with a high ponytail and I could tell right away she would be quirky and loud.
“Hey there, Caleb. What have we here?” she asked as she looked me over.
“This is Maggie. Maggie, this is Mrs. Amy. The owner.”
“And the cook, waitress, dishwasher and hostess. He always forgets that,” she said sweetly and laughed. “Well come on you two. I’ll give you a table in the back,” she said conspiratorially and winked at Caleb.
We followed her and passed a packed dining hall full of laughing people and waitresses wearing cowboy boots to the back. She sat us at a corner table and left with our drink order.
It was a small booth that only fit three people, if tightly, so we sat beside each other instead of across from each other. I wondered if that had been Mrs. Amy’s plan.
I turned to him a little so I could see his face. I fiddled with my silverware and put my napkin in my lap so my hands would have something to do.
“So, if you’re not supposed to date, why was Kyle taking me out that night?”
“Only I knew about it. His parents didn’t. He told them he was going to a grad party. That’s why he wanted to text you about leaving.”
“Aha. So you brought me to his house thinking he’d get caught, huh?” I smiled and bumped his shoulder.
“Maybe. He was breaking the rules.” He smiled crookedly. “Plus, I was pretty disappointed when I found out that you were the one Kyle had been talking about.”
I bit my lip to stop the smile and looked towards our new waitress as she placed our drinks on the table. I told Caleb since we hadn’t looked at the menus at all to order something for me. Whatever was his favorite and so he did. Then I started to quiz him again.
“So. What sport do you play at Tennessee? Maria said you played something.”
“Swim team, 400 Meter, freestyle.”
Oh boy. That thought brought a whole new line of thinking. shorts, arms, legs, water...
“Mmm. Are you any good?”
I leaned my chin on my hands and watched him as he scratched his chin.
“Uh, yeah, I’m ok,” he played off modestly. “I guess. We made it to conference this year. Do you play any sports?”
“I ran track.”
“You any good?” he smirked.
“I guess so.”
“What did you run?”
“200 meter.”
“My sister ran too. But she wasn’t very good. Don’t tell her I said that.” We chuckled. “So, did you place?”
“State, two years.”
“Nice. So, uh-”
“Caleb. Hi, there.” I looked up at a sweet voice and saw a face just as sweet. It was a girl, looking at Caleb like he was everything she ever wanted. She was blonde, of course, tall and slender with a blue halter dress, very pretty. “Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt,” she said sweetly and lifted one bare tan shoulder.
“Hey, Ashley. How’s your summer?” he said not looking at her and twirling his straw in his glass.
“Well it just started, silly,” she giggled and fiddled with her necklace. “But it’s good so far. My parents are making me do a summer internship at a law firm in Chattanooga.”
“Sounds fun.”
“No way. It’ll be torture. The last six weeks of my break will be spent working like a dog with no pay and no credits for it.”
“Yeah, but you get the experience.” He turned to me before she could say anything else. “Ashley, this is Maggie. Maggie, this is Ashley. She’s in my Economics class.”
“And your Geometry class. But you’re always so focused that you barely notice anything in there.” She turned to me and fixed a not very pleasant smile on her face. “Nice to meet you, Maggie. Is that short for Margaret?”
“Nope just Maggie.”
She perched her petite behind on the edge of the seat next to Caleb and I felt an instant irritation. I could only assume this sweet faced girl would be trouble. And then trouble started to spew from her lips in the form of sugar coated degradation.
“So. Are you Caleb’s cousin from out of town?”
“Uh, no.”
“Hmm. Are you his sister? I
“Hey there, Caleb. What have we here?” she asked as she looked me over.
“This is Maggie. Maggie, this is Mrs. Amy. The owner.”
“And the cook, waitress, dishwasher and hostess. He always forgets that,” she said sweetly and laughed. “Well come on you two. I’ll give you a table in the back,” she said conspiratorially and winked at Caleb.
We followed her and passed a packed dining hall full of laughing people and waitresses wearing cowboy boots to the back. She sat us at a corner table and left with our drink order.
It was a small booth that only fit three people, if tightly, so we sat beside each other instead of across from each other. I wondered if that had been Mrs. Amy’s plan.
I turned to him a little so I could see his face. I fiddled with my silverware and put my napkin in my lap so my hands would have something to do.
“So, if you’re not supposed to date, why was Kyle taking me out that night?”
“Only I knew about it. His parents didn’t. He told them he was going to a grad party. That’s why he wanted to text you about leaving.”
“Aha. So you brought me to his house thinking he’d get caught, huh?” I smiled and bumped his shoulder.
“Maybe. He was breaking the rules.” He smiled crookedly. “Plus, I was pretty disappointed when I found out that you were the one Kyle had been talking about.”
I bit my lip to stop the smile and looked towards our new waitress as she placed our drinks on the table. I told Caleb since we hadn’t looked at the menus at all to order something for me. Whatever was his favorite and so he did. Then I started to quiz him again.
“So. What sport do you play at Tennessee? Maria said you played something.”
“Swim team, 400 Meter, freestyle.”
Oh boy. That thought brought a whole new line of thinking. shorts, arms, legs, water...
“Mmm. Are you any good?”
I leaned my chin on my hands and watched him as he scratched his chin.
“Uh, yeah, I’m ok,” he played off modestly. “I guess. We made it to conference this year. Do you play any sports?”
“I ran track.”
“You any good?” he smirked.
“I guess so.”
“What did you run?”
“200 meter.”
“My sister ran too. But she wasn’t very good. Don’t tell her I said that.” We chuckled. “So, did you place?”
“State, two years.”
“Nice. So, uh-”
“Caleb. Hi, there.” I looked up at a sweet voice and saw a face just as sweet. It was a girl, looking at Caleb like he was everything she ever wanted. She was blonde, of course, tall and slender with a blue halter dress, very pretty. “Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt,” she said sweetly and lifted one bare tan shoulder.
“Hey, Ashley. How’s your summer?” he said not looking at her and twirling his straw in his glass.
“Well it just started, silly,” she giggled and fiddled with her necklace. “But it’s good so far. My parents are making me do a summer internship at a law firm in Chattanooga.”
“Sounds fun.”
“No way. It’ll be torture. The last six weeks of my break will be spent working like a dog with no pay and no credits for it.”
“Yeah, but you get the experience.” He turned to me before she could say anything else. “Ashley, this is Maggie. Maggie, this is Ashley. She’s in my Economics class.”
“And your Geometry class. But you’re always so focused that you barely notice anything in there.” She turned to me and fixed a not very pleasant smile on her face. “Nice to meet you, Maggie. Is that short for Margaret?”
“Nope just Maggie.”
She perched her petite behind on the edge of the seat next to Caleb and I felt an instant irritation. I could only assume this sweet faced girl would be trouble. And then trouble started to spew from her lips in the form of sugar coated degradation.
“So. Are you Caleb’s cousin from out of town?”
“Uh, no.”
“Hmm. Are you his sister? I
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