out of the oven, LuAnne walks in the back door and in a very un-LuAnne move she walks over and wraps me in a hug, squeezing me tightly.
“Damn, I missed you. Don’t leave me like that again, okay? New Girl almost killed me while you were gone, but thank the Lord Carla’s kids stayed well. Not sure how we would’ve managed without you if they hadn’t. We’ve got to get another waitress hired,” she yells loudly so Mack can hear.
“I’m glad you missed me,” I tease, retying my apron and smoothing my hair back. The breakfast crowd will be filing in any time now.
“You’ve definitely got job security. Everybody that came in here was disappointed when we didn’t have pie on the menu. I almost had one lady walk out on me. Finally talked her into Mack’s Bananas Foster French Toast, but it was touch and go there for a second.”
Laughing, I feel grateful to be back, but I can’t help the nagging sense of guilt setting in for what I’m about to tell LuAnne.
But I don’t get a chance before the door chimes and the diner comes to life.
I completely lose track of time, distracted with orders and being back in my normal routine, so I’m caught off guard when I look up to see a familiar head of dark hair sitting at Table 10.
Nerves take over my body. I don’t know why. I mean, I’m sure he’s just here for pie, but he hasn’t been here since everything fell apart with us. So, it feels huge that he’s sitting in his usual spot.
Playing it cool, I walk up to him, taking out my order pad even though I know what he’s going to order before I ask.
“Good morning,” I say, breaking the ice and making him
look up at me. His dark eyes are bright and alive and the smirk on his face makes my knees go weak. He’s always had this effect on me, but now that I know what promises lie beneath his stares and smirks, it’s multiplied, just like the butterflies in my stomach.
“Good morning.” His greeting comes out a lot more seductive than mine—low and warm like honey.
I clear my throat, having flashbacks of the first time I waited on him. We’ve experienced a lot since then, come so far... only for me to ruin everything.
“What can I get for you?” I ask before I have a chance to mess this up.
“What kind of pie do you have this morning?” he asks, turning in his seat to face me. The way his arm is propped up on the back of his chair pulls his suit jacket open and the fitted button-down shirt pulls tightly across his chest. A chest I’ve seen… a chest I’ve admired… up close and personal.
“We have lemon,” I tell him, barely registering the words that come out of my mouth. I don’t even give him the option of chocolate, because I know he’ll choose lemon.
“I’ll take that.”
“And coffee,” I add.
“Yes.”
“I’ll be right back.” My words come out flustered because that’s how I feel, flustered and completely undone, all thanks to him.
Hurrying to the kitchen, I walk to the back counter and brace my hands on the edge, drinking in air that doesn’t smell like Nathan Hendricks… air that doesn’t make every cell in my body jump with awareness.
“What’s got you all worked up?” LuAnne asks, carrying an armful of dirty dishes to the sink.
“I’ll give you one guess.”
She peeks her head out the door and then walks over to me, leaning against the counter beside me.
“He came here while you were gone,” she says with a thoughtful expression.
“Did you tell him about my mother?”
“Yeah, I know it wasn’t my business, but he seemed genuinely concerned. And I know how you were acting before you left. I was tired of all the pussy-footing around.”
I continue to breathe deeply and get myself under control while I slice a generous piece of lemon pie and put it on a plate.
“He loves you.”
“What?” I ask, jerking my head up to look at her.
“He loves you. I can see it and if you can’t, you’re blind.”
“I… we’re…” I struggle for words.
“Yeah, yeah. Save it,” she says with a sigh. “Better get that man his pie. He’s been very patient.”
I don’t reply. I don’t have time to entertain LuAnne’s crazy ideas. What would she know about love anyway?
Walking back out to Nathan’s table, I set the pie down along with a steaming cup of coffee.
“Can I get you anything else?”
Nathan chuckles quietly, staring down at his pie and then back at me. “I can think of several things, but this pie will do for now.”
“Okay.” I feel like there’s an innuendo there, but I can’t allow myself to go there. Today is already going to be a long day, thinking about meeting him tonight for dinner. I don’t need any added distractions.
“I’m really glad you’re back,” he says, cutting his fork into the pie.
I need to leave before that pie hits his mouth, because if I have to listen to…
“Mmmm,” he groans in appreciation. “So good.”
“I’ll be back to check on you in a minute,” I manage to mutter, turning to leave before he can say or do another thing to make me lose my mind.
“Need something?” Mack asks as I walk up to the window, trying to remember what I should be doing.
A cold shower.
My mind back.
“No, I uh… do you have the order up for table eight?”
“Kristen already took it out,” he says, continuing to make omelettes and fry bacon.
“Who?”
“Kristen, New Girl.”
“Oh, right.”
I turn to see the new waitress that had just hired on before I left and I notice she’s carrying a full tray without dropping it. Major improvement. Maybe she’ll make it here after all.
