Page 17 of Best Friends, Tennessee

“I’ve got it. It’s all coming back to me, like… riding a bike while kids scream at you in the background.”

Danielle nodded. “Exactly. I’m glad to have you back. Kick ass tonight.”

Soon I was deep into another long order of milkshakes, but the rest of my shift at the diner was shockingly easy.

The after-work crowd wasn’t as bad as the afternoon one had been. Some things hadn’t changed since this was my after-school job.

Things got calmer as the hours wore on and the sun went down.

On my break, I even had a little time to sit at one of the tables outside. I pulled out my mini sketchbook and did a quick little watercolor of the street corner, Laurel Ave & Second St.

It was pretty, when I paid enough attention to it. There was the cobblestone, the fountain across the street, and the front entrance of the Hard Spot Saloon. For a small town, this corner was always pretty busy, too, with families and teenagers and people walking dogs.

Around this time of night, back in LA, I’d have been deep in a shift at the art gallery, serving fancy wine and cheese to richer-than-hell art collectors while listening to jazz music. It was cutthroat. I had to drop everything, the moment any wealthy person walked through the door. Most of the time I had worked through my “breaks,” and I certainly never had time to paint watercolors.

My first shift back at Red Fox was surprisingly…notshitty.

Not like my high school memories at all.

I drove the short distance back to Finn’s, leaving my car windows down.

The air was brisk. The smell of grass and fresh flowers was so strong here in the spring, and the humidity in the air tonight made it even sweeter.

At least it didn’t smell like soil and manure. I let my arm rest on the edge of the window as I drove down the neighborhood streets.

I could already tell something was different when I pulled into Finn’s driveway.

There was a little white car in front of the house that probably didn’t belong to one of Finn’s buddies, because there was a pink sparkly border around its license plate. I hadn’t seen Finn all day, and had no idea what his plans were. Yesterday he’d come home late from the saloon, and this morning he’d already been out at the ranch by the time I left for the diner.

When I walked inside, I saw Finn in the kitchen, standing next to a tall redhead.

“Oh. Hi,” I said, an awkward heat already rising in my chest.

I’d only been here for a day, and already, I was walking in on Finn with a woman.

“Christina, this is Ori,” Finn said, pushing his hair back as I walked into the kitchen. “Ori and I were good friends growing up. He’s staying with me ‘til he finds his own place back here in town.”

Finn looked like he’d dressed up, which basically just meant he was wearing a light-blue fitted sweater rather than his usual T-shirt, jeans, or flannel.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking her hand.

“I was just heading out,” she said, “but I hope you two have a good night.”

“Thanks for coming over,” Finn told her, leaning in to give her a quick hug.

“No problem at all, Finn,” she said. “Enjoy the jams. See you around, Ori.”

She headed out the front door, grabbing a small cardboard box that had been near the entryway as she left.

I shifted awkwardly.

I wanted to encourage him to date, not put a damper on it. I felt like I was in the way, and definitely like I’d interrupted something.

When she was gone, I turned to Finn.

“So I guess I caught youaftera fuck session, not before?” I asked, trying to make a joke and cut through the tension in the air.

“Neither, smartass,” Finn said, heading back into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, grabbing a jar of jam and spreading some on a fresh piece of bread. He took a big bite, humming to himself. “God, this is good. Try this.”

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