Page 22 of Lying Hearts
“You got it.” Mark turns back and looks at us. We’re all watching, but I’m the only one taking notes.
Our waitress comes to drop off my coffee and an idea occurs to me. I decide to try something. I reach out and touch her wrist as she sets the coffee down. She looks at me in surprise. Taking her tired hand in both of mine, I smile sideways, a little nervous but faking the opposite. “It’s been a hard morning, hasn’t it?”
She blinks, taken aback. She’s attractive, around our age or maybe younger. “Yes. It really has been rough.”
“Well, thank you for the coffee.” I release her hand, but not her eyes. “We really appreciate it. I’m Brendan.” I always see Mark making people feel good. I’m shyer than he is and talking to strangers isn’t easy for me. But changing feels necessary.
“Meredith,” she smiles. “You’re welcome.”
“Don’t let the bastards get you down.” I lean back and release her look, let her go back to her day. But she stares at me at me for an extra second, just long enough for me to know I achieved what I set out to.
“Okay. Thanks Brendan.” She turns and walks away, glancing once over her shoulder at me and smiling shyly before heading for the kitchen.
I look at Mark from the corner of my eye, seeing what he thinks. I shrug and quietly tell him, “No reason she can’t have a nicer day than the one she was having.”
He smiles at me appreciatively, like I finally get it. “Exactly.”
Ross and Tommy say nothing, but they see it. I just did something Tommy can’t. It’s not in his makeup. Make ‘em laugh with his off-putting humor, yes. Make them genuinely feel good like Mark can? No.
I think maybe the tide has changed. I’m not the Brendan I used to be. Maybe I’m Keith Richards and Tommy is one of the other guys. And this is just the beginning. Tommy doesn’t look like he likes the new me. Not one bit. But who cares. Fuck him.
When the bill comes, I reach into my pants. “Shit.”
Mark asks, “What’s up?”
“I don’t have my wallet.”
“Smooth, B.” Tommy chides me.
“I’ve got you.” Marks pulls out some extra bills.
“Thanks, man. I’ll catch you next time.”
“No prob.”