Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Here you go.”
Before she can complain about anything else, I leave the table to greet new customers and get the rest of my day going. Things are moving fairly smoothly when the order comes up for Miss Difficult, and when I set her plate in front of her, she scowls.
“I knew you should have written it down.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Melissa,” the man warns, but she ignores him.
“I asked for no peppers.”
Now I grit my teeth. “No, ma’am, you asked for no onions. That’s what you got.”
“Well, I meant no peppers.” She pushes the plate away. “I can’t eat that.”
“Melissa, you don’t have a problem with peppers.” The man rolls his eyes. “She’s just mad today. Her meal is fine, thank you.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
I walk away and take a deep breath.
Looks like I’m not the only one having a bad day.
It’s been a long freaking day.
I’m bundled up in a hoodie and sweats, my feet bare, sitting on the back patio with Petunia, enjoying an extra-large glass of red wine after a difficult day at work. The clouds above are fluffy rather than dark and angry, and it’s pleasant out here.
Normally, I’d take this time to paint, but I needed to unwind first.
Shed all of the negative energy before I let it soak into my home.
Tanner drives up and pulls into his garage. Rather than going into his house, he walks over to us. He’s so impossibly handsome it makes my stomach jitter. His white button-down is unbuttoned at the collar, and his sleeves are rolled to his elbows.
What is it about rolled shirtsleeves that makes a girl want to purr?
“Hey there,” he says as he approaches. He takes in Petunia and grins. “You have your cat on a leash.”
I glance down at her pretty pink harness and matching leash and nod. “Yeah, she likes to be outside, but I don’t want her to run off.”
“Has she run off before?”
“I’ve never given her the chance,” I admit. “How was your day?”
“It was pretty good, actually. And yours?”
I pause and stare into my glass before lifting it to my lips and taking a sip. “It might have been the shittiest day I’ve had since coming home. Aside from the night my house burned down, of course.”
His eyebrows climb. “What happened?”
I pet Petunia, who’s content to sit in my lap. “Oh, you know. Difficult customers. No, actually, really fucking rude customers. One tried to get me fired today.”
“What? What the hell?”
“Yeah, well, Gordy laughed at her and told her not to come back. Tourist.” I shrug a shoulder. “The rest were just…rude. Maybe it’s the full moon or something.”
“That’s interesting, because Apollo mentioned that he had a rude client the other day, and I had a woman come into my gallery that same day and cause a scene. There must be something in the air.”
“Well, whatever it is, it can just blow right out of here. It’s mentally exhausting.”
“I agree. What can I do for you, Sarah?”
He shoves his hands into his pockets, the way I’ve noticed he does often. God, he’s handsome. Tall and lean, with muscles for days and tousled hair that just begs for my fingers.
I’ve missed him. Everything about him.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be done. Unless you can give all the tourists a stern talking to, that is.”
He smiles, and it lights up the patio.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He looks like he wants to say more, but he just sighs and starts to back away. “You have a good evening, Sarah.”
“Yeah, you too, Tanner.”
He walks into the house, and I lean down to kiss my cat.
“I love this house,” I say to her. “But I think I underestimated just how much it would hurt to be so close to Tanner, but yet, so far away.”
Maybe it’s time to stop fighting the feelings I have for him.
December 24, 2001
* * *
Dear Diary,
Luna’s mom is the best. I hate Xmas. It’s the worst holiday. Scott always gets his hopes up that Santa will come, but I know he never will. He never has. We’ve never even had a tree in this house.
But Luna’s mom invited us to their house, and she told me privately that she wants to do something special for Scott. I love them so much. They treat us like family.
So, Scott and I are going over there today, and we will stay through tomorrow. Mom and Dad won’t even know we’re gone. They don’t give a shit.
I’m just happy that this year my brother will have a present to open that isn’t handmade by me. I know he says he loves those presents, because he’s the sweetest kid ever, but just once, I’d love for him to open something from the store, wrapped in real Christmas paper.
We get to celebrate a real Christmas! I’ll let you know how it goes.