Page 17 of Kissing the Debutant
“You got it.” Her smile reached all the way to her eyes. “I’m Cara by the way. I’m so glad you’re here tonight.”
As she walked away, Lillian wondered if she truly was glad to see a stranger, or if it was just something she said. Certain people just had a knack for making anyone feel welcome.
Lillian had just never met one until now.
Only a few customers sat in various booths, most had cleared out at this hour. The Main had always been open twenty-four hours as a haven for anyone who didn’t have anywhere to go. She wondered if that basically meant it was an eatery for drunk college kids who were awake in the middle of the night.
Julian stood from his booth and slid his laptop into his bag as a tall blond walked through the door. She gave him a long kiss, but it was the smile they shared Lillian couldn’t get out of her head. Like they had a secret no one else knew. Love. Maybe that was the secret.
Mrs. Callahan walked out from the kitchen and wrapped her son and the girl in a tight hug like she didn’t want them to leave even though they all lived in the same town. Was that what other families were like?
Lillian tried to recall the last time her mother hugged her or hesitated before leaving her in the care of her boarding school. Most of the academy kids came from wealthy and influential families. They looked down on the public school kids, but she wondered what the public school kids truly thought of them.
Did they pity them as well as hate them?
Cara returned, balancing a plate on one hand and gripping a milkshake with the other. She set them both on the table, and Lillian tore her eyes away from the happy family to stare at the horrible food in front of her.
Horrible because it smelled so darn good.
Horrible because it made her mouth water.
Horrible because she knew she couldn’t eat it.
Cara looked to Mrs. Callahan. “Taking my break.”
Mrs. Callahan offered her a smile in return.
Lillian expected Cara to walk away and go spend her break doing whatever it was she wanted to do. Instead, the waitress slid into the booth across from her.
“Do you need something?” Lillian didn’t want to be rude, but she wasn’t in much of a mood for talking. Especially not to someone she didn’t know.
Cara seemed to take no offense at the question. “You, dear, looked like you needed to talk.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
The woman laughed, and Lillian wasn’t quite sure how to take that. “You’re an academy kid, right?”
Lillian nodded.
“Then I know for a fact you aren’t supposed to be here. Doesn’t your school have strict no fraternizing with the townies policies?”
A laugh bubbled up from Lillian’s throat. That wasn’t exactly what the policy said. They weren’t allowed to leave campus without permission. “I had a pass.”
“Something tells me your pass wasn’t to come to the Main.”
Lillian sighed and stared into the traitorous milkshake she wished she could drink. “I dance at the local studio. I wasn’t ready to go back to the dorms when I finished.”
“Dance?” Her eyes lit up. “My son is a dancer. I love watching him, but every time he tries to teach me anything, I fall flat on my butt. And let me warn you, when you get to be my age, there’s no guarantee you’ll get right back up when you fall.”
Lillian shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t fall.”
A laugh boomed out of her. “Confidence, I like that. What’s your name, girl?”
“Lillian.”
“Well, Lillian, it truly is a pleasure to meet you. You look like a smart young lady. Poised in a way I hope my little girl will be one day.”
“You have a daughter too?”
