dated and I'm far from a virgin. I
just choose my men carefully.”
“Shut your trap and fuck your excuses. This
is happening. I told him to meet you tonight at the Landing at
seven, and then you're going to see Slam play at the Bar.”
Amy sighed in defeat. There was no point in
arguing more. If she resisted, Alice would drag her there kicking
and screaming. She loved Alice and knew she meant well, but she
could be such a bitch sometimes.
“Fine, but I'm not dressing like a slut.”
“Come on, I'll help you pick something out.”
Alice was really, really too giddy about this.
*
“Dad, I've worked 60 hours this week. I'm not
covering the late-night shift, too.”
“Boy, you'd better watch your tone. I'm your
father. I let you live under my roof and work in my diner. You'd
better show some respect.”
Luke tried to keep his voice at a reasonable
level, knowing there were customers within earshot that his father
conveniently forgot about. “Dad, I show you nothing but respect. I
let you run my life every damn day. I'm asking, this once, for the
night off. Hell, it's not even a night off since I wasn't scheduled
in the first place. I'll stay until 8 and then I'm out of here.” He
turned and walked away before his father could respond.
He was shocked to see Amy sitting at her
normal table when he came through the swinging door of the kitchen.
She normally only came in at lunch.
“Hey, Amy.”
She jumped and looked up, relief and maybe
worry passing through her yes. “Hey, Luke, how are you?”
“I'm okay. I'm surprised to see you here for
dinner.”
“I-I'm meeting someone,” she replied,
wringing her hands.
She looked especially tense. “Are you okay,
Sugar?”
She smiled and barked out a single laugh. “I
just don't do this and I don't want to do this.”
“Humor me, Sweetheart. What is 'this'?”
“Oh, a date. A blind date.”
“Ah, I don't blame you. Let me guess, your
friend, what's her name...Alice, insisted?”
“You got it in one.”
“What time is he supposed to be here?”
She looked at her watch. “15 minutes
ago.”
Luke cringed. Poor thing. This had to be a
blow to the ego.
“I'll give him a few more minutes.”
He resisted running a thumb over her flushed
cheek. “I'll bring you some tea in the meantime.”
She gave him a shy smile. “Thanks, Luke.”
He delivered her tea and watched the door
closely from behind the counter where he rolled the silverware by
rote.
30 minutes later, he saw her admit defeat
when she put her head in her hands and moving her lips as if she
were talking to herself. He decided then and there that he wasn't
going to let her go home thinking that she wasn't worthy.
“I see the dreaded blind date didn't
show.”
“Yeah, I'm ticked off but relieved at the
same time. I'm going to strangle Alice tomorrow, though.”
“Hey, I was going to go to the Bar to see a
band tonight, would you like to join me?”
Amy looked surprised. “That's where we were
going, too. I was looking forward to hearing Slam play. Are you
sure you don't mind me joining you? I don't want to cramp your
style.”
“How on earth could you cramp my style?”
“Well, you know...never mind. I'd love to.”
She gave him the first genuine smile he'd seen all night and he
thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful.
“Let me just finish up and we're out of
here.”
*
Amy was so ticked at Alice that she could
scream. On the other hand, she would much rather see Slam with Luke
than some random 'friend of a friend of a friend'. At least she
knew that Luke wasn't a threat. She could literally let her hair
down and be herself. After what happened with her mom and step-dad,
she was overly cautious around men.
As she drank the last of her tea, she heard
raised voices from the back. The voices were muffled, but she
thought she heard 'worthless', 'don't bother coming home', 'piece
of shit' and 'or else'. She knew that the Landing was family run,
but she had only seen the
just choose my men carefully.”
“Shut your trap and fuck your excuses. This
is happening. I told him to meet you tonight at the Landing at
seven, and then you're going to see Slam play at the Bar.”
Amy sighed in defeat. There was no point in
arguing more. If she resisted, Alice would drag her there kicking
and screaming. She loved Alice and knew she meant well, but she
could be such a bitch sometimes.
“Fine, but I'm not dressing like a slut.”
“Come on, I'll help you pick something out.”
Alice was really, really too giddy about this.
*
“Dad, I've worked 60 hours this week. I'm not
covering the late-night shift, too.”
“Boy, you'd better watch your tone. I'm your
father. I let you live under my roof and work in my diner. You'd
better show some respect.”
Luke tried to keep his voice at a reasonable
level, knowing there were customers within earshot that his father
conveniently forgot about. “Dad, I show you nothing but respect. I
let you run my life every damn day. I'm asking, this once, for the
night off. Hell, it's not even a night off since I wasn't scheduled
in the first place. I'll stay until 8 and then I'm out of here.” He
turned and walked away before his father could respond.
He was shocked to see Amy sitting at her
normal table when he came through the swinging door of the kitchen.
She normally only came in at lunch.
“Hey, Amy.”
She jumped and looked up, relief and maybe
worry passing through her yes. “Hey, Luke, how are you?”
“I'm okay. I'm surprised to see you here for
dinner.”
“I-I'm meeting someone,” she replied,
wringing her hands.
She looked especially tense. “Are you okay,
Sugar?”
She smiled and barked out a single laugh. “I
just don't do this and I don't want to do this.”
“Humor me, Sweetheart. What is 'this'?”
“Oh, a date. A blind date.”
“Ah, I don't blame you. Let me guess, your
friend, what's her name...Alice, insisted?”
“You got it in one.”
“What time is he supposed to be here?”
She looked at her watch. “15 minutes
ago.”
Luke cringed. Poor thing. This had to be a
blow to the ego.
“I'll give him a few more minutes.”
He resisted running a thumb over her flushed
cheek. “I'll bring you some tea in the meantime.”
She gave him a shy smile. “Thanks, Luke.”
He delivered her tea and watched the door
closely from behind the counter where he rolled the silverware by
rote.
30 minutes later, he saw her admit defeat
when she put her head in her hands and moving her lips as if she
were talking to herself. He decided then and there that he wasn't
going to let her go home thinking that she wasn't worthy.
“I see the dreaded blind date didn't
show.”
“Yeah, I'm ticked off but relieved at the
same time. I'm going to strangle Alice tomorrow, though.”
“Hey, I was going to go to the Bar to see a
band tonight, would you like to join me?”
Amy looked surprised. “That's where we were
going, too. I was looking forward to hearing Slam play. Are you
sure you don't mind me joining you? I don't want to cramp your
style.”
“How on earth could you cramp my style?”
“Well, you know...never mind. I'd love to.”
She gave him the first genuine smile he'd seen all night and he
thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful.
“Let me just finish up and we're out of
here.”
*
Amy was so ticked at Alice that she could
scream. On the other hand, she would much rather see Slam with Luke
than some random 'friend of a friend of a friend'. At least she
knew that Luke wasn't a threat. She could literally let her hair
down and be herself. After what happened with her mom and step-dad,
she was overly cautious around men.
As she drank the last of her tea, she heard
raised voices from the back. The voices were muffled, but she
thought she heard 'worthless', 'don't bother coming home', 'piece
of shit' and 'or else'. She knew that the Landing was family run,
but she had only seen the
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