Love Is Closer Than You Think
It was dire. It was, perhaps, a bit stupid, more than a bit arrogant, but he didn’t care. Jeff needed to make sure Laura knew he could date other people. He verified when he made the reservation that he was sitting in Laura’s section. A waitress. What was she thinking? She was so much more than a waitress.
Kim clung to his arm as if she couldn’t navigate her way through a sunny day. Admittedly, it was off-putting but he shrugged it away because she was a pretty buxom blonde, very different from Laura. And, he really wanted Laura to notice.
They had a secluded corner table, which made it seem as if they were looking for privacy. He loved it.
“Look, look, Jeff. Macaroni and cheese. I thought when you said this was an exclusive restaurant that they wouldn’t have anything I’d like to eat, but it’s mac and cheese. Freaking awesome. Do you think I’d like sage butter? What’s that like? Sage is that thing Granny puts in turkey stuffing. Is it good?”
Jeff winced. Listening to Kim was like listening to a kid high on sugar with a falsetto voice to boot. He liked her better when she did other things with her mouth. God, he missed Laura.
Another waitress, not Laura, approached their table. “Good evening, welcome to Cilantro and Sage. Have you dined with us before?”
Jeff looked around frantically. “I thought Laura was serving this table.”
He’d have to be an idiot to not notice Kim stiffen. “Laura? As in your ex- Laura?”
The waitress, a pretty woman with dark brown eyes and mocha skin, glanced between them. “Laura is serving another section. I could get her if you need to speak with her.”
He glanced around, saw her. She was laughing with the bartender and a guy with dark red hair. He felt his heart squeeze. She looked happy. Had she looked that happy with him? Ever? Maybe for one day at the beginning. Closing his eyes, he shook his head.
“No, that’s fine,” he said.
After the waitress left, Kim gripped his hand, a move that surprised him. “Are you still in love with her?”
“No. I don’t know. We weren’t good for each other. She looks happy.”
Kim looked around, perhaps trying to figure out which waitress was Laura. She shrugged. “Maybe you can be happier now too. Being good for each other is a two-way street.”
He nodded. Those were wise words. Perhaps he’d listen a little more carefully to Kim in the future. Perhaps he’d been looking for love where it didn’t live, when it might be closer to home than he’d ever thought.
end
Mac and Cheese with a Twist?