The dinner crowd had already arrived when Sam and Junior got to the restaurant. There was a small line already outside. Junior was unsure about the wait.
“Is it like this every night?” he asked her while they walked toward the crowd.
“Oh, this is nothing. On some nights, there’s a line two or three times that size. I wouldn’t be surprised if Steve asks me to work a couple hours.”
Junior glanced at her sideways. “Seriously?”
With pursed lips, she looked at him and nodded, “Yeah, but he wouldn’t be serious. At least if he asks, I hope not. I told him I needed tonight off, but I will have to work several nights at least while you are here. I’m one of his head chefs so I couldn’t get the whole week off. Come on. Let’s go in the back door.”
“Ahh, the privilege of being one of the elite,” he joked.
Sam laughed as they walked past the line and headed towards the back of the restaurant. Once inside they could hear the hustle and bustle of orders being called out and dishes and pots and pans creating clatter. She told him to watch where he was walking.
“Sometimes, the floor can be a little slick and neither of us are wearing appropriate shoes to be walking in this way. I have no doubt Tonya will fuss at me for this.”
On their way through the kitchen the dishwasher and cooks and prep cooks all hollered at her. She waved as they walked through and Junior noticed one of the cooks giving Sam an admiring eye. When they walked through the swinging doors that separated the kitchen and the dining room he saw the entire place packed with customers; the wait staff were busy.
“Come on, let’s wait over here out of the way,” she told him and motioned for him to follow. “I don’t see Steve so he may have taken the night off or had to run somewhere for something.”
Junior followed Sam until they were at the end of the bar and they sat where they had a clear view of the entire dining room. A moment later one of the bartenders greeted them.
“Junior, this is Tibet. He’s the lead bartender here.”
“How you doing?” Tibet asked and shook Junior’s hand.
“I’m good, thank you,” Junior replied with awe.
Sam couldn’t help giggling at Junior as she watched him. She told Tibet they would take a glass of sweet tea for now. He nodded and smiled at her as he walked away.
“That guy is huge. He should be a bouncer.”
“He used to be, but he got tired of it, from what he told me. He went to school to be a bartender and now he’s been here for a couple of years. The best we have, plus if it’s needed he can use his size to throw someone out, but so far that hasn’t happened.”
A moment later, Tibet set their drinks in front of them and gave Junior a quick, but serious look before he turned away. Junior raised his eyebrows and looked at Sam. By the look on his face she started laughing as she tried to take a sip of her drink and almost spit it on herself.
“What was that look from him for?” he asked nervously.
“Don’t take him serious. He hasn’t said or done anything, but from what I hear from a couple of the waitresses, I think he has feelings for me.”
“Great, that’s comforting.”
Shaking her head, she assured him it meant nothing. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not looking and even if I was I couldn’t be with a giant.”
“Hey, you two!” Tonya’s voice resonated over the sound of customers as she walked over to them. “How did you get in here past me?”
Tonya wrapped her arms around Sam then Junior and smiled. They hugged her back and Junior was thrilled to see another old friend.
“If I tell you, you’ll get mad, so I won’t,” Sam told her with a slight grin.
“You came in the back way, didn’t you? You know Uncle Steve would have a fit over that. It’s a safety risk. Hey, Junior how was your flight?”
Grinning at the two of them, he replied, “It was good, and hey back. How are you? It’s been too long.”
Sitting down at the bar with them she wiped her hair from her face and looked relieved to be sitting.
“I’m good. And tired. Good and tired.”
They all laughed and Tonya asked Tibet to give her a glass of water.
“This is a great place you have here. I’m guessing it’s busy all the time,” Junior told her.
“Thank you, and you’re guessing right. It rarely slows down. That’s part of the reason my uncle needed Sam here. Well, that, and I wanted her here, too. Are you going to order?”
“Yeah,” Sam looked around. “We’ll eat here at the bar. There’s no way we would get a table anytime soon.”
“You know the drill here, girl. Let Tibet know what you want and he’ll give it to the chef. I should go back up front and check on the new hostess I hired. She seems a little confused.”
Tonya walked back up to the hostess stand, leaving Sam and Junior alone. They looked at each other and Sam gazed into his eyes for a moment. She caught herself not wanting to look away, but forced herself to.
They both looked at a menu and wasted a few minutes deciding what they wanted. Sam didn’t actually need to look, but she was trying to keep her mind and her eyes occupied. As her eyes travelled over the pictures and words her mind went to God.
Lord, I need You right now. Please, keep my mind and heart where it needs to be and not where temptation lies.
“I think I’m ready,” Junior announced.
Junior told her what he wanted and she gave Tibet both orders. She knew Tonya would be busy with the new girl for a while so there was no need in waiting. Not if they wanted to eat anytime soon. Tibet wrote down their order and gave it to the chef with the knowledge of who it was for.
