Chapter3
The next day came fast. It was actually starting to look like spring, which meant that the weather outside was starting to finally look brighter. Molly woke up with the sun shining through the lace curtains of her parents’ guest room. On any other day, the first thought on her mind would normally be “coffee” but – while coffee would most definitely be involved – today she could only think of her mystery man. She hoped that he would be at the diner. Not that she needed to see him or anything, she just really wanted those pages. She was sure that he had ripped them out. Of course, the only way to be certain was to ask him herself.
She slipped into her favorite dress: a little, white, cotton, off- the- shoulder piece that synched at her waist, which extenuated her fabulous curves. The hem was lined with scalloped lace and fell around her mid- thigh. She wore a pair of white shorts underneath since she was going to be cycling to town.
Kevin hated the dress. That’s mainly why she packed it. He always told her that it made her (already broad) shoulders look even more boxy. He also said that it made her look fat. She looked in the mirror. She’d always loved this dress. It was comfortable, feminine, showed off her curves, and was light and airy. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure if it was because she was getting older or if Kevin’s statements were true… Her gaze moved from the full length mirror to her suitcase. Maybe I should change, she thought. There was a clatter from the kitchen. Crap, I wanted to be gone before they even got up this morning. She left a note on her dresser. “Out to Pine Falls to shop.”
“Shop,” she said aloud. “That should make my mother feel better.”
She grabbed a purse that she could sling over her shoulder and slid her phone and a small wallet into it before opening the window and leaving. They were on the first floor so it was no big deal – luckily. She didn’t want to have to see them. She just wanted out of there.
Her flip flops weren’t really conducive to pedaling on a bicycle but they did show off her fantastic pedicure which – she was sure – her mystery man wouldn’t really appreciate. What would impress him? she suddenly thought. She pondered this the entire time that she pedaled.
The town square was already buzzing with people when she got there. Of course, Pine Falls’ version of “buzzing” was much different than Seattle’s. There were a few familiar looking faces but nothing that jumped out at her. Molly got off of her bike and walked it the rest of the way to the diner. When she got there, she peered in through the windows. Half of the booths and tables were full but she didn’t see her boy anywhere. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, she thought. She left her bike in the bike rack in front of the diner. Again, there were already a couple of bicycles there and neither of which were locked in the bike rack.
“This town,” she said with a smile. She took the book from the basket and brought it with her when she went inside for a cup of coffee.
The bell over the door rang as she opened it. A voice from in the kitchen hollered at her, “Take a seat! I’ll be right there with a menu!”
Molly looked around. She hadn’t been inside the diner since she was a little girl and it still looked the same: sea foam green leather seats, black and white checkered floor, red barstools at the breakfast bar, etc. She took a seat in one of the booths and set her purse and book on the table. There was a small juke box at the end of the table, which had its back against the wall. Next to it was a small paper napkin dispenser, a gigantic sugar dispenser, and a small salt and pepper shaker. Two bottles – one for ketchup and one for mustard, in their appropriate colors, of course – sat on the other side of the juke box.
“Hi,” said a friendly voice. Molly turned toward the waitress, who wore a matching sea foam green dress and a white apron. She was a small Asian woman in her mid to late twenties. Her smile was as friendly as her voice. “What can I get-” she started but didn’t finish her sentence. Her eyes had gone from Molly’s face to the book sitting on the table, then back again. They twinkled at Molly. “I’ll be right back,” she said, almost giddy with excitement. She quickly scampered off.
Molly watched her as she ran behind the counter and grabbed something from behind the register. When another waitress walked up to her with a questioning look on her face – the same one that Molly had, plastered on her face – the Asian waitress began to explain. Her mouth moved quickly but her voice was so soft that Molly couldn’t understand it. It didn’t take long before the other waitress got just as excited as the first one. The girls squealed like little school girls. Of course, they both looked young enough to be in high school so it might have actually been an accurate statement. The Asian girl ran back over, the other waitress following right behind her with a carafe of decaf coffee.
“Here,” the Asian waitress said. She handed her the last few pages of the book that she was reading.
“I knew it,” Molly suddenly said, her voice squeaking with excitement. “I knew he ripped those pages out. Why would he do that?”
“There’s a coffee and a pastry order that comes with it,” she said, excitedly jumping in.
Molly laughed. “Really?” She couldn’t stop smiling.
“Let me grab that for you. Are you going to want anything else with it? Eggs? Bacon? Fruit?”
