Page 89 of You Found Me
“Please, she’s more than that. I love your hair,” the third chimed in.
Della’s stomach settled down at the friendly greeting. The teachers pelted her with curiosity. It felt a lot like a fan meet and greet, but without the squeals and demands for autographs. By the time she’d brought them their soup and sandwiches, her jitters had eased.
This wasn’t so hard. Chitchat, carry plates, and smile smile smile. It wasn’tthatdifferent from singing on stage.
Her second table was five flirty teenage boys looking for an after-school snack. They made her giggle and tipped her ten dollars.
She didn’t need the money. For a wild second, she thought about chasing after them to give it back, but then she realized that would be completely out of character for Lucy.
She tucked the ten-dollar bill into her apron pocket and patted it.
They liked her enough to part with cash they had to have earned doing lawns or working in fast food or something. She was touched and a little bit smug about a job well done.
Two tables came in at the same time and suddenly it felt crowded and a little more chaotic. Mason sauntered in wearing a black Sevens T-shirt and old jeans, and a backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked like a rougher, edgier echo of her warden.
“Hey, Lucy. How’s it going?” Mason glanced around, noticed his brother sitting in the corner, and gave him a nod.
Her warden nodded back and gave a little half wave of brotherly greeting.
Maybe the ice really was thawing between those two.
“Mason!” Della picked up menus for the new tables. “It’s a little confusing, but overall it’s going okay so far. You?”
He shrugged with one shoulder. “Hey, thanks again for the guitar. I know that was all you.”
His shy smile made her wish she could confess everything to him. She’d love to have a jam session with him and see how good he was on that guitar. “You’re welcome. But it was your brother’s idea. He told me about how you used to take your grandfather’s old guitar out into the garage and play whenever you got the chance, and that the last time he’d seen it, there was a crack along the base and the strings were twangy.”
“He saw that?” Mason sounded skeptical, but his face brightened. “I didn’t think he noticed. He’s not around much.”
“I know.” It tugged at her heart to think these two weren’t as close as they should be. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. You know that. Right?”
He gave another half shrug, which she supposed was teenage boy foryes.
Enough awkward chitchat, she decided. She eyed his shirt. “You’re working tonight?”
“I buss tables after practice for a couple of hours. If it’s slow, I get paid to do my homework.” He glanced around. “That’s not happening today, I guess.”
“It’s been pretty hectic since about four. People must really like the meatloaf.”
He snorted. “Pretty sure they came for the celebrity couple sighting.”
Nervous heat traveled up her spine. “Celebrity?”
He flicked his gaze to the corner where Ward was currently ignoring them both.“Yeah. You and Storm. He hits the localpaper every time he bothers to show his face in this town. You’re an added bonus, being his girlfriend. People around here love that stuff.”
He stowed his backpack behind the bar and picked up an apron.
“Oh.” Della forced her shoulders to relax. She hadn’t been recognized. It was just small-town gossip. “So this is just curiosity. Maybe it’ll slow down in a little bit then.”
He gave her a look that said she was hopelessly naive. “You’re not from a small town, are you.”
“Not really.” Dangerous territory, though her backstory was supposed to include Los Angeles.
“Lucy, order up,” Cherry called out.
“Coming.” Della gave Mason a rueful grin. “I’m glad you’re here. This is all new to me.”
“You get used to it. You run the food out and take the orders, and don’t worry about bussing. I got you.”