***
Junior
Junior asked more about the restaurant and if Sam planned to stay there. He was curious whether she still planned to open her own place one day. At the same time, he had to be honest with himself. He was curious about everything about her, even things he already knew in case anything had changed.
As they waited on their dinner and talked, he thought about what he knew about Sam. He knew she was not only beautiful and intelligent, but she was also funny, outgoing, and energetic. He knew she loved cats and was actually surprised she didn’t have one. Then he remembered Sheeba, the next-door dog and understood why. He knew about her health problems and was happy she was better. He knew the world would be at a loss without her. One of the most important things he knew about her was that she cared about him. She may not have the same feelings for him as he did for her, but he hoped to find out soon.
“…and that’s what I told him.”
He suddenly realized he hadn’t heard what she was telling him and he blushed. He tried to pretend he knew, but failed miserably.
“Oh, I see. I agree,” he told her absentmindedly.
Sam looked at him with an expression that said she knew he had no idea what she was talking about.
“Do you have any idea what I said?”
It was obvious he had been busted, and had a look of guilt written all over his face. He had to grin hoping she wouldn’t get mad.
“No, I’m sorry. My head was filled with a bunch of other things at the same time. What was it you said?”
“Never mind. It’s not important.” She pursed her lips and tried to play coy. He took her seriously and felt bad by being distracted.
“Oh, come on Sam. I said I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you,” he pleaded.
Sam looked at him sideways and burst out into laughter, jabbing him in his arm.
“Gotcha! I was playing you!”
Junior was caught off guard and it took him a second to gather his senses. Once he did he started laughing along with her. Pointing a finger at her they enjoyed their moment. Again, they both caught themselves gazing into each other’s eyes. It seemed like time stood still even for only a few seconds. Then Tibet interrupted the moment by setting their plates in front of them.
Shaking their heads, they both thanked him and again Junior saw the giant of a man was giving him a stern look with squinted eyes. Sam giggled to herself and gently smacked Junior on his arm.
“Eat your food,” she told him.
“He makes me nervous.”
“He’s a gentle giant.”
“That’s not what you told me earlier.”
They ate their dinner and halfway through, Tonya made it back over to them, apologizing. She talked for a total of two minutes and had to leave again. Sam knew she would be right there with her the next day and appreciated her time off with Junior. Hopefully, they would be able to get through the evening without a hitch.
Later, after they got back to Sam’s place, she and Junior were sitting on the porch admiring the way the sky looked. Clear of clouds and full of bright stars made them appreciate the beauty. It was impossible not to. A few people were still on the beach and could barely be heard over the sound of the ocean. Neither Sam nor Junior were talking; they were simply enjoying the time together with a cool glass of wine.
Breathing deeply and wanting more from the night before they both went to bed, Junior looked over at her. He was stunned by how beautiful she was. He noticed her hair was longer, her skin was tanned, and it seemed she had more freckles on her cheeks. She felt his gaze on her and turned and smiled at him.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. I was only looking. It’s been a long time and I missed you is all.”
Grinning, she asked, “You want to take a walk on the beach?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I like that idea.”
Leaving her sandals on the porch and setting her glass on the table, she stood and motioned for him to follow her. Together, they walked between the trees and onto the short path from the bungalow to the sand. Looking behind her she smiled at him, making his heart jump in his chest. It is a perfect night for a walk with the woman you love. Too bad she didn’t feel the same way.
They slowly moved past her neighbor’s house and heard Sheeba whining. They looked over and could see her watching them from the screened in back porch. Continuing on their way they walked closer to the water, not speaking at first. Sam wrapped her arms around herself and Junior slid his hands in his pockets. He knew where they would go if he didn’t, and he wasn’t sure it was the right time yet.
As they got closer to the water the sand became more damp, and Junior slid his sandals off and carried them. Swinging them from one hand he enjoyed feeling the sand on the bottom of his feet.
“It feels great walking out here with you,” she softly told him. “I was thinking about this when we were sitting on the porch not saying anything.”
Doing his best not to get his expectations high, he replied, “It’s a great idea. I’m liking it, too.”
Taking a deep breath, she jumped forward and asked him a question that had been on her mind. “What’s your expectations from being here, Junior?”
Surprised by her question and for being so forward, he wasn’t sure how to respond.
“What do you mean? I’m on vacation. We haven’t seen each other in over a year and I wanted to see you and this is a gorgeous place to visit. I had hoped you would want me to come down.”
She stopped walking and looked up at him. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he believed if it was any harder she would be able to hear it.
“I do want you here, I…I’m confused I guess.”
Sam’s eyes lowered and her focus shifted to the sand between the two of them and he tried to think of what to do. What he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and hold her. What he needed to do was kiss her deeply and tell her again how much he loved her. But what he did was tell her she had nothing to worry about. They were only friends after all. She nodded and gave a small smile before they started walking again. Nothing more was said as they walked. They took in the night as best they could with what they were both struggling with in their hearts.