Page 14 of Sweet Boys Love Christmas
She stands just inside the door, scanning the dining room for a moment, before she heads toward an empty booth in my mom’s section.
Mom immediately steps that way, ready to greet her, but I stop her with a hand on her wrist. “I’ve got this one.”
“Oh?” She arches a brow and studies me.
“It’s not like that,” I warn her, before she can create an elaborate narrative in her head filled with marriage and babies for me and the pretty blonde.
Bertie has her eyes on the menu, so she doesn’t notice me approach.
“Are you stalking me?”
She jumps, and when she finds me standing with a pad at the ready, her eyes light in surprise. “What? No. I didn’t know you worked here. I…” She surveys me, then glances around the diner. “Wow, it really does seem like I’m stalking you. I can go.”
She starts to slide out of the booth, but I shake my head and keep my position close to the table so she can’t escape.
“I’m just messing with you, B. And no, technically, I don’t work here, but they’re short-staffed and needed the help. What can I get you to drink?”
“Diet Coke, please.”
“You got it.” I tap my pen against the pad. “Do you need another minute with the menu?”
She nods, so I give her a smile and leave her to peruse the options while I get her drink.
She watches me as I walk away. Her attention is palpable, even if I can’t see her. As I’m scooping ice into a red plastic cup, my mom comes up beside me.
“She’s pretty,” she singsongs, bumping her elbow playfully into my arm, making the ice clack against the cup.
“She is,” I agree. “But again, it’s not like that.”
She laughs. “Then why is she looking at you like she wants to take a bite?”
Heat creeps up my neck and cheeks as I fill the cup with Diet Coke.
Mom giggles beside me. “Do you like her, Lukie? Ask her out.”
If only the floor would open up and swallow me whole right about now.
I was a shy kid, and while I’ve certainly grown out of it a bit, I do still have my moments, like this one, where it feels my skin is on fire and the desperation to flee is strong.
“I have asked her out,” I whisper. “She doesn’t want to date right now. She ended a serious relationship not too long ago.”
She frowns. “But you like her.”
“Yes,” I confirm, even though I’m not sure it was a question.
“And she looks like she’s interested in you,” she muses.
“Mom,” I beg. “Please, stay out of it. We’re friends.”
She puts her hands up in surrender. “Okay. I’ll keep quiet.”
Even though I don’t want to. Those words hang between us, but I ignore them and head back over to Bertie’s table.
“Did you decide yet?”
Nodding, she sticks the menu back in the holder at the other end of the table. “I’ll take a cheeseburger—no tomato—and fries, please.”
“You got it.”
