7. Jesse
7
Jesse
Present Day
I park my truck in the lot of the Scottsdale Diner and step out, heading toward the door to meet Charlie, my best friend.
The diner is sort of a staple in this town. They have the best banana pudding cake in town, but only if it’s made by Pamela. She’s worked at the diner for as long as I can remember. She’s still working at the age of seventy-five! At this point, I think she just genuinely enjoys being here because she refuses to retire.
“Hey man, what’s up?” I say as I shake his hand.
“Same old, same old.”
Charlie and I have been best friends since middle school. Our dads were best friends too, so it always felt like we were destined to be close. We really grew tight during football season after spending hours on the field together.
He lost his wife a few years ago to cancer. They have a daughter together named Jennifer, or Jenny for short. I think she’s the only thing that keeps him going most days.
Jenny is now five years old and is basically my niece. She has me wrapped around her little finger and she knows it.
Charlie and I walk inside of the Scottsdale Diner. As soon as I step in, the warm aroma of home-cooked food hits me, making my stomach growl.
The diner always has a different special running each day, except for Sundays when it’s closed for church. The specials rarely ever change, and I know most of them by heart. The country fried steak is my favorite. It practically melts in your mouth. Today is Tuesday, so the special is meatloaf.
The inside of the diner is a little outdated, but that’s part of its charm, in my opinion. There are multiple booths with tattered seats that somehow still manage to be comfortable.
In the corner, there's a countertop bar, sitting by itself. The diner doesn’t sell alcohol, which some of the younger folks around town don’t quite get, but it’s just how it’s always been. The bar is used as a pickup area for to-go orders instead.
The diner still doesn’t have any computer systems, not even a TV. They did recently get a card reader but only because no one carries cash anymore. That's the farthest they’ve gone with technology. It’s refreshing to have to sit and talk to the people you’re sitting with and not be distracted by anything.
I follow Charlie to our favorite booth and sit down across from him. I take a deep breath in and look out the window. I can’t keep my leg from bouncing—It’s an anxiety tic that I've had my whole life.
“What happened?” Charlie asks, his voice low and curious.
“What do you mean?” I force my leg to stay still.
“You know what I mean. What's eating at you?”
“Nothing’s eating at me. I'm just fine.” I shrug, leaning back in my seat. “Nothing to worry about.”My leg starts bouncing again.
“Oh really, nothing at all? Nothing wouldn’t happen to be an old flame who moved back into town with her two kids and is working at the clinic?”
I freeze for a second, the words hitting me harder than expected.
“How did you know she was back before I did and why didn’t you warn me?”
News travels fast in a small town. He was probably waiting for me to say something to him about it first.
“A little heads up would’ve been nice, that's all I’m saying.” I wipe my sweaty palms on my thighs.
Before Charlie can respond, Pamela comes around the booth to take our order. She still looks fantastic for her age.
She’s wearing jeans and a red button-down shirt with her faded waitress apron that is probably older than me, but still well taken care of. Her gray and white streaked hair is pulled into some fancy updo, and her glasses rest on the edge of her nose.
“Why, hello boys! It’s so good to see you two back in here today.” She has one of those comforting, raspy voices that you can tell she still smokes about a pack a day but is the nicest lady ever.
“Hello, Miss Pamela.” Charlie and I reply in unison.
“What can I getcha?” She pulls out her pen and pad, ready to take our order.
“Go ahead and get us the usual.” I wink at her.
“I can do that. How’s the Camp Willowbrooke party planning going?” She says as she raises an eyebrow.
“It’s coming along.” I shrug, not wanting to give too much away yet.
“You know, if you need anything, I am more than happy to help.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I think right now I’m good. The only thing I need you to do is make sure there's enough of your banana pudding cake to go around.”
“I think I can handle that.” She playfully slaps my shoulder and walks away.
I’ve actually been a little stressed out about the celebration. One hundred years is a huge deal and everyone in town will be coming, including Cora’s family.
I fold my hands together and sit them on the table. It seems like everything leads back to Cora and her family. I just wish I could get her out of my head. I keep thinking about her two sons and the looks on their faces last night. My heart breaks all over again.
“Do you know anything about Cora’s husband?” I ask Charlie quietly.
“Nothing other than they were never actually married, and he's a piece of crap.”
“Oh, I just assumed they were. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would mistreat her or those two innocent boys.” I shake my head, my frustration growing. I know that if I was ever given a chance to be in his situation, I would be doing everything possible to keep them happy.
Charlie leans across the table so that only I can hear him. “I heard from the older ladies in town that his name is Nash. I also heard that he initially got a DUI and the same night that he was arrested, Coraline filed domestic assault charges against him. Apparently, that was not his first DUI and he has a major drinking problem.”
I don’t even know how to respond to that. I instantly see red and I know by the look on Charlie’s face that he knows how I feel. How could any man ever think about laying a hand on a woman, especially Cora?
“Did he ever do anything physical to her kids?” I say through gritted teeth, my leg bouncing uncontrollably at this point.I’ve got to get these feelings under control.
Charlie sits back, stroking his beard as he thinks for a moment. “I haven’t heard anything for certain but, I wouldn’t put it past him.”
The buzzing of the overhead fan and the clinking of silverware only seem to amplify the storm in my mind. My cheeks feel like they're on fire and I'm starting to feel lightheaded.
I force myself to take a deep breath.
Thoughts race through my mind—horrible scenarios of what this man could have done to Cora and the kids. My stomach clenches. I feel like I’m suffocating under the weight of it all.
I can’t believe she still has any sort of impact on me, especially after everything. It feels like no matter how much I try to move on, she still holds some piece of me.