Page 129 of Unlikely to Stay
Brant shot Sadie a wink.“You’re my hero, Sadie.You know that, right?”
As soon as Brant exited the café, Sadie turned to CC.“So?”
“So what?”CC asked, taking another bite.She could drink the sauce Sadie marinated the crawfish in.
“So have you had the talk?”
“What talk?”
Sadie rolled her eyes.“Girl, stop being a parrot.Youknowwhat talk.The talk about whether he’s staying.You know…or going back to the city to be with his momma.”
“He told me he was staying here.”
“Forever?”
CC shrugged her shoulders.“We haven’t really had that conversation yet.”
“Well, why the hell not?”
“Because, Sadie, I don’t really know how to say ‘Hey Brant, I know you love me and all and we haven’t really had this conversation yet, but are you going to choose to stay with me in Parker or are you going to move back to the city with your mom who just had a heart attack?’Not really a conversation I want to have right now.He just got back.”
Sadie patted her on the shoulder.“I know, honey.But you gotta know sooner or later.”
CC felt her eyes welling with tears.“But what if he leaves?”
“Then at least you know.And you have a decision to make.”
“What decision?”
“To stay or go with him.”
“I can’t leave Parker, Sade.My whole entire life is here.”
“Nothing says you can’t visit, Cees.Just think about it.Now, I gotta go wait some more tables.”
CC tried to take another bite of her food but her appetite had disappeared.What if Brantdidchoose to go back to the city?Her home was Parker, but in such a short time,hehad become home, too.She just had to cross her fingers and hope Brant would make the decision easier for her and decide to stay.That way she wouldn’t have to decide at all.
CC was finishing her fish when she saw a couple she didn’t know head out the door.The woman had left her purse sitting in the booth.Hollering at Sadie to not clear their table, CC grabbed the lady’s purse and ran out the door, hoping the couple hadn’t gotten far.
“Excuse me!Ma’am!”she called, seeing the woman’s bright yellow top a couple of blocks away.“You left your purse in your booth!”
The man and woman turned, the woman placing her hand on her shoulder as if she just noticed her purse wasn’t on it.“Oh, goodness!Thank you so much for getting it to me!That would have been awful if I had left it.My phone is in there and so is my wallet.I don’t know what I would have done!”
“I totally get it,” CC said with a smile.“I feel naked if I don’t have my phone with me.”
“Or a way to pay for anything,” the lady said, returning CC’s smile.
“No doubt.You two have a great day.”
“You, too.Thanks again!”
“No problem.”
CC started walking back to Sadie’s when she saw Brant leaning against one of the lampposts on the sidewalk.
“Thank you so much, Mary,” she heard him say.“Thank you for the opportunity.I look forward to working with you, too.”
Working?Working where?CC’s stomach clenched in dread and she felt like she was going to throw up.Surely Brant didn’t accept a job in the city without talking to her.He wouldn’t do that.He loved her.It had to be a misunderstanding.