this morning. Didn’t you get my messages?” Sadie cracked open the door. “I’ll be right out.”
Lindy busted into the compact bathroom and sat on the toilet seat. “Eddie, Quinn, and you all left me messages. I was in Chicago. Growing Power was selling some greens. I couldn’t miss it. You all right?”
“As well as can be expected since my dad’s a drunken bum.”
“I checked on him. He was sleeping like a baby in Quinn’s Jeep. I detected a faint grin, so I suspect he’ll come around as soon as Quinn gets him home.”
“Pop’s enjoying his only day off in a year and sleeping through it.” Sadie grabbed her bra and a pink T-shirt from the backup stash. The extra T-shirts from the fundraising run were folded on the shelf above the toilet. She shook it open and admired the line drawing of cupcakes on the tee. The run had garnered thousands and paid for her mother’s hospital bills.
Suddenly, Lindy grabbed her arm. “Oh my. It looks like someone had a good time.”
Sadie looked in the mirror at her bare breasts. The tender tissue around both her nipples was spotted about with rosy chafe marks.
Souvenirs from Quinn and his passionate kisses. Funny, she hadn’t noticed them. Sadie slipped her bra back on and pulled on the T-shirt. Quinn was a one-night stand, nothing more.
How could she have been so naïve? She squeezed her eyes shut to block out his look of panic when he had run from the kitchen and pushed his apology out of her mind. “A silly mistake. That’s all, Lindy.”
“Really? And was the silly perpetrator Quinn?”
“Yes. Actually, he was more like scared silly.” Sadie stepped out from the bathroom. “Where’s the rhubarb?”
Quinn was noticeably missing.
“If he’s hurt you, I’m putting him on my shit list.” Lindy grabbed her rhubarb and dumped it into the utility sink. “I’m taking over. You have had it today.”
Sadie heard the cowbell sound as a late lunch or early dinner customer came into the diner. She sighed but didn’t roll her eyes. “Where’s Quinn?”
Lindy turned off the faucet. “He’s tucking your dad in, nighty-night, as we speak. Then he’s coming back to finish the dinner shift with me. I’m making the strawberry rhubarbs.”
“You’ll need flour,” Sadie said wearily.
“Hop on your bicycle and wheel on home for a hot bath and a night of television. It’s Tuesday; maybe How I Met Your Mother is on.” Lindy lightly shoved Sadie’s suede-fringed messenger bag into her chest. She was so tired she wobbled.
“Thanks, hon,” Sadie said, relieved that the diner was in good hands. “I don’t know if my legs will pump. I might have to stop and take a dip in the lake before I get home.”
A phlegmy-like cough snatched their attention and they both looked out of the kitchen and into the diner.
“If you’re tired, Sadie, I can take you home,” Bryan said.
Chapter Seven
Sadie, plum tired, didn’t have any fight left in her. She gaped at the latest view of the new version of Bryan. He wore his Birkenstocks and khakis, but this time he sported a tee with a graphic of a cannabis plant on the breast pocket. She scanned the diner for his cosmic girlfriend, but no Bridget. “Why are you here?”
Bryan tugged at his beard. “I wanted to see you.”
Sadie raised her arms and pivoted around in a circle. “Now you see me.” She winked at him, grabbed her bike, and headed toward the back door. “Now you don’t.”
Sadie heard Lindy’s laughter as she made her way out of the diner and into the parking lot. She hopped on her bike and rode through the back alley. When she stopped to check for traffic on Main Street, Bryan stepped off the curb and blocked her path.
“Please. I need to apologize.” He grasped the handlebar. “Amsterdam. It changed me, Sadie.”
“Amsterdam? Or Bridget?” She struck his knuckles with her fist. “I have to go.”
He released the bike and flapped his hand. “I was under a lot of pressure. With my
Lindy busted into the compact bathroom and sat on the toilet seat. “Eddie, Quinn, and you all left me messages. I was in Chicago. Growing Power was selling some greens. I couldn’t miss it. You all right?”
“As well as can be expected since my dad’s a drunken bum.”
“I checked on him. He was sleeping like a baby in Quinn’s Jeep. I detected a faint grin, so I suspect he’ll come around as soon as Quinn gets him home.”
“Pop’s enjoying his only day off in a year and sleeping through it.” Sadie grabbed her bra and a pink T-shirt from the backup stash. The extra T-shirts from the fundraising run were folded on the shelf above the toilet. She shook it open and admired the line drawing of cupcakes on the tee. The run had garnered thousands and paid for her mother’s hospital bills.
Suddenly, Lindy grabbed her arm. “Oh my. It looks like someone had a good time.”
Sadie looked in the mirror at her bare breasts. The tender tissue around both her nipples was spotted about with rosy chafe marks.
Souvenirs from Quinn and his passionate kisses. Funny, she hadn’t noticed them. Sadie slipped her bra back on and pulled on the T-shirt. Quinn was a one-night stand, nothing more.
How could she have been so naïve? She squeezed her eyes shut to block out his look of panic when he had run from the kitchen and pushed his apology out of her mind. “A silly mistake. That’s all, Lindy.”
“Really? And was the silly perpetrator Quinn?”
“Yes. Actually, he was more like scared silly.” Sadie stepped out from the bathroom. “Where’s the rhubarb?”
Quinn was noticeably missing.
“If he’s hurt you, I’m putting him on my shit list.” Lindy grabbed her rhubarb and dumped it into the utility sink. “I’m taking over. You have had it today.”
Sadie heard the cowbell sound as a late lunch or early dinner customer came into the diner. She sighed but didn’t roll her eyes. “Where’s Quinn?”
Lindy turned off the faucet. “He’s tucking your dad in, nighty-night, as we speak. Then he’s coming back to finish the dinner shift with me. I’m making the strawberry rhubarbs.”
“You’ll need flour,” Sadie said wearily.
“Hop on your bicycle and wheel on home for a hot bath and a night of television. It’s Tuesday; maybe How I Met Your Mother is on.” Lindy lightly shoved Sadie’s suede-fringed messenger bag into her chest. She was so tired she wobbled.
“Thanks, hon,” Sadie said, relieved that the diner was in good hands. “I don’t know if my legs will pump. I might have to stop and take a dip in the lake before I get home.”
A phlegmy-like cough snatched their attention and they both looked out of the kitchen and into the diner.
“If you’re tired, Sadie, I can take you home,” Bryan said.
Chapter Seven
Sadie, plum tired, didn’t have any fight left in her. She gaped at the latest view of the new version of Bryan. He wore his Birkenstocks and khakis, but this time he sported a tee with a graphic of a cannabis plant on the breast pocket. She scanned the diner for his cosmic girlfriend, but no Bridget. “Why are you here?”
Bryan tugged at his beard. “I wanted to see you.”
Sadie raised her arms and pivoted around in a circle. “Now you see me.” She winked at him, grabbed her bike, and headed toward the back door. “Now you don’t.”
Sadie heard Lindy’s laughter as she made her way out of the diner and into the parking lot. She hopped on her bike and rode through the back alley. When she stopped to check for traffic on Main Street, Bryan stepped off the curb and blocked her path.
“Please. I need to apologize.” He grasped the handlebar. “Amsterdam. It changed me, Sadie.”
“Amsterdam? Or Bridget?” She struck his knuckles with her fist. “I have to go.”
He released the bike and flapped his hand. “I was under a lot of pressure. With my
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