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“I’m paying for it, that’s good enough, right?”
I level her with a look.
“No mushrooms, please!” she calls out as I slam the door behind me.
Unfortunately, Riley and I aren’t the only ones who don’t care to cook tonight because our town’s Pizza Place is packed full of Oak Ridge’s finest tonight.
Johnny Strickland is, once again, telling one of the youngest waitresses about his glory days of high school football. He could have made it in the NFL, you know? If only it hadn’t rained that day.
And Maxxine Whitt is trying her hardest to convince her husband to let her put up her Christmas tree three weeks before Halloween while he shovels down a slice of supreme.
“Who’s next?” Mavis looks like she might pass out any second, and I feel bad even going to order. But I’m also starving, so I raise a hand and go, “Me!” just as a voice next to me says “I’m ready!”
“Oh.” I turn on a heel, and oh…
I have no clue who this is behind me, but wow.
Dark eyes, brown hair, rosy cheeks from the evening cold. A crooked smile, blue scrubs, and keys twirling between his fingers. And very cute.
“Sorry—”
“So sorry.”
He clears his throat. “You can go.”
“No, it’s fine, I insist.” I hold a hand out like I’m escorting him and then drop it to my lap.
“Really, I don’t mind—”
“One of you order already, my stomach is eating itself!” someone yells behind us, and the boy and I scoot a couple steps out of the way so they can order first.
“Sorry,” I whisper again.
Where is he from? Definitely out of town, right? I would have noticed him before.
“No, it’s fine.” He smiles, and warmth plucks in my chest. “What do you recommend?” He points to the menu hanging above the counter.
“I like the Holy Shiitake, but if you like your pizza plain, then I would say the classic pepperoni is good too.”
It’s been years since I’ve had it, but the vivid memory of the taste from that pepperoni is enough to last a lifetime.
“Pepperoni it is.” He smiles and again, what is that feeling in my stomach?
“Next.”
“It’s good.” I smile back.
“Good.”
“Next!”
“Oh, sorry. Do you want—” I point to Mavis, who’s ready to grab our order.
“How about I order both of ours?” he offers.
“That’s okay. I’m ordering one for me and one for a friend, so it’s going to be a lot.”
“A friend?” There’s a deeper question there, but I don’t know what to do with it so I just nod.
