Page 328 of As the Rain Falls
“It looks pretty good, don’t you think?”
I glance at the menu and the poorly taken pictures of the meals available in it. The salad is at the bottom, made of fresh tomatoes, red onions, red pepper, corn, black beans, and cheese, all chopped together with tortilla chips and some cilantro lime dressing. I can’t eat lettuce because the texture gives me the chills, but it does look good.
“And Ireallywanted some fries, but they only come with the full menu.”
From my peripheral vision, I catch Antony rolling his eyes at us. He and Cassandra have this weird, lingering animosity, which seems to be kind of their thing.
I shrug, “You can have some of mine.”
“But then I’d be stealing your food.” Her gaze shifts to our plates, her delicate fingers pressing into the edge of the table. “And you don’t like that.”
The waitress approaches our table.
“Are you ready to order?”
“No.”
“I thought you really liked the burger.” Antony takes the lead, reopening the menu. Cassandra tenses, and I glare at him. He adds, “It comes with the fries you want and a soda.”
She tilts her head, side-eyeing him. “Yeah, I kind of know how to read.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I check who’s texting me at this time. Mateo, still chewing, watches them with interest. Angelina pinches his arm, and he scowls at her.
Antony presses, “Can’t you just get the burger?”
“The burger gets ready quickly.” The waitress chips in, her voice overly cheerful.
Cassandra exhales, her shoulders dropping. “Fine. I’ll take the burger. And I want ketchup-mayo for the fries, please.”
Antony hands the menu back to the waitress, and she leaves to put in the order.
I’ve stopped mid-text to Well’s wood supplier just to watch their exchange happen. There’s been some issues at the port. It’s a huge mess. Trade policies, strikes every single day leading to shipments being delayed for far too long. This is a huge problem for anyone trying to buy from or sell to overseas territories.
Most of our clients are understanding, but there’s always one who complains too much.I need to follow up quickly and answer emails, but I’m too distracted by Cassandra’s sudden shift in mood.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to eat everything,” she mutters, visibly upset about it. “I think I’m going to the bathroom.”
She rises from her improvised seat—a lost chair we found at a corner—and glances at Angelina with pleading eyes.
Angelina frowns. “Go ahead. I’ll watch your purse until Kayla comes back to our table.”
“Thanks, Angie.”
Nobody notices how quickly Cassandra disappears right after, not towards the bathroom, but out the restaurant.Ten minutes pass. Her food arrives but remains untouched.
Antony eyes it, angsty.
He meant well.I know he did.But he was also rude as fuck.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I point out.
“Shouldn’t have done what?”
“Ordered for her.” I shake my head. “She’s not a child.”
“We’ve been here for an hour, Beckett.” He scoffs, looking around for support. “How long does it take to order?”
Mateo starts to agree, but he ultimately shrugs, “She’s a picky eater, dude.”
