“Yeah. It’s been a big help. And those flowers you sent when he was in the hospital were real nice. And my mom really liked that wax melting thing you sent along with it.”
“I’m glad. Hospitals always smell bad, and you can’t burn a candle cause of the oxygen, so those wax warmers let you have a little cinnamon smell to make it more homey.”
“Well she uses it all the time at home. I got excited the other day, thought there was apple pie. Fooled me, too,” he said, shaking his head.
I wrapped a bunch of daisies in tissue paper and passed him a card that said congratulations. He signed it and then paid me the total.
“I bet she’ll really like these,” I said. “It’s sweet of you to do that for your sister.”
“Thanks for your help. You have a good day,” he said. Then he gave me the panty-melting smile one more time and left.
I sagged against the counter and wondered if I wanted a cigarette or a new vibrator after that encounter. Maybe both.
2
Damon
The diner was always packed on Saturday morning. Rachel’s pies were excellent, but her pastries were incredible. Her apple Danish was legendary, and if you didn’t go early, you’d miss out on them.
So Brody and I drank our coffee and waited for the final batch to come out of the oven. We had already eaten our eggs and sausage, and both of us were usually in a hurry. Him because he wanted to get home to my sister, and me because I had a shift at the fire station or I was going to work out or check in on my parents. But we had decided to loiter until we could score those Danishes this time.
“You think we’ll find somebody good enough to replace the Gibbs kid that moved last month?”
“Yeah. He was a great shortstop, but there are kids around here we can teach to do a good job.”
“I hated to lose him, but when his dad got that new job in Overton—”
“We’ll have to play against him. You know he’ll play in Overton,” I said.
“They have travel ball. He’ll probably do that instead of Little League.”
“That costs a fortune. Hope Dad got a good job,” I said.
“Our lineup’s looking strong though, going into the season.”
“When are you thinking to do tryouts?”
“Couple weeks maybe, depends on the weather. If it stays clear,” Brody said.
“In a few years we’ll be coaching your kid,” I said, taking a sip of coffee.
“It’s crazy,” he said, but he was smiling. “So when you gonna settle down? Give our baby some cousins?”
I shrugged, “I guess I just never found the right girl.”
“You’ve sure tried a lot of them on to see if they’re the right one,” he chuckled.
“I’m glad for you guys, really,” I said, “but it’s not for everyone.”
“You don’t want a family?”
“Sure I do. But with the right person. Not just whoever’s nearby,” I said.
Then I lost my train of thought. Trixie walked into the diner and went right to the register. Rachel waited on her, scooped a hot Danish into a paper sack and handed it to her. My mouth watered, but not from the sight of fresh pastries.
She was petite but curvy, her dark hair rippling glossy over her shoulders and halfway down her back. She and Rachel chatted. Something made her laugh, and even in the crowd, I could pick out her giggle. She had a great laugh, and I felt a rush of just wanting to be close to her. She took her coffee, her bag, and left. My eyes followed her all the way to the door. She never looked up, never waved or even saw me. Not that it mattered. We didn’t exactly travel in the same circles even though our moms were very close. I saw her a lot growing up, but years had gone by as we’d hit adulthood. Until I went in the flower shop the other day, I had only seen her in passing. Like this. I always saw her, always took notice.
Startled, I looked at Brody, who had just flung a sugar packet at me.
“What?” I said.
“You were staring. No one over the age of thirteen should be that obvious,” he laughed.
“Staring? I was watching to see if Rachel brought out the rest of the Danishes. Obviously.”
“Bullshit. You should ask her out already. You’ve only been mooning over her for years.”
“I am a firefighter. I do not moon,” I said hotly.
“You were staring at her ass like it was—”
“Shut up,” I said.
“Why don’t you ask her out? She’d say yes. You’re not the only one who stares. I’ve seen her watching you, too.”
“Bro, my mom and her mom go way back. So if I want my mom all up in my business, that’s one sure way to get her attention. If I ever considered asking Trixie out, my mom would be all over it. Trust me, it’s better left alone.”