Loving Oliver

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ０４ Ｌｏｖｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ Ｂｕｒｇｅｒｓ Ｈｅｒｅ】

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ　０４　Ｌｏｖｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　Ｂｕｒｇｅｒｓ　Ｈｅｒｅ】

The restaurant that we stopped to have lunch at was gorgeous. It was a large red brick building with large windows looking out at the small town which included a coffee shop, post office, and many other little clothing shops littered throughout the area. It was quaint and cozy and felt nothing like New York.

I hated to admit it, but I loved it. It didn't feel like I would be drowning in a large sea of strangers. It felt more like a pond. No one was rushing around with their cellphones in their faces. And when we stepped out of the truck and onto the stone walkway in the little town not one person bumped into us.

So different from New York.

The Restaurant had a sign hanging in the window lit up called Sam's Place. I glance at my brother. He owned his own business. My brother was a business owner? He was a boss to others? Why hadn't mom mentioned this? How could I have not known?

Owen shuts the pick-up door shut in sync with Sam and we meet each other in the front of the truck and head over to the door.

"You have your own restaurant?" I ask Sam as neutral as possible. I glance up at him and find him already watching me behind his shades and after a minute of silence he nods once and then opens the door for me.

I head through as the guys trail behind me. It's not super busy since it's just after what I assume would be this town's lunch rush but there's still people scattered about at little wooden tables around the large open area. To the left of us is a large stage set up with musical equipment and to the right of us is a huge ass bar lined with a shit ton of liquor. I clock the alcohol in the first 15 seconds of being here and shame blooms in my chest for what I've allowed myself to become.

Without Oliver.

Owen moves right up beside me leading me to the bar and pulling out a stool for me to sit at and then joins me on my left. Sam sits carefully down at my right still silent.

Owen's easy-going smile makes an appearance as he stretches out on his stool with an ease of familiarity.

"Good job Sam. But next time try a whole sentence. Ya know, that's how conversations work." Owen laughs out and I hear Sam release a grunt but reply with nothing else.

I slip a menu from behind a bottle of ketchup and browse for something, anything really to stop the hunger pains from growing. I feel Owen and Sam having a silent conversation behind me as I scan the burger section but don't say anything.

A girl close to my age makes her way behind the bar and over to the guys and I. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and a sweetheart face. Her grin is big, and her eyes are soft and kind. Her eyes widen when she takes a second look at me and then practically jumps with excitement. She's wearing an apron and a name tag that reads Aspen. She seems nice, kind even and for some reason that pisses me off.

"Hiya. I'm Aspen and I've been waiting for you for like a whole week. Sam told me his little sister was coming to live with him for her senior year and that you would be my age and I was so excited to meet you. We hardly ever get anyone new in the area that's my age and so I was so excited to finally meet you. And wow you are so much prettier than he described. He said you were into modeling and I knew you had to be pretty, but you are even more gorgeous. And..."

Owen was laughing taking in my facial expression. I had only managed to raise my eyebrows but other than that I had managed to school an impassive look on my face. I was trying to suppress the resting bitch face that was crawling to my surface. I knew she was just trying to be kind, but it hurt. It hurt because the it reminded me so much of the person I so admired.