Strangely Normal - By Tess Oliver Page 0,83

came in to check on things. And she had no qualms about letting Charlie and I do her share of the work. But I wasn’t going to put up with it for long.

The cook, Garth, rarely asked for help, but I’d volunteered to help cut tomatoes and wash lettuce before the lunch crowd. I’d just finished with the last head of lettuce as the first of the lunch wave started streaming in. The energy and tension surrounding Megan was palpable and it seemed this would be a rather entertaining shift.

“He’s coming,” she squealed to Charlie and then she raced back to the bathroom to check her hair and make-up. Seconds later, she emerged finely tuned and ready to attack. She tied on her apron, took a deep breath, and walked out of the kitchen area.

I piled the lettuce in the colander. “Well, Garth, I need to get out front.”

“Thanks for your help, Eden.”

I tied on my apron, plucked some menus from the basket, and showed a handful of customers to a table. “I’ll be right back with some water.” I walked behind the counter and leaned down to grab out some glasses. As I straightened, two of the glasses slipped from my hand and bounced off the rubber work mat. Jude looked as shocked as I felt. We stared at each other for a moment, and Megan caught the intense but silent exchange. She slid past me and whispered into my ear. “Hands off, Bitch.”

I ignored her warning and walked over to Jude. “How is she?” I asked.

His gaze drifted over my face as if he was painting a picture in his mind. “She’s doing better. She’s on some medication, but it’s too early to tell how well it’s working. She misses you.” His long lashes dropped down, and he looked at his plate a moment before looking back up at me. “I miss you.”

Megan came up behind me. “Uh, table three is waiting for their order,” she said sharply.

I turned away and tried to get back to work but it was a struggle. My hands were shaking from the brief encounter and just seeing him again had sent my adrenaline into overdrive. I snuck around the corner to the kitchen to gather my composure before attempting to carry hot plates of food. I braced my hands on the work counter, closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths to calm myself, but Megan came back to find me, obliterating my attempt.

“I knew you were a snake the second I saw you,” Megan sneered. Her ridiculous drama was the last thing I needed.

“Not now, Megan.” I took one last steadying breath and steeled myself against the fact that Jude was sitting at the counter just a few feet away from the food window. Without glancing his way, I scooted to the window and grabbed the three plates, hoping they were the meals my customers had ordered.

My mind was in a flurry of emotion. Miraculously, I delivered the plates to the table without dropping them. Megan was leaning over the counter pouring Jude another cola. She had a smile plastered across her face as she talked to him. I was actually grateful that she was keeping him occupied.

The remainder of the lunch hour was a blur. Somehow I’d managed to serve my tables with only one or two casualties, including a plate of wheat toast and a jar of strawberry jam. Jude sat at the counter for an hour, and I could feel his gaze on me every time I returned to the food window. But I didn’t look at him. Looking at him meant breaking down my resistance. Of course, ignoring his presence was a bit like ignoring a giant, glowing meteor sitting in the center of the room.

Megan watched me with a hawkish stare, and I wondered how she’d managed to get any other customers served with the amount of attention she was paying to the one at the counter. From the corner of my eye, as I reset a table with utensils, I saw Jude pay at the register. Megan laughed wildly about something he said. He was leaving and I had no idea if I’d see him again. My willpower failed and I looked his way. He headed to the door but stopped and looked back at me long and hard before walking out. The breath I’d been holding flowed out of me. Megan had caught the exchange but this time looked more defeated than angry.

I

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