Broken Strings

Eight

The biggest mistake of your life, Cassie's voice in her ear. The biggest mistake of your life the biggest mistake of your life the biggest mistake of your life. 

There was nothing else to do so Ginger dug out the college brochures she'd hidden beneath the counter months ago. California Institute of the Arts, Parsons School of Design, Columbia College, the New York Institute of Photography, even the University of Central Oklahoma – the latter of which had a fantastic photojournalism program but was a little too close to home for Ginger's liking. 

She flipped through them all, weighing the pros and cons of each program. Ginger couldsee herself away at college, toting her camera – using it for assignments and class projects. Learning everything there was to know. Taking courses in photojournalism, telling stories through her photos... 

The bright sound of the bell above the door had Ginger hastily shoving the papers into a neat, clean stack. She pushed them off to the side and glanced up with her customer-service-smile already forming on her face. 

"Welcome to Annie's," Ginger said. 

There was a man standing in the doorway, his eyes covered by a pair of dark sunglasses, face cast in the shadows of his baseball cap. He was handsome – the type of handsome that made you look twice. Tall and tanned, his skin was a deep warm bronze that screamed of a spray tan. Strands of dark hair peeked out from beneath that hat. He had a straight, aquiline nose, a strong jaw and sweeping cheekbones. 

Holy shit, Ginger thought. Cassie was right. That's Jay Dawson. 

Despite his disarming good looks, he seemed the farthest thing from a movie star. Dressed in a simple grey t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers that looked like they'd seen their best days at least ten years ago. Scuffed and stained. The left one even had what appeared to be a hole forming near the top, right where his big toe would be. 

He also looked as if he were trying to avoid detection. Shoulders slightly hunched, casting a wary glance around the diner as if making sure that the coast was clear. There was a hesitancy about him, a nervousness. But he glanced her way at her greeting and she could have sworn that his eyes narrowed slightly behind the glasses. 

"Hi," he said. His voice was rich and smooth yet he lingered near the door as if he were waiting for the moment that Ginger would start jumping up and down and screaming for an autograph. 

She only held up a menu and gestured around the diner. The family was still there in the corner by the window but the counter and other tables were completely free. "Dine in or take out?" 

Jay approached the counter unhurriedly. "Dine in." Gingerset a menu down before him as he pulled out a stool and sat. "Thank you." He smiled warmly. 

"Can I get you anything to drink? Water, coffee, soda...?" 

"Coffee would be great." 

"How do you take? Milk and sugar?" 

"Just the milk." Ginger nodded. "Coming right up." 

She turned away, her fingers deftly grabbing amug from the rack and heading for the coffee pot down on the other end of the counter. It was a fresh batch, strong and hot, and the routine of filling a mug soothed her nerves. She had served celebrities before – Bailey and her friends that visited whenever they came to town – but somehow this was stressful. 

It was Jay Dawson. He was, without a doubt, the biggest celebrity that had ever graced Annie's Diner. Most of the others that had come here were musicians. Never had she ever had a HollywoodA-Lister of such a high calibre sitting at her counter.