Hope

Chapter Fourteen

We arrived at the diner with ten minutes to spare. Not wanting to keep Gerry waiting any longer, I kissed Danny and slide out of the truck, rushing inside. I came to a halt when I saw Gerry smiling at me from behind the counter, "Sorry, I'm running a bit behind today, Danny was..."

"Don't worry about it little lady, you are nowhere near late today." He came around the counter and handed me an apron meant for a waitress, "But, since you are here early, why don't you put this on and come into the back. I will explain a few things to you about how we run things around here and then when the lunch crowd starts coming in, I'll throw you into the fire and see how you do." He nodded in the direction of one of the older women, "If you need any help, Delilah over there can help you out. She's been here with me since the beginning, and if anyone knows my diner better than her, I'll eat my hat."

We headed into the back area and passed by the kitchen. The guy in the back at the grill gave me a sultry smile, and I tried my best not to grimace. I was sleeping with Danny, practically the whole town knew we were living together, and this guy was giving me his best 'Come and get me, you know you want to' look. I definitely didn't want to, he is so not my type. When we got into Gerry's office, I turned to him and asked, "What's up with the cook? He was giving me a weird look."

"Oh, that's just Seth. Don't worry about him. His parents cut him off a while back for something he doesn't want to talk about, so he's just slumming it with us normal middle class folk for a while. He's relatively harmless though." He smiled at me, "Just don't tell Danny. That boy has a little bit of a possessive mean streak in him, and I would hate to lose one of the best cooks that I have had in forever simply because he smiled at Danny's girl."

My mind stuck on only one thing he had said, "Danny has a mean streak?"

"Only when his girl is being threatened by someone. But don't you worry none, he's never hit a lady in his life, and I don't think he will start know. If he ever does anything to harm you, just let me know. I may be old and fat, but I will whoop his ass into the next millennium if he thinks that he can lay a hand on you and get away with it."

I placed a hand over his, "Thanks Gerry. I don't think that he would ever hurt me, but I will keep you in mind just in case he ever does. I think it's more likely that I will end up hurting him more so than the other way around."

"Now, why would you go and say something like that? You two are so perfect together." Chuckling he gave me a look, "I saw the way you two were looking at each other in the diner yesterday. I thought you were going to jump each other right in front of the Kane's. I was ready to call for an ambulance cause I was certain you guys were going to give them heart attacks." He saw the shocked look on my face and laughed louder, "Oh come now, Rose. I was a young man once, I remember how it feels to be young and in love with a beautiful woman who only has eyes for me. When me and my wife were young like you and Danny, we were fucking like bunnies everywhere. The park, movie theater, her parent's house, the back of my car..." He got a wistful look on his face, "Ahh, those were the good old days."

My face felt like it was on fire, so I was sure that I was beet red. I tried to play it cool though, I didn't want Gerry to know how much his words embarrassed me, "We're not in love, Gerry. We haven't known each other long enough to be in love."

"That's where you're wrong. I could tell that you two were destined for each other the second he laid eyes on you. Even when you were filthy and covered in blood, he looked at you like you were the sun." He wiped a tear from his eye, "If only everyone was lucky enough to find a love that is that strong. Me and my Mary Sue are that way, but we don't fuck like bunnies anymore." He laughed, "Well, let's stop talking about sex and love and get to the business of waitressing. Have you ever waitressed before?"