Chapter Twenty-Five
Lucy
Work was rough, but I didn’t care. Customers were sending orders back because something was wrong, and people were complaining about their coffee not being hot enough, but I didn’t care. Kevin was on my ass about cleaning off booths quicker than I was, and Fred was bitching at me about how customers were greedy and full of themselves, but I couldn’t find it in me to be upset. I felt on top of the world, and no one could knock me off my pedestal.
“Miss? Miss! Are you even listening to me? I asked for cherry Coke, not vanilla.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Let me go get you a fresh cup,” I said.
“She’s probably not even all there,” I heard the customer whisper.
On any other day, that comment would’ve fired me up. I could feel Kevin’s eyes on me while he waited for my reaction, and I could see the look of shock roll across his face when I set the new drink down in front of the rude patron without another word said. I had finally said it. I had finally told Jason I loved him after feeling it in my gut for days now, and he had smiled back at me. Did he say it back? No. But, he smiled, and for someone’s who’s lost a spouse, that’s just as good as saying it back.
I felt alive again, being in love with someone. I felt like I’d opened my eyes for the first time since I closed them at David’s funeral, and the world was brighter around me for it. Colors were more vibrant, and sounds had more sensuality. People’s voices had deeper, richer tones, and my smiles reached nearly all the way to my ears. My coworkers were staring at me like I was some sort of mutant, but I didn’t care.
I was in love with Jason, and nothing could knock me off that stool.
“Miss? I asked for my eggs over medium, not hard.”
“Oh, but hard’s the best,” I said, winking. “Would you like our cook to wilt them down a bit for you?”
I heard Fred cackle from the kitchen while I whisked the plate back to him, and before I could get out of the window, I saw another hand shoot up for me in my peripheral.
“Ma’am? Someone poured me ginger ale instead of Sprite,” he said. “The two aren’t even the same color.”
“Well, we don’t see color here, sir. A bit rude nowadays. But, I’ll be happy to get you another drink,” I said.
Kevin was snickering in the corner, trying his hardest to keep his laughs at bay. Fred was thoroughly entertained by my responses, and Angie had intentionally dropped out of helping just to see what I would do.
But I didn’t care. More tips for me.
“Ma’am? You, the one with the frizzy hair, can you come here?”
I looked over at a woman sitting in the corner, and it felt as if the entire room had stopped. I trotted over to her with a big smile on my face, but before I could say anything, she thrust her piece of pie in front of my face.
“This piece of pie isn’t big enough. If I’m gonna pay five bucks for it, it better be a decent size,” she said.
“Honey, I couldn’t agree more. The bigger, the better I always say.”
Angie dipped behind the counter and started giggling while Fred launched into a laughing fit. Kevin sliced the woman a bigger slice of chocolate pie as I turned my back toward the woman. I darted out my tongue to take a deep lick of the luscious, creamy chocolate that sat on the plate. Even some of the customers were covering their mouths to try and hide their laughter, and Kevin brushed by me with a piece of pie that seemed bigger than the plate itself.
“I’m so sorry about the issue with the pie. Please accept this piece, free of charge,” he said.
“Oh, that’s a good deal. A thick slice of pie free of charge? Don’t we all wish we could get that same deal?”
Kevin shooed me into the kitchen with Fred, and I felt Angie hot on my heels. Tears were dripping from Fred’s eyes as he cooked the last of the orders in the window, and I sat on a stool behind him while I continued to scoop the pie up with my tongue.
“All right, Lucy. Spill. Who is screwing you and how big is his dick? Because for you to be this happy, it must be massive,” Angie said.
“What? Can’t a girl just be happy for once in her life?” I asked.
“Honey, you ain’t been happy since David licked that pussy so good you came in with a headache,” Fred said.
“God, that was a good one, too,” I said, sighing.
“Holy shit. Someone mentioned David, and you didn’t completely recoil,” Angie said.
“What? Look, I took the advice you guys gave me. It was time I left things behind me and ventured out into the world. So, I did.”
“Uh huh. And, uh, who you venturing with?” Fred asked.
“Holy shit, are you still having sex with your neighbor?” Angie asked.
“When in the world did you assume I was having sex with Jason? I never told you guys,” I said.
“Oh, you been hoppin’ on that mechanic dick, girl. Shit, tell me everything,” Fred said.
“Are the rumors true?” Angie asked. “Are you just another notch on his bedpost?”
“Not even kind of,” I said, smiling.
“Girl, quit hidin’ the details. We got a lull up in here. Spill, bitch,” Fred said.
“Well, Jason certainly knows how to wield all sorts of appendages in bed,” I said.
“Woo, girl. How many times? You coming multiple times? Because those are the best sex sessions,” Fred said.
“Multiple times, in many positions, in other places of his house,” I said.
“Oh. My. God. Is he huge? I bet he’s huge. Does he stick it in and poke your heart?” Angie asked.
“Woo, it’s gettin’ hot in here,” Fred said as he fanned himself.
I threw my head back and laughed at Angie’s comment, and I could feel their eyes on me. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and for the first time since David died, tears of happiness burned behind my eyes. Never had I felt so filled with glee in my life, and I took a deep breath before I hooked my eyes onto Angie.
