Half a F*ck

Chapter 6

Most of the weekend was spent relaxing. I rested my groin on Saturday while my mom hung out with Connor and unpacked all his clothes and Legos. I unpacked my clothes on Sunday and then went to the beach with Connor when I was a little more mobile, and by the time Monday rolled around I was feeling as though I was in decent shape. I was still a little swollen, but Advil controlled the pain, and I wasn't going to be doing anything strenuous.

It was the last day I'd scheduled off of work for my recovery, and I'd hoped to see Kaia again at the diner. With my mom watching Connor for me I went there for lunch, hoping that she would be able to take a break with me again. I was willing to wait, so there would be little stress. I hoped anyway. Maybe she wasn't as interested as I was.

And yet when I walked into the diner, she saw me, and her face lit right up. Everything was suddenly good in the world, and she pointed to a booth for me to sit in while she waited on another table. I didn't even look at the menu, I just watched her glide around the diner. You could tell who the regulars were, she was very friendly to them and always had something to say. The customers obviously liked her, just based on the interactions they had.

You could also tell the people that weren't regulars, as she still was nice, but it was more of a fake smile and a wariness. She had to trust them to open up to them, which made me feel good with the way she had acted on Friday. She wouldn't bring her daughter to lunch with someone she didn't trust, right?

I could see her smiling at me as she approached my table once her other duties were done. "Well, hello there. Fancy seeing you here today." Those damned dimples were amazing, I couldn't stop gazing at her.

"Yeah, I was told that this was the time to come for the best service." I tried to smile as wide as she was, but I don't think I could. Her smile lit up a room, mine looked like a small flashlight.

"You're not wrong. If you're really lucky and can wait about 30 minutes, I hear that some of the waitresses will actually sit with you and share their lunch," she told me in a hushed voice, as if sharing the best secret of all time.

"Really?" I played along. "I think I might have to do that. My afternoon looks free, and I could use the company."

"Excellent choice. Can I get you anything to tide you over?"

"How about a glass of water and some fried pickles please?" I asked.

"Perfect. They'll be up shortly. And for lunch later?"

"Surprise me. I trust your judgement," I assured her.

She bit her lip before breaking into another smile. "I think I can find something for you. I'll be back soon."

She was back shortly with the pickles, water, and a wink before continuing her dance among the tables. It made me wonder why she didn't work here on the weekends. Surely, she would make more money than on a charter boat. Would she be mad at me if I chartered it? It wasn't like I couldn't afford it. Even when I was with Kate, we had no mortgage with her dad having given her the house, and my car was already paid off. Even if I got a nice apartment for Connor and me, my job made me more than enough to afford it.

But that would require her to trust me enough to give me the name of the charter boat.

As the diner started to clear out, I started to smile. Kaia had been a little off on her estimate, and it took her 45 minutes to get to her break instead of 30, but I didn't care. I got to watch her the entire time. When she arrived, she slid a plate of food in front of me, and I had to smile at her choice for me. It was a good looking turkey club sandwich with bacon and avocado with a side of fries and fruit. She had her own version of the same sandwich, but with a sweet tea instead of the water.