Wish We Never Started

18

Sadie and me make eye contact at work a few times. It's quick and fleeting, during busy times when she comes into the kitchen to get plates or when we pass each other to go into the employee room.

I think of last week, when she unexpectedly came to work looking for money from Bob's office. I also think of Jared, a sour feeling in my stomach as I think of what he was trying to get Sadie to do.

"Katie," I flag her down as she comes into the kitchen.

"What do you want?" She asks, not bothering to look up from her order pad.

I come up next to her, glancing at what she's reading before I start to speak, my voice low.

"What do you know about Bob's son?"

I've caught Katie's attention now, her eyes floating to meet mine. She sighs quietly and drops her arm to her side, her lips tightening into a line.

"Why?" She asks, her expression somewhere between sad and annoyed.

I shrug, crossing my arms while I lean back against the stainless steel counter behind me.

"I'm just asking," I tell her again, waiting and hoping she will bite and give me some information.

Katie puts the end of her pen into her mouth and chews on it for a few seconds before leaning in close to me, "he is my ex-boyfriend, we broke up in the spring. Three years, but couldn't handle engagement talk. I guess he never really loved me. That's all I have and want to say about him."

My mouth parts in shock. Katie gives me a nod, like I told you so.

"Oh yeah," she casually adds, "he used to work here but was caught stealing money. This place is how we met. His dad fired him on the spot, in front of everybody. Freaking bum."

I think about that for a second. He was fired by his own dad. Would my dad fire me if I was stealing his money from the family business?

"And you chose to stay with him after that?"

"Oh no, that was five hours before we got together," Katie says with a cheeky smile, "we were young and stupid. Now I'm 32, bitter, and my hair is turning gray."

The chef slides Katie's plates across the counter, yelling at me to move in the process. I shoot him an annoyed look but his back is already turned.

"Thanks," I tell Katie who is an arm deep in dinner plates now. She doesn't say anything at all, but instead turns around to go out into the dining room.

I stare at the chef, who has sweat beading on his forehead. He's a decently sized middle-aged man who doesn't talk much outside of grunting and yelling. He looks up from the griddle to give me a look that could kill, and I immediately turn my gaze away and go back to the sink.

At the end of my shift, it's closing time. The cooking staff are finishing up their cleaning just as I get the last plate rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher.

I go to the employee room and grab my puffer and phone. I see that Diego has sent me another text.

Sofia has "kindly" asked me to ask you to unblock her because she wants to see you. Her words

I roll my eyes, well aware this time would come, but I wasn't quite expecting it right now.

It scares me how quickly I navigate to settings and find "blocked numbers," staring at her ten digits before pressing unblock. Instead of throwing my phone across the room, I drop it into my pocket and forget about it.

When I push the door open to leave, the air is cold and still for once. I zip up my coat and walk to the end of the alley, glancing towards the diner before I turn the corner to make sure nobody is coming.