Six Months Ago
Apr. 6th, 2014 05:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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birthright_rpgAlbuquerque, New Mexico
"Hey, Grace, I think your boyfriend wants to walk you home."
"Hush, he'll hear you."
The first speaker, a college student named Michelle who'd been hired to wait tables because the night shift didn't conflict with her class schedule, snorted and rolled her eyes. The tall, skinny guy had been coming in every night for nearly a month, and while the chili he always ordered was good, it wasn't that good. And he was a good tipper, too.
The blonde's shift was over, and she was hanging up her apron in the back room. Wondering if her 'boyfriend' would leave before she re-appeared. She knew it had been a mistake to start talking to him when he'd left that first overly-generous tip. Charlie would be furious if he thought she was flirting with somebody.
"I think he's cute," Michelle said as she flipped a page of the textbook she was poring over.
"Hush!"
"Missus." He was loitering outside the diner, hands in his pockets, and Grace looked at him with trepidation. She was a married woman. Charlie was the jealous kind anyway, he didn't need encouragement. But there was something about this one that drew her in.
"You can only come as far as the yard. If my husband sees you, he'll pitch a fit."
"If he comes at me, I'll deal with him."
The streets were silent because it was so late. They didn't talk much. She liked the silence, was comfortable with it. The waitressing job was convenient because the diner was close to the house, so she didn't need the car. His shadow intermingled with hers.
"How come you always come in so late?"
"I work all day. Besides, I like the night better. It makes different sounds."
Grace looked at him sideways. Michelle was right, he was cute. Too skinny, but cute. But what was that about different sounds? He turned, looked back at her. His narrow-lipped mouth lifted at the corners. She blushed and faced forward.
"I shouldn't be doing this."
"I ain't worried. You shouldn't be neither. I ain't wantin' to hurt you."
"And I know that because why?"
"'Cause I love you."
Grace stopped in her tracks, stared at him. He stopped too, and his head tilted to the side as he regarded her. A hundred perfectly reasonable things rushed int her mind, things to say that would snap him out of it. Her mouth opened. His head tipped in the other direction.
"You do not love me."
"Hand to God, Grace." He lifted his right hand into the air. His fingers were thin. "I knew from the second I laid eyes on you that you were the one, and that's no shit."
"Ruben, I...I gotta go."
She turned, started a fast walk away from him. Now she could feel him watching her, but he didn't follow after her. She had to get home to her husband anyway, so it was a relief.
If only because she'd believed him.
"Hey, Grace, I think your boyfriend wants to walk you home."
"Hush, he'll hear you."
The first speaker, a college student named Michelle who'd been hired to wait tables because the night shift didn't conflict with her class schedule, snorted and rolled her eyes. The tall, skinny guy had been coming in every night for nearly a month, and while the chili he always ordered was good, it wasn't that good. And he was a good tipper, too.
The blonde's shift was over, and she was hanging up her apron in the back room. Wondering if her 'boyfriend' would leave before she re-appeared. She knew it had been a mistake to start talking to him when he'd left that first overly-generous tip. Charlie would be furious if he thought she was flirting with somebody.
"I think he's cute," Michelle said as she flipped a page of the textbook she was poring over.
"Hush!"
"Missus." He was loitering outside the diner, hands in his pockets, and Grace looked at him with trepidation. She was a married woman. Charlie was the jealous kind anyway, he didn't need encouragement. But there was something about this one that drew her in.
"You can only come as far as the yard. If my husband sees you, he'll pitch a fit."
"If he comes at me, I'll deal with him."
The streets were silent because it was so late. They didn't talk much. She liked the silence, was comfortable with it. The waitressing job was convenient because the diner was close to the house, so she didn't need the car. His shadow intermingled with hers.
"How come you always come in so late?"
"I work all day. Besides, I like the night better. It makes different sounds."
Grace looked at him sideways. Michelle was right, he was cute. Too skinny, but cute. But what was that about different sounds? He turned, looked back at her. His narrow-lipped mouth lifted at the corners. She blushed and faced forward.
"I shouldn't be doing this."
"I ain't worried. You shouldn't be neither. I ain't wantin' to hurt you."
"And I know that because why?"
"'Cause I love you."
Grace stopped in her tracks, stared at him. He stopped too, and his head tilted to the side as he regarded her. A hundred perfectly reasonable things rushed int her mind, things to say that would snap him out of it. Her mouth opened. His head tipped in the other direction.
"You do not love me."
"Hand to God, Grace." He lifted his right hand into the air. His fingers were thin. "I knew from the second I laid eyes on you that you were the one, and that's no shit."
"Ruben, I...I gotta go."
She turned, started a fast walk away from him. Now she could feel him watching her, but he didn't follow after her. She had to get home to her husband anyway, so it was a relief.
If only because she'd believed him.