MARIEL

7~Mariel~

When Mariel awoke that Saturday morning, it had felt like Christmas to him. It was cold, snowy, and, like a child awaiting gifts, he had had something to look forward to before work. Until she never arrived.

He had sat at a corner table in the small diner, dressed in black slacks and a neatly tucked white button-down with his black hair in a ponytail as required for work. There, he had patiently waited, his eyes shifting continuously from his phone to the snowy streets of Chicago.

Strong disappointment rattled him after he sent the texts to Esther telling her he had to clock into work. Then, he had been worried, as usually she alerted him if she was going to be late or needed to cancel. He had wanted to call her, but the fear of sounding pushy or annoying overcame the desire. Mariel knew he was incredibly shy around her, even though they had been friends for years, and he could not bring himself to be bold in her presence. He wished he had the boldness of Gabe, who he knew was attracted to Esther based on comments he had made and the way his eyes followed her, and he was afraid that with their personality differences Gabe would have the upper hand if he ever asked Esther to date him. This induced jealousy whenever she and Gabe would spend time together, and often he wondered if there was a romance occurring of which he was unaware. The idea made him anxious.

When his dad had stopped by the diner to visit him, he had tried to hide the disappointment on his face but the priest had noticed it immediately. Fr. Jerome had asked if he was alright, and then further disclosed the fact that he had just dropped Esther off at the bookstore and she wanted to see him to apologize.

"Is she okay?" Mariel had asked.

"I think so, I believe she may have been sick though. She wasn't acting like the usual energizer bunny we see of her. Stop by if you can, and I'll see you later at the church."

They had given each other their usual parting embrace, and Fr. Jerome had left with his steaming hot coffee.

As Mariel refilled the coffee for an elderly couple, his heart rate increased as his mind fixated on the idea of his two friends dating each other. He wondered how he would react.

"Can you bring us our check, please?" The old man asked feebly, staring up at Mariel's tall frame with beady eyes surrounded by drooping skinfolds, shadowed by the lid of a discolored white baseball cap.

"Of course, sir, can I get you anything else before I bring the check?" Mariel's eyes darted to the bookstore across the street.

"No, just the check please."

With a brief smile, he nodded and left the table to approach the bar across the room where the register was located. The diner bustled with servers, and chefs clattered dishes and yelled out completed orders. He printed the bill and stepped around the counter to approach the table again. As he approached, his eyes drifted to the street outside the diner. A bus sped past the window, and then he saw Esther stepping outside of the bookstore and start walking towards the diner. His heart pounded hard. He saw her glance back and forth before she crossed the street, and watched with gentle fascination as her brown hair blew about her face. She was walking towards the diner, arms folded to protect herself against the cold. He shook his head. She never had a coat with her.

"Sir!"

He started a little. "Sorry, sir, here's your check. No rush."

"Just take my card now, son, don't walk away. You'll never come back," the old man grumbled.

Mariel hung his head a little and took the card with the receipt. "I'll be right back." Quickly, he returned to the register, working briskly while simultaneously glancing towards Esther as she approached the diner. He looked at his watch. Excellent timing... about time for his break.