The Secrets to New York

Twenty-Five | Dates

I bought two copies of your book; one on the day that you first showed the book to me, and another one week later as I was passing a little bookstore, where your book was front and center in the window. I smiled and couldn’t stop myself from going into the store to buy it again.

This is a pretty popular book the saleswomen said as I was checking out. I heard the author is from around here.

Yeah, I actually, uh, know him. I stated proudly. She gave me a look that told me she didn’t believe me for a second, but it didn’t matter.

We had been seeing each other often, still. You would still come to the diner every morning, and you would always stick around for a little while to talk. I don’t know exactly what I would call us at that point. We weren’t exactly friends, but we weren’t not friends either. I guess I was just hopeful.

My hopes faded though, on a Thursday, when you brought someone into the diner with you. It was a girl, about our age, I guess. She was pretty and I got really jealous at the sight. I know that I shouldn’t have been, but seeing the two of you laughing and having a good time sort of stung. It didn’t help that you were sitting in my section either.

Hi, welcome to Margie’s. I’m Emery. How can I help you today? I forced out, trying to sound as natural as I could. No matter what, I knew that I couldn’t let you see me upset. Not about this. Not now.

Hi, Emery. You smiled up at me. We’ll just have two of the specials, please. I nodded, pretending to write down what you said. I really didn’t need to, I mean how much simpler could your order have been? I guess I just wanted to buy some time.

I’ll have that right out. I said after I bought as much time as I could without it becoming too obvious. I walked back into the kitchen and gave Tim, our chef, the order. He started to cook the meals up and I went into the bathroom. I couldn’t hold in the tears anymore.

I guess I should have known that nothing was going to happen between us again, but I was stupid and allowed myself to get hopeful. (You didn’t really help that either, though. I mean, writing that book and coming in the diner every day).

I heard the door start to open and I quickly wiped away my tears. I looked up to see the girl walking in. She looked up at me suddenly and her brow furrowed in confusion.

You’re the waitress, right? I just nodded my head. Are you okay?

Uh, yeah. I managed to choke out. The tears were still threatening and all I could think about was you sitting out there all alone. I wanted to run out the door and into your arms, but I knew that I couldn’t do that.

I’m Chelsea, she smiled at me. She was too nice and I suddenly got that feeling of jealousy deep in my stomach again. I needed to stop doing this to myself.

Emery. I answered calmly. I was on the verge of falling apart and I was trying so hard to just hold myself together. She just nodded and told me that it was nice to meet me and that if I needed to talk, I knew where to find her. I thanked her and exited the bathroom. I knew that I needed to get back to my job.

I watched from the back as she left the restroom and went to sit back down across from you. You smiled as she did so, and that was the moment I knew that things really were different now.