Molly shook her head. “No. Well, maybe just a glass of water too? If that’s all right.”
“Of course,” the waitress said. “I’ll be right back.” She quickly ran off. The waitress behind her stood around for a split second and smiled awkwardly at Molly before following her friend back to the kitchen.
“What just happened…” Molly muttered as she began reading the pages in her hand.
She had just finished with them when the waitresses – both of them – came back with her beverages and a Danish. “He said that you looked like a strawberry cream cheese Danish type of girl. He also said that he saw you drinking a cappuccino yesterday so here’s that,” she said setting the to-go cup in front of her. Then she sat down in front of her. The other waitress (a redhead) nudged her friend, who scooted over. “How do you know him?” the small Asian woman asked.
“I don’t really know him, actually,” Molly admitted. “I just met him yesterday at the bookstore across the street.”
“Well you definitely made an impression on him. He sat down here and wouldn’t take his eyes off of the store. Then when you walked out, he got all flustered, wondering if you bought he book and all,” she said.
Redhead piped in, “I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“Wait, so you guys know him?” Molly asked, suddenly more interested in what they had to say.
“Oh yeah,” the Asian one said. “He’s usually in here for breakfast before he goes to work. I think he works in some garage as a mechanic or something.”
“Ugh, could you imagine him working underneath a car? Oil smudges on his face?” the redhead asked. Both girls let out an incredibly embarrassing and audible sigh.
Molly laughed. “So what’s his name?” she asked.
“We’re not allowed to tell you anything about him,” the redhead said. “Strict instructions. That’s what he said yesterday. We’ve already said too much when we told you where he worked.”
Molly sighed and looked down at her hands, finally able to take her eyes off of the girls. “Well how am I supposed to-” That’s when she noticed that there was something scribbled on the paper cup she held in her hands. Dinner, Fifth Avenue Diner, Friday night at 7PM. She could feel two sets of eyes burning holes into the top of her head. “I can’t,” she suddenly said. “I’m not going to be here. I’m leaving to go back home tonight.” She looked up at the girls, who looked just as disappointed as she felt. Also, I’m engaged, she thought, but didn’t admit out loud. She suddenly realized that she had left her engagement ring on the dresser at her parents’ house. That had to have been a Freudian slip. She took a piece off of the Danish and popped it into her mouth.
“Say it ain’t so,” said the redhead. “He’s totally fallen for you though. Seriously. I’ve never seen him like this before.”
“Me neither,” said the other girl.
An authoritative looking man walked up from behind them and cleared his throat. He wore a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. “Back to work girls,” he said.
The girls nodded, thanked Molly, and apologized to the man all at once as they slid out of the booth.
“It’s my fault,” Molly said. “Don’t get mad at them or anything. This was totally my fault.”
The man smiled. “They’re fine.” He waved them off and they skittered away, giggling and chatting as they moved from booth to booth, serving coffee and checking in on the rest of the patrons. “The food okay?” the man asked.
Molly nodded. “The Danish is wonderful. Do you bake it here yourselves?”
“Yep, we’ve got a great kitchen staff back there.” He looked down at the cup and then back to her face. “You should consider it,” he said. “He’s a good guy. He’s had some shitty experiences but he’s a good guy for it. Just a little rough on the outside.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Molly said. “But I really am leaving tonight.” She considered leaving her phone number for him but thought against it. “Um,” she said, stopping the man in his tracks before he could walk away. “I don’t want to leave him hanging though. Maybe I can leave a note with you, apologizing to him and thanking him for the book and coffee? I mean, he comes in here all the time, right?”
The man nodded. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t do that just yet.”
“Just yet?”
“I’m pretty sure that you’ll change your mind.”
“I don’t think you’ll understand,” she said. “I’m leaving town tonight. I have to go back home. I don’t live around here anymore. I’m, like, an hour or two away. Seriously, I’m about 70 miles away.”
The man just smiled and nodded. Then walked away.
Molly rolled her eyes. She needed to go to the bookstore anyway. Maybe she could leave a note with them. Or maybe she could find this garage that the girls were talking about. She quickly finished her coffee and Danish, then tipped the girls and thanked them before leaving. She tried to convince them to take a note for the mystery man but they wouldn’t do it either. “Why is everyone being so weird about this?” she muttered to herself before finally jumping on her bike and taking off. She rode around the town square and the neighboring streets, looking for a garage but she couldn’t find any sign of a mechanic anywhere.