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“Joel!”
Chapter Three
Workwasbusy,butas soon as my shift was over, Gwen came in, her hair shining in the tight, high ponytail. “Hey! Wanna stay and get something to eat?”
“Sure. I don’t have anything to do after.”
“Great! Sit in my station over by the kitchen. I’ll get you a turkey burger and sweet potato fries.”
My stomach growled. “Best offer I’ve had all day.”
I sat near the kitchen, hearing the clanging of pans, the sizzle of the grill, and the muted voices of the cooks. The smells coming to me were all too familiar. I could distinguish that someone had ordered the shrimp basket with onion rings, and someone else had requested the meatloaf.
I received my glass of ice water, Gwen squeezing my shoulder as she said, “Got the order in, and I’ll be by as soon as I serve Freddy and Sweet Pea.”
Freddy and Sweet Pea, whom everyone called Michaela Peterson, had just started dating. They were both widowed and lonely and some of the nosier folks in town set them up. The gossip in small towns was incredible.
“Oysters?”
“No,” she whispered, laughing. “I don’t think they’ve…gone there yet. You know that Freddy considers himself a good church boy, so he won’t until he’s married, or that’s the rumor.”
“I may take that lead.”
“Don’t give up on dick yet.”
As I got my food, Gwen kissed my cheek and said, “Slipped you extra cheese.”
“You know me well.”
I was about to take a bite when my eyes caught a customer sitting near the window. It wasn’t any customer, it was Kendrick Belish.
He was alone that time, no child jabbering his ear off, and I watched him sitting, saw Tessa bring him a menu and talk him up. His smile was wide and genuine, but he was a politician. Genuine smiles were something they learned so people would believe their bullshit and vote for them.
No, I didn’t hate all politicians, but I didn’t much trust them, either. I didn’t trust men in general, and that I knew, was from my recent heartbreak. Plus, the man was straight. He was straight and maybe interested in experimenting with a little man-on-man. Some men bought sports cars, others got mistresses that were half their age, and it was possible that others tried a little dick. Whatever made them feel young again.
And Kendrick was around that age. He was about forty-five, give or take a few years. I wasn’t half his age, but I wasn’t yet thirty. A few months off for that milestone. I took a bite of the turkey burger with extra Swiss and tried to ignore the man.
That wasn’t easy, as the next time my eyes found him, he was staring right at me. I wiped the corners of my mouth and stared back, uncomfortable, but I couldn’t look away, feeling it would be rude…or something.
I don’t know what I felt. Then he further surprised me and gave me a little wave.
I lifted my hand to wave back, and that was the second Gwen turned to me, catching me doing it. I shoved my hand under the table to my lap after the wave and went back to paying attention to my plate, but it was too late. Gwen came to fill my water glass and whispered, “He’s coming over here.”
My eyes snapped up and they met his. “What the hell…?”
“Be charming,” she said and turned to Kendrick. “Mr. Mayor, how are you today?”
“Gwen, I’ve asked you to call me Rick.”
“Sure, sure. You remember our newest townie?”
“I do. I came over to speak to him.”
Gwen winked at me where he couldn’t see and then she went to care for her tables while Kendrick stood next to the chair across from me. “Please, sit down.”
“Thank you.”
He did, sitting across from me and his smile was bright, his teeth gleaming, his eyes shining. He was a very shiny man all the way around. Another red flag for me. Jeffery had been shiny too. “Can I…help you with something?”
