American Honey

“I need to use the restroom,” I finally surrender to the note sitting in my lap.

“Are you sick?” Will asks around a mouthful of waffle. “You always say I’m heading to the shitter.”

“Yeah, I’m sick of watching you molest that waffle,” I automatically retort not giving him a chance to respond before I dart from the booth.

Once safe in the bathroom, I open the piece of paper.

Tess,

I’m not giving up on you. I ordered you a cinnamon roll. They are my favorite, and I want to share that with you.

Finn

Motherfucker! I mentally berate myself. Why did I even look? Self-torture, that has to be it. Once back at the table, I first notice the cinnamon roll untouched by my hash browns. Settled back in, I dig into it and nearly experience my first foodgasm. The taste is out of this world with the perfect mixture of cinnamon, brown sugar, warm bread and frosting. It’s the frosting that makes this cinnamon roll so mind blowing.

“Giving up on the ketchup grease theory? Knew it was fake, I’ve never seen you drunk a day in college,” Scarlett preaches.

“It’s next. This cinnamon roll is uh-mazing.”

“They really are. Your sister gained ten pounds the first month we lived here.”

“Will,” Tommie screeches.

“You know I like those extra pounds,” he says, waggling his eyebrows up and down.

Scarlett begins to gag and Will picks up on her cue.

“Eat and let’s go spend a day on the river,” Tommie finally blurts out.

“Is that a blush, I spy?” I harass Tommie.

“Eat,” she retorts back.

Tommie, always the famous prude, some things never really do change, and she is one of them. A few minutes later the loud clatter of the largest group of the restaurant leaves. I do everything in my power not to turn and face him because I’d bet all my money, he’s following Kara like a neutered puppy.

The door slams shut with the slight breeze flowing outside, and everything inside me relaxes for the time being. The restaurant is suddenly eerily quiet with the popular group gone.

“You can unclench your butt cheeks there, Tess. They’re all gone.”

“Thanks, Will,” I say with a little giggle accompanying it.

I swear sometimes that man knows me better than my own sister.

“Ten minutes to finish up eating and then we are hitting the river.”

“For Christ’s sake, Will. You are not going to put a time limit on us eating. You can just kiss my ass,” Tommie replies.

“Oh, I’ll kiss your ass and then lick your…”

“Stop. Oh my God. Stop, now,” she squeals. “I’ll be done in eight minutes so there!”

“Good, I’m going to pay the bill and talk to a guy about a horse,” Will announces to the table, kissing Tommie on the top of the head and heading for the bathroom.

“A horse?” Scarlett asks.

“It’s code for the bathroom,” I say.

Exactly five minutes later, Will makes his way from the counter and just like good, little girls all three of us are standing by the door waiting for him.