13. Simon
“Holy shit, it’s packed in here.”
I look over to Oliver and Izzy, who are trying to push their way next to me and the rest of the crew who have gathered at Mona’s for her final day of operation.
“Why are you late?” I ask. The festivities started ten minutes ago with a speech from the mayor—which is still going on.
“We got…busy,” Oliver says.
“Oh, the honeymoon stage,” Wes says, slapping his back. “Nothing like it.”
“How many honeymoon stages does he get?” Shane asks. “The oops wedding? The upcoming, kind-of real wedding? The engagement that’s not really an engagement?”
“As many as we want,” Oliver says, pulling Izzy to him for a quick kiss. He doesn’t let her go as she stands in front of him, his arms wrapped around her waist. He’s probably doing it because the man would touch his wife twenty-four-seven if he could. But in reality, it’s necessary for how many people are packed in here.
I think every person who is living in Rolling Hills is in attendance. It’s likely a fire hazard, but considering the fire chief is now shaking the mayor’s hand to begin his speech about how many years Mona has served him and his crew, I doubt he’s kicking anyone out. We’re in the back, which is good. I wanted to blend in today, which is not normally my mode of operation. But today is about Mona.
And about Bug, who’s officially being introduced to the town of Rolling Hills.
“Which one is she?” Oliver whispers.
“The one next to the counter,” Shane answers.
“Cute,” Oliver says. “Different from the normal girls he goes for. But also seems completely like someone he’d pursue.”
“Right? That’s what I thought,” Shane says in an excited tone I’ve never heard from him in all our years of friendship. “When we met her at the taste testing, I was confused, knowing the women we’ve seen him with. But then when they started talking, I knew something was between them. There were sparks. I saw them with my own eyes.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I slap Shane on the arm, which makes the entire crew laugh.
“What’s the matter, Simon?” Wes asks. “Not so much fun when you’re on the receiving end of the jabs?”
“Will you three shut your traps?” I whisper-yell, not wanting to draw attention to us. Though I can’t help but glance at Charlie for likely the fiftieth time today. She’s only caught me twice though. Which I think is a pretty good success rate.
My instinct is to get under her skin. Make her unable to forget that I’m here. But I won’t. Not today. This is a big day for her, and I don’t want to ruin that.
I can do that any other day and all the days going forward.
However, that doesn’t mean I can’t sit here and cast glances at her that she doesn’t see.
Her hair is down, which is a change from the last two times I saw her. The red is fading and the blonde is starting to show through, which makes me smile. I miss my blonde Bug. She has on black leggings and a flowy blue top that’s cut just low enough in the front to be modest, but also drive me insane. Especially since I know what those magnificent breasts feel and taste like. Her makeup is done, and she’s wearing a red lipstick that is making me hope for round two, only so I can see a ring around my cock.
“We’ll shut our traps if you shut your jaw,” Wes says, giving my apparently—and unknowing—hanging jaw a tap up to close my mouth. “As my Pops says, no one likes a man who drools.”
I wipe my mouth and ignore my asshole friends laughing at me. Of course there’s no drool, but I needed to make sure.
“Just fucking listen to the speeches and be polite,” I say.
“Oh, this is so good.”
Shane’s comment blends into the crowd as everyone starts applauding for Mona to come up on the makeshift stage, which is really a few wooden boxes pushed together.
“I didn’t know this many people could fit in this place,” Mona says, getting a small laugh from the crowd. “I started this diner more than forty years ago. And frankly, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that I could cook a few decent meals and I wanted a place to call my own. I never knew it would give me the years it has with you fine folks.”
A round of applause hits as Mona continues to talk about her favorite memories. Which makes me think of my favorite memories here. Dinners after football practice when my mom didn’t want to cook. Me and the guys coming here after school, thinking we were hot shit while also thinking this was our version of “The Maxx” from Saved by the Bell. My first date was here. And this is where I survived my first heartbreak.
“Simon! ’Bout time you came in to see me.”
I look up to Mona, and I must not do a good enough job of hiding my sullen expression.
“What’s the matter? Why do you look like someone ran over your dog?”
