Gemini

From the corner of my eye, I could see my mystery man turn around and look in Mr. Macchio’s direction as I went to the kitchen to put in the green tea order.

When I came back out, I nearly dropped the tea in a panic when I saw Blue Eyes suddenly get up from his table, plop money down, grab his jacket and quickly walk out. No…he practically ran out. The abrupt sound of the door chimes and wind that blasted through upon his exit were like a slap in the face.

So fast?

My heart was pounding harder upon his exit than it had been when he was here. Panic quickly transformed into a feeling of emptiness that washed over me. I actually felt like crying, which was pathetic. I had imagined him maybe striking up a conversation with me before he left or at least maybe getting his name off of a credit card.

As Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour played over the diner speaker, I had the urge to rip off my apron and follow him out the door. That, of course, would never happen…but I sure did want to.

Without saying more than a few words, this guy had managed to awaken something in me that had been dead…desire. Not only that, but it was a level of want…of need…of lust…that I had never experienced in my entire life. He had such an effect on me and now, I could quite possibly never see him again.

I swear I felt the room swaying as I walked over to the table still smelling his amazing scent and noticed he left behind more than just his smell…fifty bucks on a bill that was under five-dollars. I almost wanted to chase after him (…again) in case this was a mistake. Did he forget change? Who leaves that big of a tip to a flustered mediocre waitress, at that?

Faster than I could think of the answer, I remembered Mr. Macchio’s tea still sitting on the counter where I left it. After delivering it, I then went to the register and sniffed the fifty before depositing it and gave Delores half of the sizeable tip Blue Eyes left.

“What the—” Delores said as I handed her twenty-five dollars cash.

“I know. That gorgeous guy! He left us a fifty. There is your half,” I said walking solemnly into the bathroom where I tried to grab my bearings.

I locked the door and sat on the toilet with my head in my hands.

Silly girl…you really need to get some.

Every day in life, people we will likely never encounter a second time, pass us by. For some unknown reason, I just couldn’t accept that he was one of them.

For the rest of that afternoon, I fantasized about the beautiful generous stranger and what it would have been like to thank him properly…with my lips.

CHAPTER 2

CEDRIC

Oh fuck…oh fuck.

Sweating profusely, I ran down Main Street as far away from the diner as I could get.

Where the fuck did I park my car?

I need to think. It’s over there.

I got in and slammed the door. Silence.

She was so fucking beautiful.

My God.

I had an idea of what she would look like, but never could have imagined her to look as amazing as that. I was imagining a girl…but so much time had passed, I should have known that clearly, she would be a beautiful woman.

Those gigantic green eyes…

God, I hope my staring wasn’t that obvious. I just couldn’t look away.

Will do…WILL DO? That was the best I thing I could think of to say to her?

And why the hell did I leave a fifty-dollar bill? Way to slip under the radar. I was so flustered and it was all I had in my wallet; I just couldn’t stay for change and risk saying something stupid or unintelligible while I waited for that. I could tell by how fast my heart was beating in there, that if I had stayed, I would have fucked it all up.

My heart rate has yet to slow down.

I had to get out of there. It’s bad enough I have a forty-minute drive back to the agency in the city. Who travels forty minutes for a bagel? Crazy stalker men, that’s who.