Kiss the Rain

CHAPTER ONE

The bell chimed as the door opened to usher in a small family, bringing the chilly winter breeze with them. I glanced up at the clock, then over to the new customers. They didn’t have any small children, so I figured there was still time to squeeze them in before closing.

“Come on in,” I said to them. “Pick any table you want.”

Wiping my hands down on my apron, I pushed open the swinging gate to the counter and made my way over to their table. I had to concentrate on my feet to make sure not to stumble or trip over a conveniently placed chair leg. Working the late night shift always wore me down; I was a morning person, meaning by this late hour my productivity level was minimal. But I needed the money, and this was the only thing they had to offer.

“What would you like to order today? Grandma’s specialties today are homemade tomato soup or chicken pot pie,” I said, trying to make my voice sound chipper. If the concerned look the mom shot me was an indicator, it seemed I had failed miserably.

“Um, we’ll take two specialty soups, a grilled cheese, and a chicken broth please,” the dad said. I nodded and scribbled it down.

“Any drinks?”

“Water for everyone would be fine, thanks,” the mom said with a warm smile.

“Of course, I’ll bring that immediately. The food should be ready in a jiffy.” I spun around, intending to take the order to the chef in a dignified manner, but instead I lost my balance and landed on the neighboring table. My face flamed, and I ducked my head as I picked myself up and scrambled into the kitchen. I could hear snickers coming from the table behind me as I left.

Did I mention that I wasn’t a late night person?

“Nice show out there, Shawnee,” said Brendan teasingly. He was the other waiter who worked this shift and a certified playboy, with the typical blonde hair and blue eyes that made most ladies swoon. He also happened to be one of my best friends – one who was currently laughing his head off at my expense.

“Shut up!” I huffed, “And don’t call me Shawnee! I’m a girl, not some random town in the middle of nowhere Kansas.”

“Wow. Did you actually look that up?”

“No! I actually paid attention in high school, instead of spending the whole time sending come hither glances to every girl in the class.”

“Hey, I was young and sexy, and all of them wanted me. Besides, who’s the one who pays attention in college now?” He finished with a self-satisfied smirk.

I didn’t reply. A brief memory of the one semester I spent at the private university my parents had enrolled me in drifted through my head. Young Ladies Preparatory School, with its wrought iron gates and imposing ivy-covered stone buildings, had been everything I hated. My parents had been social climbers, who thought that good ‘ol middle class wasn’t good enough. It’s not like they could actually afford to pay the ridiculous tuition for that college, but they sent me there anyway.

“It’s the most respectable school in Manhattan, dear. Only the daughters of the elite are accepted – you’re very lucky to have been accepted, Shawna,” my mom would say to me. Yeah, I got in, but that didn’t mean I stayed in. Being the normal girl in a school that screamed old money meant that the rumor mill hadn’t been kind to me. I had dropped out as soon as I could, and my family, mortified at having a social klutz under their name, had shipped me halfway across the country. A little harsh? I thought so too. Nevertheless, I still missed my family, lack of priorities and all. Shaking my head, I tried to blink away my thoughts unsuccessfully.