The Good in Sin

We All Friends

It was the middle of the day at the diner, Gary had sent out promotions and coupons in the middle of the week, giving neither Autumn nor Jenna any warning. They hadn't expected at all the busy rush throughout the day of retired seniors or bored realtors or even professors from the community college forty-five minutes away. 

With a lively atmosphere and a mastered mask of joy, Autumn moved quick between each table alongside Jenna, who bickered with every regular in there that day.

"I don't care if it's doctor. My job is to give you your sandwich, not make you feel good about yourself." Jenna snapped after sliding the plate to the older man who snickered as she walked away.

Autumn shook her head as Jenna stomped towards her. "They only do that to get a rise outta you, you know that, right?"

"I swear if one more person corrects me for saying anything, I'm quitting." Jen seethed, making Autumn laugh.

"You say that every time someone pisses you off."

"And pretty soon someone is gonna piss me off enough." As she spoke the words, Billye stomped in like clockwork, waddling back and forth with her round arms gripping her brief cases that slipped from her tight grasp. "Wonderful." Jenna added through gritted teeth.

"Go take a break, Jen." 

"I already took one today-"

"A short one, then." Autumn said pointedly, and Jenna agreed, rushing out before she blew up on Billye for breathing to loud, which she often did.

"Thank god that one's gone." Billye panted after dropping her stuff on the counter with a bang, watching as Jenna slipped outside and in her car.

Flinching at the noise, Autumn took a deep breath and wore a smile. "How you doing, Billye?"

"Exhausted."

After sliding her a coffee, Autumn followed the ding of the chef's bell and grabbed a plate of food, walking over to a table and dropping the meal off. She did this for a while, taking orders quickly until Jenna came back a few minutes later, her hips swaying as she walked in with her chin up.

"Feel better?" Autumn inquired.

"Yeah, thanks." Jenna nudged her affectionately.

While Jenna took checks and cleaned tables, Autumn's thoughts remained on one person. A person she had expected at her house that morning when she got on her break. She hated to admit it to herself, but she allowed herself this one truth. It was disappointing to go home and not see Sin working on her house. It occurred to her that maybe she scared him off the previous day with her comments, and flushed at the possibility.

Distracted by her thoughts, she almost didn't notice the growling of his motorcycle engine, and told herself not to watch as he got off and walked into the building. 

Her heart pounded in excitement, but she wondered why this would happen while she thought of him and feared her facial expression would give away her thoughts.

"Autumn." Billye sang under her breath, nodding slightly to where Sin sat.

Autumn turned, making sure to keep her eyes down as she rummaged through the mugs underneath the counter. Why was she so nervous? It made sense that it was because he hadn't been there in so long, and only moments ago she was moping at how she wouldn't see him that day, but now that he was there she couldn't control the racing of her pulse.

"Thanks, Billye." She responded flatly.

"Where's he been?" Jenna came around and asked Autumn quietly as Autumn turned to fill up another coffee pot.