I thought maybe it would be weird, having Lissie back. But after only two days we all fell back into our old patterns—with the exception of Brady. He was very gracious with the craziness that resided within the walls of the Mallory home. It wasn’t easy being among the Mallorys. We were obnoxious at times and quiet as mice other times—and, yes, although I obtained a separate last name, I did consider myself a Mallory. Brady was a real trooper if he could handle all that with a smile on his face. He seemed to genuinely like our company.
It was nice, having her back and meeting Brady. But I’d be lying if I said watching the twins show off all day was enjoyable. Needless to say, I was a little glad to be going to work—which was a first.
If I’d have only known I was still going to be dealing with twins even at work….
The Nelsons and Smithsons surprised me. Apparently neither Kim Nelson nor Allison Smithson felt like cooking, apparently. As far as I knew, their family get-togethers were always at their homes and not Shoney’s. Richard and Allison Smithson were Piper’s parents; and they’d brought with them their three and a half year old twins.
So there they all sat—the Nelson and Smithson parents, along with their children and grandchild; oh, plus Maddie’s boyfriend Drew—at one of my tables. I loved them all to pieces, but…really?
“Oh, Lord,” I said, with only slight sarcasm, as I walked up to the busy table. “What did I do to deserve this?”
“Just be glad the baby’s asleep,” Piper said teasingly. Baby Hunter was in a highchair, fast asleep. I only hoped I could look like her if I ever had kids. A little over three months and she was already back in her slim shape. She’d been one of those women who looked utterly adorable pregnant. It suited her. Her long, dark hair spilled over her shoulders and it look nicer than I’d seen it in months. Baby Hunter must be giving her a few hours of sleep, then.
Beside her, Liam looked as dashing as ever. I was surprised he was going around without his worn out ballcap on, let alone having taken a comb to his unruly chestnut locks. I was a little more than amazed he’d taken his hazel eyes off that baby for even the few seconds it took to flash me a grin.
“Hi, Marley!” Maddie greeted. She looked particularly cute today. A few months ago, she’d stopped bleaching her naturally carrot-top hair and instead had gone to a flattering strawberry blonde. It suited her in a way the blonde hadn’t.
I smiled in earnest. “So what brings all’a y’all here tonight, anyway?”
“Mama’s gettin’ her kitchen renovated,” Maddie answered just as Kim opened her mouth to answer.
My eyes flickered to the Smithson twins suspiciously. They were actually pretty quiet kids, aside from when Gracie Lynn decided to throw a fit. With her curly blonde hair and wide blue eyes, she already knew how to work a crowd. That girl could get away with almost anything. Most the time she was pretty sweet, but other times she was a real brat; constantly trying to get her brother in trouble.
Atticus was different. He had the same fair hair as his sister, but his eyes were as green as Piper’s. He, unlike his twin, was quiet and innocent. To me, the quiet kids were always the better ones. Maybe that sounded mean, but I didn’t mean it that way. I just preferred them. Hey, I had to deal with some pretty spoiled kids in my time working here.
“About time!” I answered at last with a wink to Curtis Nelson, Kim’s husband. “Y’all are gonna hafta show me pictures when it’s all done. Alright, now order drinks before my boss gets onto me for senseless chattering.”
He would, too. My boss wasn’t a jerk or anything; not generally. He was actually pretty cool. But he had his nights, and tonight happened to be one of those nights.
It seemed like it took forever—with big families, it always does—but once I got everything written down, I excused myself and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Good Lord it’s a rowdy night!” I heard Lulu exclaim. She was sitting on a stool, fanning herself with a menu.
“You are absolutely glowin’, gorgeous!” I told her out of spite, lightly slapping her kneecap.
I didn’t have to turn around to know Lulu’s scowl followed me across the room. “Ha-ha. Someone woke up with her Sarcastic Pants on.”
“Sweetie, what does that even mean?” I laughed, getting the correct amount of cups. Lulu had been exaggerating. It wasn’t a rowdy night at all—at least not for her. I mean, it was only Tuesday night. We didn’t get much a crowd during the week. For Lulu, though, two tables seating only a couple each seemed like a rowdy night.
“It means suck it,” was my coworker’s mature reply.
