arms around her waist and kept looking at anything but Georgette.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Don’t feel embarrassed for me, Rob. I don’t think I could handle pity right now.”
“Good lord, George. That little slut.”
14
“Where is she?” Hawthorne’s voice boomed to the girl standing at the front of the restaurant making patrons look up from their food. A glaring light, streaking in from the linty clouded sky behind him through the glass door silhouetted his big frame deleting all color from him.
When she saw him walk in, Cammy, one of the waitresses, barely looked up and without turning her body from the cash register, she pointed behind her, toward the kitchen.
As Hawthorne moved past the cashier’s station and away from the front door his clothes, his face, his hair all began to take on color, losing the grayness from outside’s silhouette. He paused at the swinging door and glanced through the porthole. Tears streaked Georgette’s face and Roberta looked like she was trying to hold herself up with her arms wrapped around her waist. Roberta was speaking but he couldn’t quite catch her words. They hadn’t yet noticed him looking through the window at them. When he pushed on the door open enough to crack it, he heard Roberta stop at the word “slut.” Then she turned around fast to see Hawthorne.
“Nice.” He pushed opened the door fully and held it there.
Both women appeared startled by his presence.
“What are you doing here?” Georgette asked and turned to the sink. Roberta turned to face Hawthorne with her back protecting Georgette.
“Well, don’t you have balls the size of Jupiter?” Roberta challenged.
“Bigger,” he said, challenging her back.
“You know, Hawthorne. This isn’t a good time …”
“This is none of your concern, Roberta. Leave. I need to talk to Georgette.”
Roberta put both of her hands behind her, feeling for Georgette. “It’s up to you, George. I’ll only leave if you want me to.” She glared while she spoke.
Georgette turned and moved to the side of Roberta. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. If I need you I’ll scream.” She glowered at Hawthorne and wiped her hands on her apron. Then she untied it and slung it over the side of the sink. She pulled the rubber band out of her hair, smoothing it down and retying it. “I’ll just scream.” She squinted again at Hawthorne.
“You can leave, Roberta. Like she said, if she needs you she’ll scream.”
His face looked older today and Roberta felt herself smile. “I’ll be right outside the door, Georgie.”
“Mm hmm.” Georgette tipped her chin up and pointed it to the door. Roberta walked past Hawthorne as if he were infected, raising her hands so as not to touch any part of him.
Hawthorne rolled his eyes and waited to hear the whooshing of the door swinging it closed.
“You have a ton of gall walking into my diner.”
“Now, honey …”
“Please. If you say anything at all to me, please do not call me honey. You call me by my proper name. You treat me with at least some cordiality. Especially after having sex with one of my best friends.” Her voice peaked but she pulled it back and it dwindled to normal by the end of the sentence.
“Georgette. Now, listen. I have some explaining to do. That’s obvious. But. I... I… want you to know. My feelings. Georgette. My feelings. For you. Have not… have not changed. Not one iota.” He wiped at his brow then added, “There. That’s what I came here to say.” He spoke as if reading from a script.
She leaned back against the sink and placed both hands on its railing. She looked down at her feet. He couldn’t imagine what she would say next.
“Your feelings. You say. Haven’t… changed?”
“Not one iota, hon… Georgette. Not one iota.”
“You’re saying. And, please stop me if I’m getting this at all wrong. What you’re saying is that you, Hawthorne Biggs, are still in love with me.” She paused and he nodded
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Don’t feel embarrassed for me, Rob. I don’t think I could handle pity right now.”
“Good lord, George. That little slut.”
14
“Where is she?” Hawthorne’s voice boomed to the girl standing at the front of the restaurant making patrons look up from their food. A glaring light, streaking in from the linty clouded sky behind him through the glass door silhouetted his big frame deleting all color from him.
When she saw him walk in, Cammy, one of the waitresses, barely looked up and without turning her body from the cash register, she pointed behind her, toward the kitchen.
As Hawthorne moved past the cashier’s station and away from the front door his clothes, his face, his hair all began to take on color, losing the grayness from outside’s silhouette. He paused at the swinging door and glanced through the porthole. Tears streaked Georgette’s face and Roberta looked like she was trying to hold herself up with her arms wrapped around her waist. Roberta was speaking but he couldn’t quite catch her words. They hadn’t yet noticed him looking through the window at them. When he pushed on the door open enough to crack it, he heard Roberta stop at the word “slut.” Then she turned around fast to see Hawthorne.
“Nice.” He pushed opened the door fully and held it there.
Both women appeared startled by his presence.
“What are you doing here?” Georgette asked and turned to the sink. Roberta turned to face Hawthorne with her back protecting Georgette.
“Well, don’t you have balls the size of Jupiter?” Roberta challenged.
“Bigger,” he said, challenging her back.
“You know, Hawthorne. This isn’t a good time …”
“This is none of your concern, Roberta. Leave. I need to talk to Georgette.”
Roberta put both of her hands behind her, feeling for Georgette. “It’s up to you, George. I’ll only leave if you want me to.” She glared while she spoke.
Georgette turned and moved to the side of Roberta. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. If I need you I’ll scream.” She glowered at Hawthorne and wiped her hands on her apron. Then she untied it and slung it over the side of the sink. She pulled the rubber band out of her hair, smoothing it down and retying it. “I’ll just scream.” She squinted again at Hawthorne.
“You can leave, Roberta. Like she said, if she needs you she’ll scream.”
His face looked older today and Roberta felt herself smile. “I’ll be right outside the door, Georgie.”
“Mm hmm.” Georgette tipped her chin up and pointed it to the door. Roberta walked past Hawthorne as if he were infected, raising her hands so as not to touch any part of him.
Hawthorne rolled his eyes and waited to hear the whooshing of the door swinging it closed.
“You have a ton of gall walking into my diner.”
“Now, honey …”
“Please. If you say anything at all to me, please do not call me honey. You call me by my proper name. You treat me with at least some cordiality. Especially after having sex with one of my best friends.” Her voice peaked but she pulled it back and it dwindled to normal by the end of the sentence.
“Georgette. Now, listen. I have some explaining to do. That’s obvious. But. I... I… want you to know. My feelings. Georgette. My feelings. For you. Have not… have not changed. Not one iota.” He wiped at his brow then added, “There. That’s what I came here to say.” He spoke as if reading from a script.
She leaned back against the sink and placed both hands on its railing. She looked down at her feet. He couldn’t imagine what she would say next.
“Your feelings. You say. Haven’t… changed?”
“Not one iota, hon… Georgette. Not one iota.”
“You’re saying. And, please stop me if I’m getting this at all wrong. What you’re saying is that you, Hawthorne Biggs, are still in love with me.” She paused and he nodded
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