I sighed and walked into the bathroom. I got myself ready quickly, knowing my grandmother would not like me dilly-dallying. After cleaning up and getting dressed, I headed downstairs. Soon, she had me milking her goat, then collecting eggs from the chicken house – things I hadn’t done in almost a decade.
However, when I thought about it, Grandma actually put me to work every time I came home. I didn’t mind, though; it was just very different from my usual morning routine. Typically, I would be checking in with the shareholders, looking at the stock market, and then spending hours writing code. I loved my job, but it was nice to have a break every now and then.
I finished with the chores my grandmother gave me and went inside to find a big breakfast waiting.
“I’m going to gain ten pounds staying with you,” I commented as I sat down.
“Well, you could use it,” my grandmother retorted.
I knew my grandmother would love it if I was sturdy and stocky instead of my usual lean muscular frame. She’s been trying to fatten me up ever since I was in high school. Even with all the working out I’ve done to build up, my grandmother still thought I was too skinny. It was just her way of showing she cared.
After breakfast, my grandmother kept me busy around the house. It made me wonder if she had accumulated chores and tasks to make sure she could put me to work while I was home. Every time I finished one thing, there was something else to do. I pulled myself away with enough time to get ready for my date with Chloe.
Wait… it wasn’t a date. It was just two… sort of friends catching up. And there was stuff I wanted to learn about Chloe. The last time I saw her, she was on her way to becoming a professional dancer. Yet, she ended up owning the local bakery. But it was definitely more than that, thought. I was still attracted to her. I wanted to know what made her tick.
The diner was close enough for me to walk to it. One of the benefits of living in a small town. Arriving early, I sat down at a table that allowed me to see the door and Main Street to keep watch. I didn’t want Chloe to see me doing something embarrassing.
I thought about some of the pranks people used to pull on me in high school as I sat there. It made me worry that Chloe was doing something like that. She never did before, but it was hard for me to let go of some stuff.
“Can I take your order?”
When I turned to look at the waiter, I realized it was Tyler, the ex-boyfriend of Chloe and bully of mine from high school. He looked like he had aged an extra decade. My grandmother might not have been totally lying when she called him no so attractive anymore.
However, seeing him did make me anxious. It made me feel like this whole thing might actually be a prank, but it quickly dawned on me that Tyler didn’t recognize me.
“Uh, yeah. Could I get a Cesar salad and a glass of water?”
“Of course!”
Tyler’s eagerness was freaking me out. He was never nice to me, but maybe he had changed.
Or so I thought until an older man sitting behind me leaned over. “I’d suggest steering clear of that guy.”
I turned around, wanting to ask for more information, but Chloe arrived before I could.
“Hey!” she said with a big smile and a bit of a wave.
Seeing Chloe sent a wave of relief through me. Her being there solidified that it wasn’t a prank. I really needed to get over some of these high school traumas. It was making me paranoid when I didn’t need to be.
“Hi.” I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to give her a hug or something, but she sat down before I could decide. “I already ordered, but—”
Before I could finish, Tyler popped back up. His eagerness somehow increased. “Hey, Chloe! How are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay….”
Fortunately, Chloe did not give Tyler back the same energy. In fact, she seemed a little turned off by him. Looked like my grandmother may have been right.
“It’s really nice to see you.”
“I see you around town all the time. Small town, ya know.”
“Yeah, I do.”
Chloe paused for a second. “Um, could I get a glass of water and a club sandwich?”
“Yeah, totally!”
The former bully seemed to remember he was working and got back to it. From what I could see, Chloe wasn’t responding in kind to Tyler throwing himself at her. She was friendly, but there was no spark, at least from Chloe’s side. That was something, right?
She looked at me, and I was lost in her big blue eyes. “I hope you weren’t waiting for too long.”