I turned, giving her a flat look. “Really? What’re you, five.”
“I do have a kid.”
“Yeah, but he’s only one. Can he even talk yet?”
Lulu snorted. “Of course he can talk. Kids these days are born geniuses, you know?”
Smiling under my breath, I said, “Yeah, I know,” just so she’d shut up. Lulu could go on for hours about her one year old, Chris—and how he, Hunter, and the new baby were going to be BFFs!
“I’ve got tables to wait—oh, so do you!” I pointed out with a cheeky grin.
Lulu glanced down at her freshly painted nails. A woman had way too much time on her hands when she has time to paint her nails at work. I would just chalk it up to her pregnancy…if it wasn’t a regular thing for her. “Yeah. Uh-huh. Cover table Creepy for me tonight.”
Curiously, I glanced out the door window. “Table Creepy, huh?” Sure enough, there he sat; smirking expectedly at me. This was gonna be an even longer night than I thought. “Oh, God, no! Lulu! I am not helping you out on this one!”
My coworker smirked up at me. “Sure ya are.”
“But he’s sitting at your table! He didn’t know I was here!” Until now….
“Oh, honey, he isn’t that bad.”
“Hmm…” I glared out the window, immaturely sticking my tongue out at him.
Okay, so here’s the deal—this guy Lee has been stalking me. Alright, to be fair he wasn’t really stalking me. He just kind of showed up every now and then, constantly putting the moves on me. It never worked—no matter how many times I shot him down. He was cute and all—what with his light auburn hair and mismatched eyes—but he was a playboy. He could obviously afford to be dining somewhere much nicer than Shoney’s. And he was way older than me; at least twenty-seven.
“You should be flattered,” Lulu said half-heartedly as she continued to study her nails. “He’s really hot.”
I snorted, grabbing the tray now full of drinks for the Nelson-Smithson clan. “He’s a creep.”
Lulu shrugging her shoulders was the last thing I saw before I decided to face the music. I wasn’t sure what was worse—facing the twins….or facing Lee.
After dropping off the drinks, I very slowly made my way to that awful and sinful table. Why was I being a decent human being? I swear, if Lulu wasn’t pregnant, I wouldn’t take this shit! This was absolute cruelty! I couldn’t deck the guy, either, cause then I’d get freaking fired.
“Hi, welcome to Shoney’s….yet again…Can I start you off with a drink?” I greeted in my best monotone, keeping my eyes on my pad.
“Look at you, looking mighty fine. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was just for me,” Lee came back with in his smooth accent.
I tried very hard not to roll my eyes. “And yet it wasn’t.”
“And yet it worked.”
When I dared to glance up from my pad, Lee was flashing his brilliant smirk that he knew drove all the girls wild with desire. Not this girl! Maybe, a few months ago, I would’ve been fooled by Lee. He was pretty handsome—and I never had met another guy with two different colored eyes before. It was his best asset and he knew it. When he really wanted something, he would tilt the left side of his face, showing off his bright green eye. But when he wanted to be coy and very naughty, he’d tilt the right side of his face, confusing girls everywhere with a royal blue eye. Even I had to admit I thought that was pretty attractive…in the beginning. But it’d been almost a month and his tiny effect on me had long since faded into annoyance.
“Lee,” I said in a clipped tone. “I just got in. Do you really wanna start the night off with a bloody nose?”
His smirk only widened. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”
I didn’t think Lee really wanted me anymore. Mind you, I didn’t think he’d refuse if I decided to pursue him—not that that would ever happen. But he saw that his little comments irked me and it was just too much to resist. I couldn’t blame him. My reaction to him was immediate; like dealing with a horny thirteen year old. If he wasn’t so annoying, I think I could almost like him. However, I think him knowing what a hotshot he was ruined it.
I smiled back sarcastically. “So you’ll have a Dr. Pepper. Got it. I’ll be back in a few hours for your order.”
His laughter followed me back into the kitchen.
I don’t know what tipped him off—maybe it was slamming the door behind me—but as soon as I entered his domain, Jimmy guessed, “Oh, so Lee’s here again?”
I glowered in response.
The young cook simply grinned and returned to the duties in which he never accomplished on time.
