Hidden Gem Short Story Collection (9781301405985) by India Lee Page A

off of
herself.
    “ I love me a bad girl,”
Moss said, kicking his feet under the table. He pounded his balled
up fists on the table. “And I can just tell that girl was bad. ”
    “ I’m hoping our next
server is a dude,” Mike said, shaking his head. “We’re surrounded
by families for Christ’s sake. And it’s not even really late enough
to be drinking like this. Or acting like this.” Tyler looked over
at Mike who looked strangely tense. He was thankful Mike was on the
same page as him, so he would be the one saying all the things that
Tyler himself was afraid to say aloud. But Tyler also suspected
Mike was only doing it because he could sense Tyler’s
discomfort.
    “ Hi!” a bright voice
suddenly said, tableside. Tyler looked up, leaning forward to see
to whom the voice belonged. Their new waitress was standing there,
a pen and notepad in hand and ready to take their order. Her pale
blonde hair was pulled into a low knot that sat at the nape of her
delicate neck and her sparkling blue eyes flitted around the table
as if to greet them individually. Her gaze stopped on Tyler for a
second longer than the rest of the men. Tyler’s heart fluttered.
Normally, his stomach had a slight sinking feeling when he was
recognized at an inconvenient time, but that feeling was absent.
Probably because he wasn’t sure if she had actually recognized him.
Probably because she was kind of sort of gorgeous. He was surprised the other
boys didn’t seem to notice.
    “ You our new waitress?”
Moss asked.
    “ Yes, I’ll be taking over
for Jana and I’m happy to take your order whenever you’re ready,”
she replied.
    “ I want a new server,”
Rufus said, gruffly. Tyler looked over, momentarily horrified by
his rude tone. Rufus pointed to the waitress’s arm. “This one’s
broken.” The table burst out laughing. Tyler looked back at the
waitress, noticing only at that moment that the new girl’s arm was
in a sling.
    “ I assure you, sir,” the
waitress replied, her smile remaining soft and genuine. “That I’m
perfectly capable of taking your order. Besides, I’m a leftie.” She
shrugged, indicating the pen in her free, left hand. “Anyway, my
name’s Sophie and I’ll be right over there so whenever you figure
out what it is you want, give me a holler.”
    ~
    The night was long, extending well past the
restaurant’s hours, much to the dismay of the staff and restaurant
owner. Sophie seemed fine with it, waltzing about the restaurant
like sunshine trapped in a wooden box, just waiting for it to be
morning so she could climb up into the sky. Her energy and vibrancy
was contagious – Tyler could feel his mood pick up anytime she was
a mere five feet from their table. He was glad the guys were much
too drunk to pick up on his sudden eagerness to be around their
waitress.
    But there was one thing –
one very coincidental matter – that bugged him.
    “ Wasn’t the name of the
only girl that was injured that we couldn’t visit named Sophie?”
Tyler asked at the breakfast table the next morning. Mike had his
head propped up on the counter, shoveling huge mouthfuls of bacon
and eggs into his mouth.
    “ Yeah, I think so,” he
replied. “Why?”
    “ That was the name of our
waitress last night.”
    “ Yeah, I remember.
Sophie’s a name people have – what’s your point?”
    “ Our waitress had her arm
in a sling. Like she was recently injured. You don’t think maybe
she was the one at the concert?”
    “ Our waitress last night
gave zero indication she even knew who you were,” Mike said,
swallowing his food. “Don’t you think she would have been like,
‘Well, gee. What a coincidence that Tyler Chase is my customer when
just the other day, he broke my arm or whatever.’ Not saying
that you actually
broke her arm – I was saying Tyler Chase as like, the concert, not
as like, you, Tyler. You know.”
    “ I know. And I guess,”
Tyler conceded.
    “ Huh,” Mike put his fork
down. “You know, if