Tess in Boots by Courtney Rice Gager Page B

girlfriend,” I said.
    He smiled. “This is Tess.”
    “ Tess?” There was a twinge of surprise in her voice. “The new girl in town? The… dancer?”
    “ I’m not a—”
    “ That’s right, Ms. Betty,” Thatcher said in a loud voice. “Tess.”
    “ Well.” She busied herself with adjusting the napkin holder on our table. “It takes all kinds, I guess. It’s nice to meet you, Tess. What can I get ya?”
    Thatcher snatched the menu right out of my hands and folded it up. “The usual, please. For both of us.”
    Before I could protest, Ms. Betty took our menus and left.
    I leaned back in the booth and crossed my arms. “You know, you could have cleared up that little misunderstanding.”
    “ Yeah.”
    “ But you didn’t.”
    “ Nope.”
    “ Why not?”
    “ Because I like that flustered look on your face.”
    I tried to give him a stern stare, but his eyes twinkled in such a way I couldn’t help but smile. “Where did she hear a thing like that, anyway?” I asked. “Have you been spreading rumors?”
    He shook his head. “No. I like to mind my own business. Word just has a way of traveling real fast around here. It’s a nice change, though.”
    “ What’s a nice change?”
    “ It’s a nice change that for once, this whole town ain’t talking about me .”
    I cocked my head and opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but he stood and headed over to the restroom on the far side of the restaurant, nodding to several diners who seemed to recognize him along the way.
    He was gone for a moment or two when a grizzly bear of a man slid into his empty seat. The man leaned over the table toward me. “You’re new around here, aren’t you?”
    “ I’m… I’m sorry?”
    “ I’ve never seen you here before.” It was raining, and we were inside, but he was wearing sunglasses. He pulled them down onto his nose to get a closer look at me.
    I sat there in stunned silence.
    “You ever been on a hog before?” he asked.
    “ Excuse me?”
    He gestured out the window to a large motorcycle. “A hog. You wanna go for a ride, new girl?”
    “ Um, no thanks. I’m with my boyfriend.”
    “ She’s with me.” Thatcher returned to the booth and looked down at the man with a serious expression. The man nodded, placed his sunglasses in their original position, and left.
    Thatcher slid into the booth. “Oh, so now you’re my girlfriend.”
    A waitress came and dropped two enormous platters of pancakes on the table.
    “Thanks for that,” I said to him.
    “ You’re very welcome, Darlin’.”
    I looked down and concentrated on spreading my napkin over my lap so he wouldn’t notice my flushed cheeks.
    We ate in silence for a while, except for my occasional comment on the pancakes. “These are so good,” I said for what must have been the fifth time.
    “ Told you so.” Thatcher shoveled a heaping forkful of pancakes into his mouth.
    “ You did. I’ll give it to you. But I hate that expression.”
    “ What? Told you so?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ Well, all right. I won’t say it again, then. Unless I’m trying to tick you off.” He took a sip of black coffee and leaned back to look at me. “What’s your story, Heels?”
    “ What do you mean?”
    “ I mean, what’s your story? Besides that you’re not a stripper. And you don’t like to hear I told you so. And you’re Jake’s sister.”
    I paused and rested my wrist on the table. “ Jake’s twin sister.”
    He did a double take. “ Really?”
    “ Uh-huh.”
    He squinted at me and turned his head to the side.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “ Trying to see if you look exactly like Jake, only with long hair.”
    “ Do I?”
    “ No. He’s much prettier.”
    I scowled and speared a piece of pancake with my fork.
    “I’m only kidding, Heels.”
    “ Very funny.” I took a bite and looked at the table as I chewed.
    “ So, what’s your story?” He pushed his plate away and crossed his arms.
    “ I thought you liked to mind your own