I sat in the corner for a minute, avoiding Lee and giving the clan a bit more time to think it out. They went round and round with what they wanted. As soon as they’d say they were ready, it only took one person to offset everything. And so, with an endearing smile, I would give them more time and hide in the kitchen. Tonight was no different.
But hiding gave me time, and time led to thinking, and thinking, for me, was a dangerous thing. Our relationship should be terminated. I don’t even know why, but somehow I got myself thinking about sea-green eyes…
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Hey, Jimmy, what’s Landon Harrison like?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt my entire body burn with embarrassment and clam up in anticipation. Stupid! Why on earth would you wanna know about some guy? You’re swearing off love, remember? I screamed internally.
Jimmy got this broad grin on his face and I just knew he was going to enjoy this. “Well,” he said slowly, “he and my brother have been best friends since middle school, so my opinion’s kinda biased.”
And because I was already in this stupid mess, I asked, “How so?”
“Well, ya know. He’s annoying. But then again, aren’t all your siblings’ friends?”
I nodded thoughtfully. “So….Landon’s annoying?”
Jimmy shrugged. “So’s Evan.”
“You don’t think about this much, do you?”
“Um…why the heck would I? I’m a guy. I don’t pay attention to that kinda stuff.”
“Or maybe ya do an you’re just afraid to admit it,” I teased with a wink.
Jimmy’s reply was a very not amused, flat look.
“Okay, okay!” I laughed, holding up my hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to question your manhood.”
Jimmy, teasingly, sniffed into the air and pretended to wipe away a tear. “But seriously,” he said, sobering. “Why do you wanna know about Landon?”
I tried to appear nonchalant as I shrugged my shoulders. “No reason.”
For a good minute, Jimmy just stared at me with this suspicious glint in his eyes. Understanding dawned across his expression and he laughed aloud. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Like him?” I snorted. “Please. I don’t even know him. ‘Sides, I ain’t lookin’ for no relationship anyhow.” Jimmy didn’t know about Isaac, and I certainly didn’t plan on telling him. We were work buds but that was about it. That sounds mean, but that was how it had to be with everyone. If you weren’t related to me, you were an acquaintance.
“Oh, Marley!” Lulu sang, just now coming into the kitchen. “I decided to take lover-boy off your hands. He’s very upset, but I think he’ll live.”
Standing up, I beamed at my coworker. “Lulu, I could kiss you right now! But I won’t cause, no offense, you’re kinda lookin’ pregnant today…”
In response, Lulu sucker punched my shoulder as I practically ran out of the kitchen to, you know, actually do my job.
I was really glad Lulu actually decided to work her own tables, but I had to admit, Lee made a pretty convincing pouty face. And because I couldn’t ever be truly mean, I smiled almost apologetically. That seemed to be enough for him. With a shrug, his smirking face drew away from my attention and instead his mismatched gaze followed that of one of my other coworker’s.
I shook my head, snickering under my breath. Typical. It was only because Lee didn’t pretend not to be a playboy that I found him amusing. He wasn’t a liar. Well, okay, he probably was. But anyone with two eyes could tell he was a player.
But some people….they sneak up on you. I was a walking example of a girl who was blinded by love. Fooling around was fine, I guess; so long as you never fell in love. For the first time I actually envied Lee. Some people could handle being a player and never getting emotionally attached. Lee was one of those fortunate people. I, however, was not. Sure, I could proclaim all day how I was never going to be tricked by love again, but I knew myself better than that. I knew what kind of girl I was—and I was not the kind of girl who could fool around without getting emotionally involved.
So, until I was ready to open my heart up again, I wasn’t ready for a relationship of any sorts. And those sea-green eyes and chiseled cheekbones may be the bee’s knees, but sure weren’t getting my undivided love or attention.
But who was to stop me from admiring from afar?
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A/N So technically I uploaded this before tomorrow. So technically it is still Valentine’s Day. I kinda got disinterred in this chapter halfway through, so I’ll be the first to admit my writing isn’t the best here. But it was bound to happen sometime. Anyway, now that I’m passed that, I can focus on actually getting to my story plot—and Landon!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!
VOTES?
COMMENTS?
TTFN,
HaNnAh,
P.S Did anyone else notice the significance of Lee’s name? Think about the letters for a minute......