Chapter Eight
Memphis
I kind of hoped I’d hear back from Jovan or August with contact info for the little right away, but a few days later, nothing.
That couldn’t be good. He most likely was not interested in meeting up with me, and I’d have to let him go.
I had been on my own for a long time, and I could continue that way if I had to.
Even if we did speak, there was no guarantee he’d want more from me.
Halfway through the week, I’d decided to move on.
For all I knew, Ridge had a daddy or a boyfriend or husband or all three in his life.
Just because Ernie and Hal were friends with him didn’t tell me what his status was.
Jovan and August didn’t have that information or they’d have said something.
And then, just when I’d given up, my phone buzzed with a text. Unknown number. Usually, I’d have ignored it, but something told me not to. Not this time.
A couple of mutual friends suggested I contact you. Hal and Ernie?
It didn’t sound as if he knew we’d met. Did he forget already? But I typed, Oh, yes, of course. I know them.
My name is Ridge. They were quite insistent. I hope you don’t mind.
Not at all. If he didn’t remember me, what should I say next? Fortunately, he went on.
Maybe we could meet up somewhere and talk?
Picturing the panicked cat sitter in his dino jammies, I wished I could tell him how brave he was being. What about dinner sometime soon? Chez Panni?
Dinner is fine but maybe at Bobby’s Diner? Great burgers and shakes.
Also, a whole lot less expensive… Was he afraid I didn’t want to pay? That sounds great.
We set a day and time, and I placed my phone on the coffee table and leaned back into my sofa. Moderately confused if he realized who I was and where we’d previously met. It sure didn’t sound like it. If he didn’t recognize me, we had a real issue.
But when the appointed day—two days later—came along, and I walked up to the front door of the diner to see him standing there, he flushed deep red then clapped a hand to his face. “It’s you.”
“You didn’t know? Really?” I took his other hand and pulled him into a friendly hug. “Are you disappointed?”
“No.” He hugged me back and then we stepped away from one another. “Just pleasantly surprised.”
“I think our mutual friends were playing a little prank on us.”
He shook his head. “So, they know where we met before?”
“I’m friends with August and Jovan as well. When I told them about what happened and mentioned your name, they promised to ask if I could contact you. Looks like Hal and Ernie went a different way.”
We started into the diner, a bright open space with servers on roller skates and lots of neon. When we had been seated, he leaned across the table toward me. “You did get my gift right? With the note?”
“Yes, thank you so much. I ate every bite.”
“I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe you didn’t because you didn’t reply to my note.”
“I-I definitely would have, but I didn’t know your number.” The server came by just then and we both ordered the special of the night, something with Korean flavors I thought, but I was more interested in the man staring at me in dismay.
“The number was on the note,” he said, starting out with confidence and fading a little at the end. “I’m sure I put it on there.”
“I must have missed it.” No way did I miss it. It was only a few lines, and I read it over multiple times trying to decide if there was a hidden message.
He flushed again, and it was too cute. “You’re too nice. I must have forgotten. And there I was thinking I’d been being subtle. I was going to say ‘let me know if you like the pastries,’ but I got interrupted and never finished.”
The server returned with our orders, the burgers, dirty sodas, and a plate of parmesan spicy fries that could have fed at least two tables. She told us to let her know if we needed anything and moved on to other customers.
“This looks incredible.” I studied the plate in front of me. “It’s a lot.”
“I know.” Ridge squirted ketchup on his plate and picked up a fry. “I always end up with enough left over for another meal.”
So he was getting two meals for a reasonable price.
We exchanged some casual conversation while we ate.
Ridge had so many amusing anecdotes from his cat-sitting and also did a number of other jobs, the very definition of a gig worker.
Where I got up and went to one office, occasionally leaving for meetings, my date for the evening was all over the city, delivering food, doing odd jobs, and watching pets—mostly cats, although he recently had stayed with a designer gecko.
“What makes them designer?” I asked.
He shrugged. “This one had kind of a rainbow pattern on his back, but I don’t know how they do that. It was the easiest job. I just had to feed him occasionally, make sure his heater stayed on, and generally keep him company.”
“Still takes up your time. And the owner probably cares about him, so having someone responsible there means they can enjoy their vacation or whatever trip they were on.”
He took a bite of his burger and chewed thoughtfully. Swallowed. “This is pretty good. I’ve never had it before and maybe never will again.”
“Why not? I think it’s good, too.”
“These specials are often only one time. Get it when they have it or never see it again.”
“That’s a shame.” I’d order it again and again.
The server came by just then, and I made a bit of a fuss about how much I liked the burger. That I would tell my friends to come try it if they ever featured it again.
She popped her gum and did a little spin on the front wheels of her skates. Really remarkable. “I’ll tell Eddie. He comes up with these great things and then doesn’t keep them on the menu.”
After she left, I winked at Ridge. “I tried, anyway.”
“Yeah, and you never know.”
“But now I’m full, and I had my eye on a sundae. Want to split one?”
He did, and we did, and then, over his protests, I paid the bill. “Next time, I’d love to take you somewhere nicer.”
“Please don’t,” he said. “I like diners and dives.”
“All right.” As long as there was a next time on the table, I was happy.