New Beginnings: A Hessa Story (2)

Chapter 73: Hardin

It feels like I've stepped into a time machine as I walk down the familiar cobble street. It looks exactly the same as it did ten years ago. Mr. Edison's barbershop is still open on the corner, Diana Jones' boutique still has their over the top Christmas lights on display, and there it is... The Old Star. It still looks as run down as ever, but what else would anyone expect from a pub. The food is still to die for.

"The Old Star?" Tessa questions as I open the door for her. "This is where your mother worked?"

"My mum worked here for at least four years. They paid pretty well since it was in such a prime location. It was like tourist fucking central in here all the time. I swear, I heard more foreign accents than British ones."

"Seems like you were always destined to be with a foreigner." Tessa laughs, but then gasps. It's packed just like it always was at this time. "Wow, it's crowded."

"We're taking it to go, so it doesn't matter anyway."

"Oh, let me call Mike and ask what he and your mum want. I'm gonna go outside so I can hear."

"How many?" A woman walks up to me as Tessa walks out of the pub, and I hold up two fingers. She leads me to the bar.

"We're ordering to go, but I have to wait for my wife to come back."

"Very well. A waitress will be with you shortly."

I pull out my phone and scroll through some more emails as I wait for Tessa to come back inside. I notice the one she was talking about before from that Harriette woman. I still find it so strange that she decided to email me back months after I sent her one. I don't want her thinking that I'm still interested, so I type her an email back.

Dear Ms. Morrison,

Thank you for getting back to me, but I will no longer be needing your service. My wife is now pregnant, so we don't need any surrogacy or adoption services at this time.

Best regards,

Hardin Scott

Now that I've handled that situation, the only situation I have left is getting food for everyone. At least, that's the only situation I think I have right now...

"It can't be..." I hear someone say behind me, and my mind goes into overdrive thinking of all the possible people who could recognize me. How did I not fucking predict that I would see someone I knew at this place?

When I turn around slowly, I am pleasantly surprised.

"Margie?" I say in astonishment. I had no idea she would be still working here after all this time.

"Hardin Scott? My goodness, boy, you have grown so much!" She claps her hands together in glee. She wraps her arms around my shoulders.

"I didn't think you would still work here." I hug this dear old woman who contributed a lot to my life. She's pretty much the main reason I didn't flunk out of school.

"It's been 40 years now, and I don't plan on stopping until this stops beating." She points to her heart. "I haven't seen you here in probably a decade."

"Yeah, it has been a long time since I've been here. How... how are things with you?"

"Things are going well. My grandchildren just visited me for my 73rd birthday, so that was a fun little treat."

"73? How could you possibly be 73 already?"

"I don't know, boy. I don't like to think about it... my spirit will always be 35!"

"Margie, I'm not a boy anymore." I awkwardly state. I always hated that she called me boy, especially in front of attractive women I would try to seduce at the age of 16.