Like a good waitress, I busy myself by tending to my customers, still giving a little something extra to the gorgeous man at Table 10. Thankfully, or maybe regretfully, he finishes his pie and coffee and sees himself out. I watch him leave, appreciating the view, but nearly melt into a puddle when he turns around and blinds me with his smile. I don’t know if he knows it, but it should be illegal. No one should be that stunning, but he is and I’m ruined.
After the lunch rush is over, LuAnne and I are in the kitchen spraying down dishes and loading the washer, and I decide now is as good of a time as any to tell her about my plan.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” I tell her, putting the last few plates into the tray to be washed.
“What’s up?” she asks.
“So, you remember that package Nathan sent me, before I got the call from my dad?”
“Oh yeah, did you ever open it?” She gathers the towels we’ve used throughout the day and throws them in the dirty laundry hamper by the back door.
“Yeah, took me a while, but I finally opened it.”
“And?”
“It was business plan.”
“A what?”
“A business plan, like for me to open my own pie shop. He thinks I could make a business out of it.”
“Huh,” she says thoughtfully. “So, all you’d sell would be pies?”
“Right, like a bakery, but just pies.”
“I could see that.”
“Really?” I ask, because I thought LuAnne would shoot me down in a heartbeat. Being the realist, I figured she wouldn’t want me to take a risk on something like this.
“Yeah, sure. Look at all those rich ladies who buy them. And we all love them. There’s hardly ever anything left here at the diner. Like I told you earlier, everyone was very unhappy about no pies while you were gone. I think you should do it.”
“Really?” I ask again, still surprised she’s being so supportive. Maybe I was secretly hoping she’d tell me I’m crazy so I’d have a reason to think things through a little longer.
“Sure, but how are you gonna pay for something like that? Don’t tell me you changed your mind about Mr. Hendricks funding your life.”
“No,” I tell her firmly.
She laughs, untying her apron and tossing it on the counter. “I still think you’re crazy for not jumping on that, but I understand you wanting to do things on your own. So, again, how are you planning on paying for something like that? You can’t just rent a place on your good looks… and let’s not get started on the cost for supplies and equipment. We both know none of that is cheap.”
“Right, well, my mother made me her sole beneficiary of her life insurance policy.”
“You’re shittin’ me.” She pauses mid-step, turning around to face me with her mouth hanging open in shock.
“No, I know it’s nuts. I didn’t even know she’d have the forethought to have a life insurance policy, let alone make me the beneficiary. I figured if she had anything like that it’d go to one of her eight husbands or at least to my dad. But she left it to me.” Even as the words leave my mouth, I’m still a bit in disbelief. But my dad called me last night and said he’d already heard from the life insurance company and that they should be contacting me soon. He already took care of sending in the death certificate and told me I should get a check within the month.
“Pigs must be flyin’.”
I laugh, shaking my head. I love LuAnne and I love her even more for being onboard with my plan.
“So, what do you have to do first?”
“I don’t know. I’m meeting with Nathan tonight for dinner to discuss everything.”
“You’re letting him help you?”
“Yeah, I know everything about pies, but I don’t know the first thing about business.”
“Look
at you,” LuAnne says with a proud, beaming smile.
“What?”
She shakes her head and leans over for a side hug. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” I reply, resting my head on her shoulder. “Is Mack going to be pissed at me for leaving?”
“You leave Mack to me,” LuAnne says, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
The way LuAnne says that makes me pause. She’s always had a way with Mack, but there’s something familiar in her tone. “LuAnne, is there something I should know about you and Mack?”
“You know I’m not one to talk,” she mumbles, busying herself with a few cans Mack left out on the counter.
“LuAnne,” I warn, because I’m getting ready to start digging. She never leaves my private life alone. Why should I leave hers alone? Besides, I’ve always worried about both of them being lonely. It’d be nice to know they’re not. No judgment here. We’re all grown adults.
“What do you want to know?” she asks, her words and tone clipped.
“Nothing you don’t want to tell me,” I reply, hands raised in surrender. I also don’t want to be on LuAnne’s bad side, so if this is a touchy subject, I can let it go. For now.
“I’ll make you a deal,” she says in a hushed tone, leaning across the counter between us. “You come clean about your true feelings for Nathan and I’ll let you in on my little secret.”
We lock eyes for a second. She already knows how I feel about Nathan, so I don’t know why she’s forcing me to say it, but I would like the dirt on her and Mack, so I finally break. “I love him.”
For some reason, it was easy to say and that shocks me. Maybe it’s because I’ve thought so much about it over the past couple of days, but it’s not as hard to say aloud as I thought it would be.
LuAnne gives me a knowing smile. “Now, when are you going to tell him that?”
“I don’t know, but that wasn’t part of the deal.” I follow her to the other side of the kitchen, taking the broom from her hand. “Spill.”
“We’re…” she lingers on the word, searching for the right thing to say.
“Fuck buddies,” I offer, my cheeks turning pink at the words that just came out of my mouth, but I can’t help it. I laugh when LuAnne’s eyes grow wide and she swats me with her discarded apron.
