3
Mason
Whenever I heard one of the others around me mention making a Shirley Temple, I would look for her. While every weekend was normally packed and full of different sorts of people, there was only one person I cared to see— the woman who ordered the same drink every visit.
I barely even knew her name, it was always too busy to even try to have a conversation with her. As bad as I wanted her attention directed only at me, I knew that she had her own priorities.
Unlike the same Shirley Temple she ordered each night she stopped by, the man she enjoyed it with was different every time. At first, I assumed that she was just hanging out with a friend like normal adults did when they wanted to enjoy their weekends. But after many weeks, I realized that friendship wasn’t what was occurring between her and the strangers. She wasn’t there just to hang out.
She was on a date every single time.
The moment I had realized it, dread would fill me every time I saw a new man. Eventually, what I feared would happen. One of them would whisk her away and I’d never see her again.
Even with that fear settling heavily in my gut, every weekend, she was back to meet someone new. I could only be reassured for so long. What I should’ve done from the very start was ditch the name tag and claim the seat next to her before another fool could. That’s what they all were, idiots. Could they all really not see what I did? Did they not realize what they were missing out on?
After listening in on only a few of her dates, I learned her name was Janet. She had a calico cat named Snickers who she adored. She works with kids and loves them as if they were her own. It was the littlest things about her that made me so attracted to her. Without even knowing, she owned my heart.
Whatever she wanted, I would happily go to whatever length was necessary in order to give it to her.
Because of how hectic my job can become, even after all this time, I had yet to even talk to her. That last time would have been no different than all of the others if it weren’t for her last date. If it weren’t for him abandoning her, I wouldn’t have gotten the push I needed.
Every time Janet would arrive here, she would look happy and excited. Despite thankfully none of them working out, she’s still believed that one of them would. That is until “Mark” showed up. The way she looked at him left me longing to know what it would feel like if those eyes were put towards me instead. Would this be the guy to swoop her away? I knew this guy was different. Just not in the way that he ended up turning out to be.
He had the audacity to skip out halfway through. The only thing stopping me from hunting him down and making him realize what mistake he had just made was the fact that Janet had a new look on her face. One that I had never thought I’d see on her soft expression.
It was the look of sadness and utter defeat.
No customer shoving money my way could keep me from approaching her this time. After only seeing her sadness for a moment, I never wanted to see such hurt on her face again. Before I knew it, I had quickly thrown a drink together for her and found myself offering it without a second thought. Even if Bill would be pissed that I was giving away a free drink, I didn’t care.
I’d risk anything to make a smile return to her plump, round lips.
I even had the opportunity to tell her how I felt, I should’ve because who knew when the next chance would be.
However, before I could even think about how to word my confession, she gave me an offer that I could’ve never imagined coming my way. She wanted to hook up, a suggestion that I had never heard her make with any other man sitting next to her. It surprised me, to say the least. She was obviously hurting and looked like she needed someone to distract her. Even if I was just a random man she came across, there was no way in hell I could turn her down.
This would be the chance that I was looking for. I could show her what it felt like to be with someone who could reciprocate her feelings. Show her how much I appreciated every inch that she had to offer. That was my exact plan.
I thought I managed to do it flawlessly. Apparently, I was wrong. When I woke up the next morning to find the spot next to me empty and cold, I was confident that she was gone. After a sleepless night of exploration and discoveries, I imagined that she would have been worn out long enough for me to cook her breakfast. Being a hopeful man, I was more than disappointed. I had no way to contact her, my only hope to be able to see her again would be if she showed up at my work.
Even if she was with another man, nothing would stop me from telling her how I felt. After getting a taste of her, I wanted to be greedy. I didn’t want anyone else to touch what was mine.
While I thought my plan was flawless, something happened that I didn’t expect. My worst fear came true— she never returned.
. . . . .