“Fine,” he mumbled, “two beers.”
Jeremy nudged Max in the arm again. “Dear God, who taught you your manners? What’s the magic word?”
I giggled and waved my hand dismissively. “It’s alright, no worries. I’m sure you’ve all had a very long day. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
As I walked away, I heard Jeremy whisper to his friend, “She’s kind of cute, don’t you think?” I was fairly certain he said it just loud enough for me to hear, but I didn’t stick around long enough to learn Max’s reply. I was too busy scurrying back to the small bar area, checking my reflection in the bar display’s mirror backing to make sure I wasn’t as red in the cheeks as I felt. Luckily, only the tip of my ears had turned a discreet shade of pink at the compliment.
I grabbed two frosted glasses from the wide freezer just beneath the bar, moving with ease to pour the beers from the tap. As I watched the amber liquid fill the bottom of the glass, which I had tilted to reduce the amount of foam head, I occasionally glanced over at Jeremy and Max. It had been a long time since I’d been with anyone. Even though I was busy with work, a girl still had needs. The last time I had sex would have been six months ago, back when I was still with Kellan. I was disappointed things between us had to come to a crashing, car wreck of an end. Kellan just wasn’t willing to give me as much as I was willing to give him.
After placing the beers on a black plastic serving tray, I made my way back over, studying the duo with my eyes. I didn’t do it often, but every now and then, I liked to daydream about my customers. While I waited for tables to finish their meals, I’d sometimes come up with little backstories for them. It was a necessity to keep my mind active, especially during graveyard shifts when customers came in sporadically throughout the night and all my side duties were already taken care of so there was nothing to do.
I wondered how long Max and Jeremy knew each other. Judging by the way they spoke –or rather, how Jeremy spoke to Max– I assumed they must have been old friends. There was a familiarity between them, something warm and trusting. I wondered what sorts of things they got up to in the run of a day. The life of a firefighter must have been super exciting, unlike the boring waitressing gig I managed to land myself. I supposed I made good enough money here. Every dollar I earned through tips went straight into my college fund, but it was still mind-numbing work sometimes. Day in and day out, it was always the same orders, the same combos.
That was what the daydreaming was for.
Not saying that I would, but if I had to choose someone to come home with me, I’d probably pick Jeremy. He seemed easy to get along with, like he’d be up for the thrill. On the flip side, Max was also a very good candidate. He looked like the kind of man who was neat in the street and a freak in the sheets. I wondered what it would feel like to be held in his strong arms, what his weight would feel like on top of me. This was obviously just a hypothetical scenario in my head to keep the boredom at bay. I wasn’t the kind of girl to sleep with my customers, no matter how sexy they may have been.
I dropped off their beers, placing them on the table before them.
“What do you say, Max?” Jeremy teased.
Max sighed and muttered, “Thank you.”
I found myself giggling lightly once again. They really did make a weird pair –two complete opposites that in reality shouldn’t work, but totally did anyways. “You’re welcome,” I replied.
I let the table enjoy their finger food and drinks, returning to the serving station to make up a fresh pot of coffee. There were a couple other tables that I needed to attend to, but they were all regulars at Jessy’s Diner. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson, the elderly couple sitting in the middle booth by the tiny display of vintage maple syrup cans, always came in late at night to enjoy some of Cookie’s famous cherry pie. They were the easy-going kind of folks, so I only every checked on them when they waved their hands at me to flag me down. I also had a table full of teenagers –a mean looking bunch, if I was being perfectly honest– that kept ordering soft drink refills because it was free. I didn’t expect too big of a tip from them, but I nevertheless made sure they had everything they needed.