to see me this week, worrying about their schedules and whether or not they’re making the right choices.”
“I don’t remember caring about that stuff as a freshman.”
“I think I just have some overachievers in my dorm.”
“Here,” I say, handing him a ten-dollar bill as I’m about to head into the building where my meeting is.
“No, it’s cool.”
“Take it, you can pay me back when you get a job.”
He shakes his head.
“If you’re sad and you have to eat alone, at least go get some decent food.”
“All right, fine. But it’s a loan.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll keep a tab.”
He punches me in the arm but at least he laughs.
Maxine (a waitress)
Those two darlings are back, all by their lonesome this time. It seems kind of sad that they’re sitting alone, but at least this time they smiled and waved at each other. I think the girl would have sat with him but she didn’t notice he was here until I was bringing her food out.
I see her staring and since it’s an oddly quiet Sunday evening I decide to meddle.
I say, “You could go sit by him.”
“What if he doesn’t want me to?”
I lean down to talk to her more quiet-like. “Well, what you could do is go to the restroom, and when you’re passing the table, ask if he’s waiting for anyone.”
“Okay,” she says, her eyes big.
“And if he says he isn’t, ask if he wouldn’t mind some company. I bet you he’ll say yes to that. And if he says no…”
“I’ll die of embarrassment.”
“At least you’ll die knowing.”
“He’s really shy,” she tells me.
“All the more reason to take the bull by the horns.”
“He looks busy.”
“He’s flipping through a magazine, sugar,” I say. “Listen, why are you here alone?”
“I was hungry and my roommate isn’t back on campus yet and I didn’t feel like finding any of my other friends.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s here alone. And then next time, you won’t have to come here alone, you know?”
She nods and takes a deep breath before she stands up.
I stand behind the counter, making myself look useful as I wipe it down.
“Hi, Gabe,” she says.
He smiles and nods. Oh, he is a shy one.
“Are you waiting for someone?”
He shakes his head and blushes.
“You maybe want some company?”
“All right,” he says.
“I’m just gonna go get my food and come back?” she says.
“Okay.”
“You don’t mind?”
I kind of want to wring her neck. He’s not giving her the response she wants, obviously, but he’s also not saying no, he’s not making up excuses. She’s one of those girls who’s so blinded by how much she likes this boy, she’s ignoring his bashfulness.
He shakes his head and looks up at her.
She comes back with her cheeseburger platter and sits down, looking very uncomfortable.
“They have good burgers here,” he says quietly.
“They do.”
She sits and eats primly and I bring his grilled cheese out a couple minutes later.
“Look at you switching seats all over the place,” I tease her. I wish I could break the ice for them. I’ve never seen two kids look so scared of each other before.
He twists his fingers together and doesn’t look at her. He so pointedly doesn’t look at her that it’s obvious to me at least that he’s working hard not to look at her, like looking at her is going to mean she’ll see on his face how much he likes her.
She smiles at me and I walk back behind the counter. It’s quiet for a Sunday afternoon.
“Do you want to play hangman?” she asks, flipping over the placemat and grabbing a pen from her bag.
He nods and smiles and looks so relieved.
They play a few rounds and then she gets a text message.
“My roommate just got back, so … I gotta go,” she says. “I’ll see you around?”
He nods and waves and she’s out the door in a whirlwind. He spends a good fifteen minutes writing something on the back of a placemat before crumpling it up and leaving. I can’t stop myself
“I don’t remember caring about that stuff as a freshman.”
“I think I just have some overachievers in my dorm.”
“Here,” I say, handing him a ten-dollar bill as I’m about to head into the building where my meeting is.
“No, it’s cool.”
“Take it, you can pay me back when you get a job.”
He shakes his head.
“If you’re sad and you have to eat alone, at least go get some decent food.”
“All right, fine. But it’s a loan.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll keep a tab.”
He punches me in the arm but at least he laughs.
Maxine (a waitress)
Those two darlings are back, all by their lonesome this time. It seems kind of sad that they’re sitting alone, but at least this time they smiled and waved at each other. I think the girl would have sat with him but she didn’t notice he was here until I was bringing her food out.
I see her staring and since it’s an oddly quiet Sunday evening I decide to meddle.
I say, “You could go sit by him.”
“What if he doesn’t want me to?”
I lean down to talk to her more quiet-like. “Well, what you could do is go to the restroom, and when you’re passing the table, ask if he’s waiting for anyone.”
“Okay,” she says, her eyes big.
“And if he says he isn’t, ask if he wouldn’t mind some company. I bet you he’ll say yes to that. And if he says no…”
“I’ll die of embarrassment.”
“At least you’ll die knowing.”
“He’s really shy,” she tells me.
“All the more reason to take the bull by the horns.”
“He looks busy.”
“He’s flipping through a magazine, sugar,” I say. “Listen, why are you here alone?”
“I was hungry and my roommate isn’t back on campus yet and I didn’t feel like finding any of my other friends.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s here alone. And then next time, you won’t have to come here alone, you know?”
She nods and takes a deep breath before she stands up.
I stand behind the counter, making myself look useful as I wipe it down.
“Hi, Gabe,” she says.
He smiles and nods. Oh, he is a shy one.
“Are you waiting for someone?”
He shakes his head and blushes.
“You maybe want some company?”
“All right,” he says.
“I’m just gonna go get my food and come back?” she says.
“Okay.”
“You don’t mind?”
I kind of want to wring her neck. He’s not giving her the response she wants, obviously, but he’s also not saying no, he’s not making up excuses. She’s one of those girls who’s so blinded by how much she likes this boy, she’s ignoring his bashfulness.
He shakes his head and looks up at her.
She comes back with her cheeseburger platter and sits down, looking very uncomfortable.
“They have good burgers here,” he says quietly.
“They do.”
She sits and eats primly and I bring his grilled cheese out a couple minutes later.
“Look at you switching seats all over the place,” I tease her. I wish I could break the ice for them. I’ve never seen two kids look so scared of each other before.
He twists his fingers together and doesn’t look at her. He so pointedly doesn’t look at her that it’s obvious to me at least that he’s working hard not to look at her, like looking at her is going to mean she’ll see on his face how much he likes her.
She smiles at me and I walk back behind the counter. It’s quiet for a Sunday afternoon.
“Do you want to play hangman?” she asks, flipping over the placemat and grabbing a pen from her bag.
He nods and smiles and looks so relieved.
They play a few rounds and then she gets a text message.
“My roommate just got back, so … I gotta go,” she says. “I’ll see you around?”
He nods and waves and she’s out the door in a whirlwind. He spends a good fifteen minutes writing something on the back of a placemat before crumpling it up and leaving. I can’t stop myself
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