“Out,” he says, walking to his bunk and grabbing a ball cap. He stretches it to hand it to me, and I just look at his hand. “We all remember what happened the last time you walked off the bus.”
I roll my eyes and snatch the hat from him, remembering how, when I just walked off the bus thinking nothing of it, it took five minutes for a hundred people to surround me. Brian lost his shit, trying to keep everyone calm, and he literally became the blocker. I signed a couple of autographs and posed for some selfies, but then he led me back on the bus. He also didn’t talk the rest of the way to the hotel, but the vein in his head keep popping. The girls made jokes the whole time, wondering if it would bust. The answer is no; it just grows bigger. I pull out the elastic holding my hair on top of my head, and it falls all around me. Grabbing it in my hand in the back, I tie a low ponytail at the base of my neck. As I put the hat on my head, it falls forward. “I guess your head really is huge.” I take the hat off to adjust it and then follow him off the bus. He waits for me, his hand going to my lower back.
“Good call on the stop,” the driver says to him. “Under radar.” I look at him and then over at Brian who has put on his sunglasses so I can’t see his eyes.
“Glad I could help,” Brian says, ushering me toward what looks like a diner.
“What is all that about?” I ask him when we get to the diner. When he opens the glass door, the bells hanging over it chime. Walking inside, I see the girls sitting at the counter on the back wall. Booths line the right and left side of the wall. I walk to the counter and sit on one of the red vinyl seats right next to Cori. “What is that smell?” I ask her, looking around. There is a fridge with pies in it, and on the counter at both ends are cakes on top of a plate with a plastic cover over it.
“That smell is deliciousness,” Jackie says, and a woman comes out from the back.
Wearing a black shirt and black pants, she throws her head back and yells, “George, our guests have arrived!”
“What in the hell is going on?” I look at Cori to my right and then at Brian who is on my left.
The lady smiles at us, coming to stand on the other side of the counter across from us. “Hey there, we’ve been expecting you.” She looks at the end. “You must be Brian.”
“I am.” He nods at her, and she looks away, blinking away tears.
“Thank you.” She turns back and puts her hand on his. We just watch the scene unfold. “Now.” Her walls go back up, and the sadness that she had in her eyes is gone. “I’m Gail, and I’m so happy to have you with us.” I look at Brian, who looks at me, and I see something in his eyes, a sadness I don’t think I’ve seen there before. “Let me tell you about some specials we have. I made my very own meatloaf this morning. It’s world renowned, and we were even on the show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. That blond-headed fella came in and fell in love.” She takes out her pad to write. “If not, we have chicken fried steak with gravy and buttery mashed potatoes.”
“Oh, I want that,” Trisha says. “Definitely that one.”
“Do you have chicken and dumplings?” Jackie asks. “Or biscuits and gravy?” Her eyes light up when Gail nods. “I’ll have both.”
“I’ll have the meatloaf,” Cori says, “with a side of biscuits and gravy.”
She looks over at me.
“I think I want everything,” I tell her, smiling. “I will have everything, and we can box up whatever we don’t eat. Do you have fried pickles?”
“Sure do.” Gail smiles, writing it down.
“Add that also.” I look at her. “Actually, can you give us whatever your specialities are?” Her eyebrows go up. “I would hate to leave without making sure I tried everything.”
“A woman who loves food.” She winks at Brian. “I like her.” Cori throws her head back and laughs when Gail turns to walk away from us, and we hear her yelling at whoever is in the back.
“Where the hell are you going to put all that food?” Jackie asks, looking down the counter at me.
“I don’t know about you guys,” Trisha says, “but there is nothing left in the fridge, so …” She smiles. “It’s the perfect time.”
I keep looking around and see a picture on the wall of Gail standing in the middle of two men. “Don’t,” Brian whispers in my ear as he follows my eyes. “Just don’t.” I look at him, not having time to say anything because Gail returns with a tray.