Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
That manager, the barkeeper at the Lucky Lady, and my mom were all convinced I was going to run off with the silverware. The customers, some of the guys I worked with, and my dad were much more chill and had an ounce of faith in me.
I clocked out for my lunch break and took my truck into town to grab a bite. Mom’s kitchen was always open, but I didn’t feel like cold cuts with a side of guilt. Instead, I opted for the diner across the street from the police station. They had the best cheeseburgers in town and the wait staff could see past my personal failings.
I parked, walked in, and asked for a booth. Even though I was alone, there were usually enough seats that I could score a booth on my own. There were five girls who traded shifts throughout the day, and I knew them all. Gina and Polly were on duty today. Gina was my mother’s age, but that didn’t stop her from flirting. Polly was my age, and her attention was hot today.
“Hi, handsome.” Gina winked.
“Just one?” Polly asked hopefully.
“Just one,” I confirmed.
“Follow me.” The younger waitress tossed her hair and sashayed through the dining room, glancing back to make sure I was paying attention.
Polly had a tight little ass, only accentuated by the miniskirt she was required to wear. Her uniform hugged sultry curves and put her long legs on display. I was sure she had her pick of lovesick young men and thought nothing of it when she put the menu down on my table. I slid into the seat, ordered an iced tea and a cheeseburger, and got to playing with my phone.
Gina swept over to my side as soon as Polly disappeared. She gave my table another wipe down, a goofy smile on her face. “How’s things at the lumberyard?”
“Fine,” I said.
“Are they givin’ you a hard time?” she wondered. I almost thought she was going to sit down opposite me.
“No more so than usual,” I replied.
“You know you always got a home with us.” Gina pinched my cheek, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop.
The cook poked his head out of the kitchen, shaking a spatula. “Gina, quit harassing the customers.”
Gina winked at me and drifted away to wipe other tables. Polly returned with my food a few minutes later, and she did sit down. “I was thinking, if you don’t have any plans this Friday night, maybe you want to go into Nashville?” She looked up at me, a mixture of embarrassment and hope in her eyes. “There’s a band playing that’s supposed to be the next Johnny Cash.”
I inhaled, wanting to let her down easy. “Polly, you’re very pretty,” I began.
“But?” She threw her elbows onto the table and settled her chin into her palm.
“I just don’t date,” I said.
She straightened, having expected me to say I was seeing someone else. “What do you mean you don’t date?”
“I don’t know how much you know…” I ran my finger along my fork uncomfortably. “I went to prison—”
“But you’re out now,” she sang. “I know you didn’t do it.”
I smiled, almost convinced. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to spend an evening with Polly, maybe even a roll in the hay at the end of it all. But I was in no position to date responsibly. I was a train wreck, and I knew it. I had to figure my shit out before I could try to make it work with anyone else. Polly was beautiful, but she deserved more.
“Thanks,” I said. “I’m just no good for a relationship right now.”
She sighed a great, big dramatic sigh, and heaved herself to her feet. “If you change your mind…”
“I just have to look for the prettiest waitress this side of the Mississippi.” I winked.
Polly blushed and hurried away, with no feelings hurt. I ate my cheeseburger and finished my tea. It was hard work doing the right thing sometimes. I wondered if I would have the same amount of restraint the next time I ran into a beautiful woman willing to spend a night with me. It was a ridiculous thought. This was Singer’s Ridge, and beautiful women were in short supply. If I’d never left town, my odds of stumbling into a one-night stand were poor at best. I would just have to content myself with being the better man.
I escaped from the affections of the waitresses by leaving a big tip. They had a hard job, and I knew it. If all us little people supported each other, life would be better all around. I still had twenty minutes left in my break by the time I got back to the lumberyard. My choices were limited. I could say hello to my mom, bother my dad in the office, go back to work early, or sit in the truck and look at my phone. None of them seemed like a winner, but I decided to check on Mom. For all her bellyaching, she was still important to me.