“Oh, I’m afraid it’s taken tonight. The one next to it is free, though.”
I scowled, eyes crossing the empty diner to my favorite booth. Nobody that knew this town sat in my booth. The foam had the actual permanent imprint of my ass on the cracked vinyl. That seat was made for me and only me.
“It’s taken?” I paused, no sign of life at the table.
“She said something about no hot water, and she had to take a call in her car. She’ll be back in a few minutes. Poor thing’s been staying at Dolly McFee’s. You know what that old crank is like. We really need a place for visitors to stay around here. You’ve got those old trapper’s cabins behind your place you could rent out. It’d be a lot nicer than what she’s used to.”
“Those cabins have been out of commission for years. After my old man died, I just didn’t want to deal with it. I’m sure they’re rotting pretty badly.”
“Hush now, I know for a fact you spend all your free time bringing them up to snuff. You’re quite the handyman.”
“Well, her taking my booth doesn’t make me want to help her,” I grumbled.
Rita just waved me off with a laugh before heading for the kitchen with my food order. “She’s really sweet. I think it would be very neighborly of you to help her out.”
I sighed, eyes stretching back to the cracked vinyl. I crossed the space with long strides, figuring I probably knew the mystery stranger and booth thief. What could be the harm if I had a seat? Set a boundary and maybe they’d leave me be. I wished then I still had my work folders. I could claim I needed the quietest spot in the diner to get some work done. It wouldn’t be the first time I used that excuse to run people off.
I reached the chipped formica table, sliding into my favorite spot, backside settling instantly into the divets like a favorite old chair. Hell, if the diner ever wanted to update the seating in here, I’d be the first to buy this booth and keep it out in my workshop. I liked comforting things, and this was one of my favorites.
“Hey, you stole my seat!” A high-pitched voice rang out across the diner.
I swung my gaze, eyebrows shooting up when I registered the person walking at me.
This wasn’t just any woman.
This was a damn clown.
“Huh? Your seat? Looked vacant to me.” I grinned as the woman got closer, the details of her wild outfit causing a smile to finally lift one side of my lips. “Was today the school carnival and I missed it?”
Her eyes narrowed with my words, and I regretted them instantly.
“No.” She crossed her arms, the soft curves of her generous breasts stretching the colorful stripes of her blouse, rainbow buttons stretching apart down the center and playing peekaboo with what looked like a lacy neon-blue bra underneath. She may have been dressed like a clown, but she had a smokin’ hot body. Round with generous hips and those tits were making me salivate in ways I didn’t even think was possible.
“What’s with the getup then?” I asked, still taking her in from top to bottom. Eggplant-purple denim bellbottoms stretched over a pair of red sneakers with tiny pink hearts covering them. She looked like she got dressed in the dark this morning. It occurred to me that maybe she was color blind, and I about fucking kicked myself for even asking.
It’s just, everything about her took me so off guard, I couldn’t not say anything.
“Well, Mr. Nosy.” She slid into the booth, across from me, my eyes finally coming to focus on hers now that she was within reaching distance. “I teach first grade, the kids like me better if I look like them. When they like me better, they listen better.”
Her eyes were a startling shade of gray framed with dark eyelashes, and they sparkled and shot fire in a way I’d never seen before. “So, you’re the new substitute at the elementary school?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I’m the new first grade teacher. Mrs. Fletcher’s father is ill, so she’s taken the rest of the year off to help care for him.”
“Hm, didn’t realize that.” I cut my eyes away from her dark pools and out the window, back to my snow-covered peak. “I’ll have to reach out and see if there’s anything I can do.”
“Oh! I see you’ve made friends.” Rita was back and placing fruit salad and pancakes slivered with chunks of banana and chocolate on top.
“I dunno about friends.” I frowned, wondering what kind of grown woman eats kid food like that, and then I remembered who I was dealing with.
A grown woman that was stunning in her beauty and like a toddler in every other way.