Page 120 of The Friend Scheme
It’s hypnotic.
I climb out of the car.
“You’re early,” I say as I close my car door.
I’m also early, as it’s ten to seven, when we planned on meeting at seven. It’s only just dark out.
“What can I say,” he says, shrugging. “I was excited.”
I get that.
“Me too.”
He walks over and hugs me, which sends a buzz straight to my head. We step away from each other, and through my daze I realize he’s had a haircut since I last saw him. The sides are buzzed to his scalp, and the top is perfectly sculpted, swept over to the side and pressed down with product.
It’s very militaristic.
It makes me think of him as a soldier. That’s what he is, I guess.
“What?” he asks.
“You got a haircut.”
He chuckles, and touches it. “Yeah. Do you like it?”
“It looks so good, dude.”
“Aw, shucks. You’re too kind.”
Inside is similar to the other Sunshine Diner. Complete with the palm tree painting on the wall.
There’s an old jukebox at the far right. It’s playing some old-ass song.
We both sit down at a booth near the back.
“I’ve got to confess something,” he says.
Oh God.
“What?”
He raises a shaking hand. “I’m so nervous. So if I say something weird, let me off the hook, ’kay?”
I laugh. “What are you nervous about?”
“It’s a date, you know? And I want it to be good.”
“Oh, right. I’m nervous about that, too, by the way. So don’t stress.”
I glance around. The place is almost empty. Our company is just the fry cook and the server, plus two customers. One is a balding man who is slouched over a newspaper, drinking a coffee, and the other is a blond girl. She has a half-drunk vanilla milkshake in front of her, and her cheeks are wet with tears. I guess she’s been stood up, given how nice her clothes and makeup are.
She catches me looking and gives me a pretty killer death stare.
Rightfully so, I was totally being a snoop.
I have a reason to be, though.
I just want to make sure nobody at the diner knows me. Throughthe window beside us, I can see the main road, and beyond that, the city skyline. Palm trees line the road, their fronds swaying in the breeze.
