Callie gives me the stink eye.
Yeah, I deserve it. Mean girl isn’t my style.
“I’m so sorry, Sadie.” This time I smile and do my best to make it look real. “Could we get some water please?”
“Of course. The bus person should’ve brought it by now. I’ll get that right away. Do you know what you’d like to order?”
“Meatball sub for me,” Callie says.
“One meatball sub. Check. And you?”
“I don’t know.” I sigh. “I think I’ll just have a salad. And a side of garlic bread.”
“Perfect.” She pencils some notes on her pad. “I’m about to take a break. Do you mind if I join you?”
I’m having déjà vu.
Didn’t a waitress take a break with us just a few weeks ago? Yes. Her name was Nora.
“Uh…sure,” Callie says.
Damn it, Callie…
“Wonderful. Let me just put your order in and make sure you get those waters.”
I’m shooting darts at Callie with my eyes.
“What did you want me to say?” Callie asks.
“I don’t know. Maybe…no?”
“She’s new in town. We can’t be rude.”
“Didn’t we just go through this a couple of weeks ago with that other new waitress? Nora?”
“Right. I forgot about that.”
“Of course you forgot about that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re head over heels. Everything is falling into place for you, Cal. But if you recall that day with Nora, she was after Donny.”
“Oh…”
“Callie, you’re usually quicker than this.”
“You’re right. Sorry, Ror. I totally wasn’t thinking.”
“Right. You weren’t thinking that lovely Susie there was all over Brock the other night.”
Callie opens her mouth to respond, but before she does, Susie—er…Sadie—returns with our waters and sits down with us.
“Thanks for letting me join you. It’s so difficult meeting new people.”
Okay, that’s a lie. Meeting new people in a small town is strikingly easy, and didn’t she just say she’s metso many new people?
“Not a problem,” Callie says. “We met another waitress this way just a few weeks ago. Her name is Nora.”