The warning falls on deaf ears though.
I keep sitting, waiting until my back starts to ache and my butt has gone numb. Something is keeping him. He isn’t coming tonight.
I fight the sudden, ridiculous urge to cry.
It’s not a big deal.
I’ll just go inside and change into my pajamas, grab something to read, and focus on that for a few minutes before bed. I’ll brush my teeth and wash my face and ignore the tear tracks on my cheeks. I’ll pretend this is any other night and I’ll keep on playing the denial game with myself until it actually works.
I have no other choice.
I’m still not myself the next morning at the diner. At some point last night as I lay in bed, I started to pin my hopes on Ben showing up at Dale’s first thing in the morning with a good excuse for why he wasn’t able to make it out to see me. When I arrived at work to find an empty parking lot, that hope vanished too.
I’m quiet as I get my work done, rolling silverware, taking orders. A few people ask me how I’m doing, and I suspect they’re worried Nan has taken a turn for the worse. I try to pin on a smile, but it’s not real big or genuine, and I know they can tell. I wish I could shake off my foul mood, but it seems to be impenetrable.
The bell rings over the door as another patron walks in. I look up to see a woman heading for the counter. I don’t recognize her, but if I had to guess, I’d say she’s with one of the basketball players. She’s gorgeous and polished, and I highly doubt she’d end up in this town if the guys weren’t here training. I suppose she could be press, but she’s dressed casually in a light blue sundress and only has a tiny clutch with her.
“Can I just sit anywhere?” she asks me with a small smile.
“Sure, yeah. Grab a seat and I’ll bring you something to drink. Water? Coffee?”
“I’m trying to lay off caffeine,” she says, patting her pregnant belly. “Do you guys have any freshly squeezed juice?”
I grimace. “Sorry, we’ve only got the good ol’ stuff from frozen concentrate.”
She laughs. “Actually, you know what? I’m fine with that. I used to drink it all the time as a kid, and I could use the pick-me-up.”
I nod. “One old-fashioned orange juice coming right up.”
When I return with her juice, I bring her a menu and tidy up nearby in case she has any questions.
“Ow. You stop that,” she says, looking down at her belly.
I chuckle. “Is your baby kicking?”
“Yes,” she groans. “He’s lodged his foot right up into my ribs and is using them as a soccer ball.” She leans lower. “Stop all that kicking. Don’t you know you’re meant to be a basketball star?”
So I guessed right then. She must be with one of the guys.
“His father is here practicing for the Olympics?”
She looks up and nods, her smile faltering slightly. She looks wary of sharing that information with me, and I get it; if he’s a professional athlete, she’s probably worried about too much information getting out to the press. Maybe she’s even trying to keep this pregnancy under wraps.
“Secret’s safe with me,” I assure her, in case that’s what she’s worried about. “If you told me the father’s name, I probably wouldn’t even recognize it. I’m not the biggest basketball fan.”
“Really? God, I love it. I actually played back in college.”
My brows shoot up. “Dang, then that baby really is going to be a basketball star.”
She laughs then winces again, pressing on the top of her stomach where the baby must be kicking. “That is if I survive the rest of this pregnancy.”
“How far along are you?”
“Seven months, though it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. I actually didn’t know about it until well into the second trimester.”
I lean in. “Really?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t have any symptoms. It wasn’t until I went in for my annual and they did a pregnancy test that I found out.”
“No way.”
She nods, and her expression looks as if she still can’t believe it herself.
“He’s paying me back for it though. The first few months were easy, but these last ones are going to be hell. He was already huge on the last ultrasound I had. Doctor warned he could be close to ten pounds by my due date.”
My jaw drops.
“And don’t even get me started on the heartburn.”
My eyes widen, and she cracks up.
“I’m terrifying you, aren’t I?”
“Only a little…”
She shakes her head playfully and reaches for her menu. “Ignore me. It’s really not that bad. The baby is the easy part compared to his father. How are your pancakes here?”
“Delicious. Get them with the whipped cream.”
She slaps the menu back onto the counter and wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Yes. That. Bring me a big stack please.”
I chuckle as I write down the order so I can pass it back for Cook. After, I do a quick pass around the diner, making sure everyone’s got what they need. I refill waters and coffees and clear a table. When I’m done, I return to the woman and ask if she’s still doing okay.
“Oh, fine. Yeah.”
She smiles tightly and puts down her phone. She must not have been enjoying whatever she was looking at.
I wonder if it has something to do with the guy she’s here for. I tip my head and study her. “Earlier, you mentioned the baby is the easy part compared to his father?”
She frowns in confusion, then it clicks for her. “Oh right. Yeah. He’s…we’re…”
She trails off, and I throw her a bone. “Sounds complicated.”
She hums. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey, it’s fine. It’ll shake out eventually. Somehow.”
I lean in closer, careful no one else can hear us. “I actually know some of the guys. They come in here and eat. I’ve become friends with Leanna, too—do you know her?”
Her eyes light up. “Leanna? Yes. She’s a sweetheart. I didn’t realize she was here in Texas with Trey. I would have asked her to breakfast.”
“You might still see her. She comes in most days to hang out while Trey is busy.”
She nods and grabs her juice, taking a small sip.
Then her eyebrows pinch together as if she’s mulling something over. Finally, she sets her juice down and looks up to ask me gently, “Has Ben come in to eat?”
“Oh.”
I wasn’t expecting her to ask about him directly. I haven’t had to outright lie to anyone about our relationship yet, and I don’t have a ready-made explanation on the tip of my tongue.
She misunderstands my delay though.
“I guess you might not know his name if you aren’t a big basketball fan. He’s one of the only white guys on the team though. Tall, obviously. Brown hair?”
I swallow and nod. “Yeah. He’s been in once or twice.”
“So then you’ve met him.”
Maybe I’m a little groggy this morning. I didn’t sleep well last night. I can’t seem to understand what she’s trying to tell me.