I look down at my phone again before back up to Mona. It’s the text I wrote for Bug, begging and pleading for her to just call me back. Send any sort of message that she’s okay. But like all the others, it won’t go through.
I’m blocked.
What did I do? Was it the kiss? It couldn’t have been, right? It was an amazing kiss. The best kiss. A kiss I didn’t want to end. And I thought she felt the same.
When she first didn’t answer me, I thought maybe she was just busy. And then I called. And called. And left message after message. I started to get worried.
So when I went back to campus this past weekend for my roommate’s birthday, I made a beeline for Perks. I needed to see her. Make sure she was okay. That’s when I found out she quit.
I might not be the smartest guy, but I know when to take a hint.
She’s gone.
“It’s nothing,” I say quickly. I can tell she knows I’m full of shit, but she doesn’t press me.
“How about some pancakes?” she asks. “Those always cheer you up.”
I start to nod my head but stop. “No. Can I get french toast?”
Mona cocks her head. “Since when do you eat french toast?”
I shrug. “It sounds good.”
Mona taps my hands before walking away as I let Bug’s voice and smile infiltrate my memory for the hundredth time today.
Because when I think of french toast, I will forever think of my Bug.
We had gone to get breakfast after a final—I got my usual pancakes while she ordered french toast. I didn’t realize my breakfast order was going to lead to a twenty-minute dissertation on how and why french toast was the superior breakfast food and that pancakes were trash. I, of course, egged her on by insisting pancakes were better.
It riled her up. I loved it. I just sat back and watched as she got so passionate over breakfast food. She was so cute. Determined. Fiery.
My Bug.
And as Mona slides the plate in front of me, I wonder if I’m ever going to get to see her again…
“Now, I couldn’t let y’all go hungry,” Mona says as I come back to the present. “I know for a fact some of you don’t know how to boil an egg, let alone cook yourself a proper meal.”
The crowd chuckles as Mona waves for Charlie to go up on stage. “Well, don’t worry, I’m not leaving you hanging. This here is Charlie Bennett, and from now on, she’s the one going to be cooking for you.”
The crowd applauds as Charlie gives a small wave. Her cheeks are flushed and her motions are small. She mouths “hello” to a few people, but other than that, she’s yet to say a word.
Or look at me.
“So that’s Bug, huh?”
I give a side-eye to Oliver. “Yes, that’s Bug. But you don’t call her that.”
“Oh...I get it now.”
“Get what?”
He nods to the stage. “She’s the one who got away.”
I look over to Oliver like he’s an idiot. Because he is. Mostly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I remember that summer. Wes and Shane weren’t here, but I was. You were a shell of yourself. You tried to put on a brave face and be your normal cocky self, but I knew you were hurting. I remember asking if you were okay and you brushed me off. Many times. But I knew you were broken. I just didn’t know who it was that shattered your heart.”
I nod and swallow the lump in my throat as Charlie clears hers to begin speaking.
“Physically, she’s like no one you’ve ever gone after. Shorter and curvy. Not your normal wanna-be-runway-model types. And I’m betting once I talk to her she’s probably going to blow me away with a wit and tongue that no other woman you’ve ever chased has possessed.”
I hate how well he knows me.
“Everything now makes sense.”
I look over to Oliver. “How do you know that?”
He nods toward her. “Because I always knew the woman who finally broke Simon Banks wouldn’t be anyone ordinary.”
I look over at Charlie as she begins to give everyone a warm welcome. I can’t help but smile and feel a sense of pride as I look at her.
Oliver’s right. My Bug is nothing short of extraordinary.
“I want to start off by saying thank you to Mona, who has been nothing but gracious since I signed the lease to take over this spot.”
The two of them hug, and I hope it doesn’t show, but I get a bit choked up by the action.
“I was raised by a single mom,” she begins. I feel myself leaning closer to where she’s standing, like the inch I move forward will help me hear better. I barely knew anything about her family. I knew she had a brother, but that’s it. “We didn’t have a lot of extra money, but every once in a while, she took me and my brother to a diner in our town just outside of Knoxville. And yes, go Vols!”
