set in, when there came the awaited voice to greet her ears, sounding quite as sweetly and clearly as the soft chime of a bell. From the left, it came; and Nessa turned a little in that direction, so as to peer past the bulk of the red-capped man, and lay her eyes upon the waitress named Cassie. There she stood, shining brightly as a star under the harsh lights of the lamps; there she stood, with sweet voice chiming still as that perfect bell, repeatedly upon the air – to bring a smile not only to Nessa’s lips, but upon observation, also to the lips of all three young men to whom she was presently attending.
As Cassie turned away from the young men, and made her brisk way behind the counter, Nessa quickly averted her gaze, and concealed herself once again behind the red-capped man. Once, this man had turned to her, and proffered a smile and a wink which he no doubt considered quite charming; but upon Nessa’s baring her teeth at him, and calling forth a shadow into her black eyes, he looked away somewhat fearfully, and returned to his meal.
As Cassie conversed briefly with a man behind the serving station, and bestowed upon this man the most beautiful and radiant smile which Nessa could ever remember seeing, Nessa looked on almost greedily; eager for the sound of her voice, and the sparkle of her eyes; but unwilling to make her eagerness known. Yet finally the red-capped man finished his meal, and rose from the counter. He threw a bit of money down, and hurried away.
Then turned that smile, in mid-sparkle; and without the protective bulk of the red-capped man to cover her, Nessa was found out. She nearly expected the smile to falter, at the strange suspicion that it had been watched too intently – but no such thing occurred. It seemed, instead, only to widen, and perhaps even to brighten. Glad of this turn of events, Nessa returned the smile as best she could, albeit somewhat weakly.
The mouth behind the smile offered a last line to the man in back of the serving station; and then started down the counter to Nessa. Nessa was filled with a fierce sort of panic – for in truth she had not anticipated this particular moment. This night, she had hoped only to watch, and to derive some small semblance of comfort from the watching; but she was faced now with the obligation of something more than that, and knew not how to act.
“Hello, Nessa.”
“I – it’s a – I – hello.”
“No brother here tonight?” asked Cassie. “Hiding again in the bathroom, maybe?”
Nessa laughed nervously. “He – I – he – no.”
Again came the sparkle; though perhaps, this time, it sparkled something at Nessa’s expense.
“Well, it’s nice to see you, anyhow,” said Cassie. “Can I get you something?”
Nessa only shook her head, thinking it much safer than attempting again to speak.
“Not a thing?”
Again, her head swished to and fro. It seemed that Cassie was preparing to say something else; but Nessa interrupted her with a third incoherent string.
“I – it’s a – I – goodbye.”
She leapt from the stool, and flashed no more slowly than a particularly elusive lightning bolt, out the door – down the concrete walk, and around the building once more.
She intended, of course, to employ her little bag, left alone till now in the dusty earth just past the grass of the field; had in fact even begun to unlace her shoes, when she was struck by a strong realisation. She had run alone all this way, so that she might gain something she desired. But so far she had gained nothing; and she decided that this was not enough. Therefore she crept again round the building, and settled down into the shadows beneath the eaves, to await the closing of the diner.
~
She lay in wait for some long minutes; and had in fact even begun to doze, when there came the sound of car doors slamming, in the parking lot beyond. So she scurried forth, and looked out into the lot, dark now with the light gone from the diner;
As Cassie turned away from the young men, and made her brisk way behind the counter, Nessa quickly averted her gaze, and concealed herself once again behind the red-capped man. Once, this man had turned to her, and proffered a smile and a wink which he no doubt considered quite charming; but upon Nessa’s baring her teeth at him, and calling forth a shadow into her black eyes, he looked away somewhat fearfully, and returned to his meal.
As Cassie conversed briefly with a man behind the serving station, and bestowed upon this man the most beautiful and radiant smile which Nessa could ever remember seeing, Nessa looked on almost greedily; eager for the sound of her voice, and the sparkle of her eyes; but unwilling to make her eagerness known. Yet finally the red-capped man finished his meal, and rose from the counter. He threw a bit of money down, and hurried away.
Then turned that smile, in mid-sparkle; and without the protective bulk of the red-capped man to cover her, Nessa was found out. She nearly expected the smile to falter, at the strange suspicion that it had been watched too intently – but no such thing occurred. It seemed, instead, only to widen, and perhaps even to brighten. Glad of this turn of events, Nessa returned the smile as best she could, albeit somewhat weakly.
The mouth behind the smile offered a last line to the man in back of the serving station; and then started down the counter to Nessa. Nessa was filled with a fierce sort of panic – for in truth she had not anticipated this particular moment. This night, she had hoped only to watch, and to derive some small semblance of comfort from the watching; but she was faced now with the obligation of something more than that, and knew not how to act.
“Hello, Nessa.”
“I – it’s a – I – hello.”
“No brother here tonight?” asked Cassie. “Hiding again in the bathroom, maybe?”
Nessa laughed nervously. “He – I – he – no.”
Again came the sparkle; though perhaps, this time, it sparkled something at Nessa’s expense.
“Well, it’s nice to see you, anyhow,” said Cassie. “Can I get you something?”
Nessa only shook her head, thinking it much safer than attempting again to speak.
“Not a thing?”
Again, her head swished to and fro. It seemed that Cassie was preparing to say something else; but Nessa interrupted her with a third incoherent string.
“I – it’s a – I – goodbye.”
She leapt from the stool, and flashed no more slowly than a particularly elusive lightning bolt, out the door – down the concrete walk, and around the building once more.
She intended, of course, to employ her little bag, left alone till now in the dusty earth just past the grass of the field; had in fact even begun to unlace her shoes, when she was struck by a strong realisation. She had run alone all this way, so that she might gain something she desired. But so far she had gained nothing; and she decided that this was not enough. Therefore she crept again round the building, and settled down into the shadows beneath the eaves, to await the closing of the diner.
~
She lay in wait for some long minutes; and had in fact even begun to doze, when there came the sound of car doors slamming, in the parking lot beyond. So she scurried forth, and looked out into the lot, dark now with the light gone from the diner;
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