“I really enjoy the time I spend with him, you guys,” I said.
“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t listen to those rumors then,” she said.
“Yeah, or take our advice to stay away,” Fred said, “because we ain’t seen you this happy in years.”
“How do you feel about all of this?” Angie asked.
“I mean, I feel really good about it. His daughter is adorable, and Jason is just this strong, understanding man. I feel like I can talk to him about anything now, and God knows he understands how to work a woman’s body.”
“Mhm. Get it, girl,” Fred said.
“Do you care about him?” Angie asked.
I turned the question over in my head. Should I tell them the extent of my feelings for him? Should I tell them I’d told Jason I loved him? How would they react after not even knowing anything was happening between the two of us?
I decided to keep that tidbit to myself, at least for now.
“I do. I do care about him,” I said. “I feel like, for the first time in three years, I’m really moving on from David’s death. At first, I was petrified, you know? About losing Jason or him getting sick or some bullshit like that, but now? We go on dates and watch movies cuddled up on the couch. He calls me whenever he wants just to see how I’m doing, and his daughter comes over sometimes just to say hi. It really is wonderful, and I’m very lucky to have found him,” I said.
“Ooooo, Lucy. You got it bad,” Fred said. “You need a cheeseburger.”
“I need a cheeseburger because I care for someone?” I asked, giggling.
“No, I need a cheeseburger. But I’m makin’ you one, too.”
“Then make me one,” Angie said.
“You gettin’ that good dick?” he asked.
“Well, no. Not right now,” Angie said.
“Then you get a salad,” he said.
“Why do I get a salad and she gets a cheeseburger?” Angie asked.
“Because she needs that grease to lube up that pussy of hers. Yours stalled out. You can deal,” Fred said.
I clapped my hands before I held my aching stomach. The look on Angie’s face was priceless, and I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed this hard with my coworkers, and it felt as if my life had finally ticked back into place. Everything that had become so disoriented after losing David was suddenly beginning to spin back and glue themselves into the right places, and it was because I had fallen in love with Jason.
It was because I had opened myself up to the idea of being happy, even though David wasn’t alive to enjoy it alongside me.
“You want chili on this burger? Because if you gettin’ it every day, you need chili on this burger,” Fred said.
“Sure, I’ll take some chili.”
“Well, while Fred makes my rabbit food, I have a question,” Angie said.
“Shoot,” I said.
“Do you see a future with Jason?”
I rolled the question around in my head, and I could tell Fred’s ears were trained on me. Honestly? I could see it. I wasn’t ready to get married or anything, but I could see myself staying by Jason’s side for a very long time. I felt a smile slowly creep across my cheeks, and Angie clapped her hands in triumph like she had just discovered the lost treasure of Atlantis or discovered a cure for the common cold.
“I knew it! You wanna love him, and have his babies, and suck his dick, all of your days,” Angie chanted.
“Look, I’m nowhere near ready to walk down the aisle. But, yes. If things keep going like this and feelings fall into place, I could see myself in it for the long haul with Jason,” I said.
“Cheeseburgers for everyone!” Fred exclaimed.
“Thank god, because I really wasn’t eating that salad,” Angie said.
“You gon’ eat what I give you, and you’re gon’ like it,” Fred said, pointing his spatula at Angie.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she said, grinning.
I could tell something was still on Angie’s mind, though. I could see the slight hesitancy in her eyes when I caught her gaze, so I decided to ask her about it instead of losing sleep over it tonight.
“What’s wrong, Angie?” I asked.
“Girl, don’t spoil this moment,” Fred said.
“I just want you to be careful, all right? It is wonderful that you’re this happy, but I also don’t wanna see a guy like Jason break your heart.”
“A guy like Jason? I promise you guys, you don’t know him like I do,” I said.
“And that’s wonderful, sweetie. Just don’t get so carried away. Don’t go falling in love or something because he’s got a good dick,” she said.
“He really is a wonderful guy, Angie. Even if I were to fall in love with him, it wouldn’t be premature. There is so much this town doesn’t understand about him, and if you did, you’d see him in a different light.”
“And maybe that’s true,” she said, “but I’m not working with that information. So, just be careful, all right? It is possible to move on from David and not be in love with another man,” Angie said.
“Anyone ready for their cheeseburger?” Fred asked.
“Angie, I really appreciate the concern, but I promise I’ve got it under control.”
“Well, I said my piece. Now, where’s that damn burger?” she asked.
“Here. Shove it in that mouth of yours and quit talkin’,” Fred said.
I knew she meant well, and she wanted the best for me, but I also had to trust my gut with this one. Jason was a beautiful soul, one who could relate to me in ways no one else in this town could, and I wasn’t letting that go because I feared what might come. Jason had abated my fears the other night with what he had said, and the smile that ricocheted across his cheeks when I told him how I felt about him was genuine.
When he was ready, I knew he’d say those words back.
“A double cheeseburger with extra cheese, ketchup, mustard, and chili,” Fred said. “Now, eat.”
I dove into the burger with a smile on my face.