“Go Vols!” The crowd chants back to her, and I feel the smile growing on my face as I watch her talk to my friends and neighbors.
“That diner is where some of my best memories were made. I fell in love with cooking as a child, and it was my dream to one day open a restaurant exactly like that. Exactly like this.”
She pauses for a second, and I wait for her next words with bated breath.
“There isn’t a lot that’s happened in my life to make me believe that dreams come true.” She stops for a second and takes a deep breath. Her eyes are closed, like she’s begging a higher power for strength to continue. When she opens them back up, she scans the crowd, her eyes stopping the second they lock with mine. “And I still believe that. Dreams don’t come true. White knights don’t ride into town to save the day. So I learned a long time ago I had to make my own dreams come true. I worked hard. Put in my time as a sous chef. All for the goal of one day having my own place. But in that time, I realized that I might not need a white knight, but I did need a little help.”
She pauses and releases her stare from me. When she does, I finally exhale.
“So there are people I want to thank. First, the town of Rolling Hills for welcoming me with open arms. Thank you to Emmett and Magnolia Properties for helping me through every step of this process and making this dream come true. Mona, for your guidance. I hope I make you proud. And to my mom, who oddly enough was named Ramona, for being my guardian angel. So in honor of the two women who have guided me to where I am today, this restaurant will continue being called Mona’s. This is just Charlie’s version.”
Applause erupts, but I am jerked to standing and dragged out the side door of the diner before she can continue.
“Did we just hear what we thought we heard?”
I look back to the diner then back to my three best friends, who are all staring at me like they are about to kick my ass.
“What did you hear?”
Shane’s eyes turn violent. “She just thanked Magnolia Properties. You own Magnolia Properties.”
“Oh. Yeah. My bad. I forgot to tell you guys. I bought Mona’s.”
“What?” Oliver yells. “How could you not tell us?”
“I wanted to,” I begin. “I swear. Unlike some people who keep secrets, I wanted to tell everyone.”
We all shoot our sights to Shane, who is holding his hands up in defense. “That was Amelia’s idea. And since she’s working and can’t be here to defend herself, let’s move on and remember that Simon has bought Mona’s.”
They all turn their sights back to me. “Technically, it’s not Mona’s. Well, I guess it is. It’s Charlie’s Mona’s.”
The three of them look at each other before turning back to me.
“Simon.” Wes steps closer, his voice low like he’s about to reprimand one of his kids. “The woman in there who just gave an emotional and heartfelt speech is a woman from your past.”
“A woman who hates you,” Shane says.
“Hate’s a strong word…”
“Simon,” Wes continues. “Please, swear to me on a stack of Bibles and your season UT tickets that you didn’t buy this restaurant simply to fuck with the woman who hurt you fifteen years ago?”
I let out a breath, loving that I get to technically tell the truth.
“Wes, I solemnly swear I did not buy the restaurant to fuck with Charlie.”
There. Easy peasy. And the truth. I’ve got this.
That’s all of the things I’m thinking until I catch Shane’s eye.
“What?” I ask him.
“Spill.”
“Spill what?”
“The actual truth.”
“I just told you the truth.”
“Yes. But not all of it. I can tell.”
“How? Please. Elaborate.”
Shane works his jaw back and forth. Fuck. He means business. “Because she said Magnolia Properties. That woman hates you. I saw it in her eyes that day. She would have cut off your dick and sold it to the highest bidder if she could have. Yet, she just thanked your company, and Emmett, for making her dream come true. So either you two made up—which I doubt—or she doesn’t know. Which is it?”
Damn Shane and his police skills.
“Fine. Yes. I bought it. No, she doesn’t know. But I have a good reason. I promise.”
“And that is?” Wes asks.
“She won’t talk to me.”
The three of them look at each other like they’re missing something. Oliver is the first to speak up. “That’s it?”
I shrug. “I mean, that’s the Cliffs Notes. If you want to hear the whole story, which also now has an updated chapter from recently, that’s going to require a lot of beer. And privacy. Wes. Back to your place. I hope you’re stocked up.”