Joe Keery Imagines Vol. 2

Diner Girl - Joe Keery

Joe walked into the diner and smiled when no one even noticed him. He was about to sit down but he looked around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He couldn't help but feel disappointed when he didn't see her.

She was the whole reason he came to this mom-and-pop diner. The first time he saw her, she was reading a book and drinking coffee. He could still remember the smile on her face when the waitress brought her burger. He could still remember how she used an old picture as a bookmark and how she put her book safely back in her bag when the waitress brought her food.

After about a week, Joe figured out that the girl came here every day for lunch. She worked as a fashion magazine editor nearby and used the diner to get away from the busy buzz of the fashion world. She loved the diner because she used to come here with her parents every Friday. Her dad worked at a factory nearby, so she and her mother would meet him here for lunch. She loved coming here because it reminded her of when life was simpler.

Of course, Joe only knew this because he overheard her talking to the head waitress, Gertrude.

He walked over and sat at the bar, still looking around to make sure he hadn't missed her when he walked in.

"Welcome back, Joe." He looked up to see Gertrude walking out of the kitchen and toward him. "She's not here yet," she said with a knowing look. Joe opened his mouth to say something but Gertrude just laughed. "She should be here soon, though."

"I wasn't. . . I mean. . . Who?"

"Oh, sweetie," she sighed. "I know you don't come here for the greasy fries and the overpriced burgers. You come here for that sweet girl."

As she said that, she pointed behind Joe at the door. He turned around, his breath getting stuck in his throat when he saw Y/N walking in. He glanced over at Gertrude to see her smirking at him. His stomach dropped when she sent him a wink.

"Hey, cute girl," she said to get Y/N's attention. "Why don't you sit right here, beautiful?"

As she pointed to a seat on the bar just a couple of bar stools away from Joe, she sent him a look.

"Thanks, Gertie," Y/N chuckled. Joe's heart jumped into his throat as she smiled. Joe loved to watch her smile. He wished that he was the reason for that smile.

His stomach dropped when Y/N's perfect smile faded.

"You okay, sweet girl?" Gertrude asked, reaching across the bar and grabbing Y/N's hands.

"I'm fine," Y/N said, not at all convincingly. "It's just. . . Work."

Gertrude smiled sadly as she squeezed Y/N's hands. "Why don't I get you a cup of tea? On the house."

Before Gertrude left to get her some tea, she glanced at Joe. Joe looked at Y/N to see her playing with her nails. He wanted nothing more than to run to her, wrap her in his arms, listen to her vent about her job, and tell her everything was going to be okay.

Joe ate his lunch, forcing himself to resist the urge to stare at Y/N. He rehearsed what he could say to her several times, but nothing sounded smooth enough.

"Can you pass me the mustard?"

Joe froze when he realized she was talking to him. He turned towards her to see her smiling and pointing at the mustard in front of him.

"This one is all out," she continued.

"Of course," he stuttered. He cleared his throat and grabbed the mustard bottle. He was about to hand it to her when he got an idea. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea or dorky, but he did it anyway.

He put the mustard back on the counter and slid it over to her. He held his breath as he waited for Y/N's response. He let out a sigh of relief when she giggled. She caught the mustard and winked at him.

"Thanks."

"My name's Joe," he blurted out before she could turn her attention back to her burger.

"Y/N," she greeted.

"I have to be honest," Joe stuttered, "this might be weird but I umm. . . I've seen you here before."

"That's not weird," she chuckled. "I'm here every day. And if it makes you feel better, I recognize you."

"You do?" Joe couldn't help but ask.

"Of course," she said instantly. "I recognized you instantly, Steve Harrington."

Joe could feel his face burning when she teased him. Usually, he hated it when someone recognized him and called him Steve Harrington. But when Y/N did it, his stomach flipped.

"If I'm being honest, I hated that role at first," Joe confessed.

"Really?" Y/N asked. "Sure, it was rough, but that first season set Steve up for an amazing character arc. I mean, he is the definition of character development."

Y/N suddenly stopped talking, her face turning red. "Sorry," she mumbled. "That was extremely embarrassing."

"It wasn't," Joe tried to reassure her. He gathered as much courage as he could before he said, "Do you wanna join me?"

"I'd love to," she said sweetly as she smiled at him. Joe cleared his throat trying to get rid of the sudden lump as she grabbed her food and scooted over onto the bar stool next to him.

Joe and Y/N spent the next hour, eating their food and talking to each other. The longer they talked, the harder Joe fell. They talked about Joe's career and the different roles he's had. They talked about Y/N's career. Apparently, her boss was crazy and was constantly making her jump through hoops. She was starting to get tired of it.

"This probably isn't my place," he said hesitantly, "but have you thought about quitting?"

"I can't," she sighed. "I've got bills to pay and rent and car insurance and. . . I need a job."

"I'm sorry," he said gently. "I wish there was something I could do."

"It's not your fault," she said softly. She smiled as she added, "But thank you, Joe."

Joe's heart sank when she looked at the watch on her wrist. "Speaking of which," she sighed, "I should be getting back. I had a lot of fun though."

"Me too," Joe said, his stomach going crazy. He cleared his throat and added, "Good luck at work."

"Thanks," she said, sending him a knowing look. "I'll need all the luck I can get."

Joe bit his lip when she gently put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "See you around, Harrington."

"Hey, Y/N?" Joe said before she could leave. When she turned around, he forgot what he was going to say. When he remembered, he cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you'd like to go get dinner sometime?"

"Really?"

"Really," he said, hoping her question wasn't one of anger or scoffing. "I really enjoyed talking to you and I'd love to get to know you better."

"I'd love to get to know you better, too," she smiled. Y/N reached into her bag and handed him her work card.

"Call me."

"I will," he said before he could stop himself. "I will definitely call you."

"I'll be waiting."