6. Where’d You Come From?
Iblink at the sun punching through the clouds as I step outside into the brisk chill on Front Street. Early February in Wavecrest is beautiful but brutally cold, at least for California. Wrapping my Derby jacket around myself, I head to Curly’s Diner for a solo lunch. I’ve been cooped up in my control room this whole morning and need a little human contact.
An antsy, unsettled feeling has tightened my stomach and shoulders since this morning when I walked into The Base and didn’t see Stuart. I came downstairs twice to get water, and he still wasn’t there. Whatever, no big deal. Maybe he’s sick. I’ve only been employed here for a few months, but I’ve never noticed him taking a day off. Does Sylvie know he’s not here? Is she worried?
I pull open the diner door and step into the warmth, my senses immediately bombarded with the heavenly aroma of bacon and maple syrup. The place is packed but there’s a couple open spaces at the counter, next to local tea and tattoo shop owner, Betty, and her sister Angela.
Dana, one of the waitresses, catches my eye and nods towards the empty seat. Making my way over, a shock of blond hair catches my eye and my stomach drops. Aiden’s here, and he’s with his new girlfriend. There’s no avoiding my ex in a small town like Wavecrest, but I was hoping to go more than a few weeks without an asshole sighting.
I take a deep breath and focus on not tripping on my way to the stool at the counter. I give Betty and Angela a smile as I hook my bag under the counter. Dana sets a heavy stoneware mug in front of me and pours some of the blackest coffee I’ve ever seen. I hold the mug up to my nose and take a deep breath, trying to calm my rattling nerves.
I don’t miss Aiden. I don’t miss his little gibes at how I dress, laughed off as just joking. Or how he called me delusional when I suspected him of cheating, and then when I found him kissing someone else and he told me ‘it wasn’t what it looked like.’
I take a deep breath and scan the menu, trying to shake off the little dark cloud that forms anytime I’m within fifty feet of Aiden. I feel a nudge at my shoulder and turn to a smiling Betty. “Fuck him,” she whispers to me. The bark of laughter that escapes me turns heads.
“Thanks, Bets.” I nudge my shoulder against hers in response. Betty is among a cohort of town gossips, so she knows everything that went down between my ex and I. Hard to miss since I took a crowbar to his windshield in front of her shop where I’d just witnessed him canoodling with someone who was not me. Also, her sister might’ve been the one who handed me the crowbar. Aiden agreed not to press charges if I agreed not to call his mom and tell her what happened.
Seriously, his mom.
Dana takes my order for a grilled cheese sandwich and a banana milkshake, when I feel a dark presence behind me, and then a tap on my shoulder. I turn my head slightly, not giving Aiden the benefit of my full attention.
“What do you want, dickhead?”
“Real mature, Meredith. I just came over to say hi. And to remind you that you still owe me for the windshield.”
I catch Betty taking a sip of her coffee and shaking her head. “You’d think the boy would learn his lesson,” she mutters to her sister.
I snort. “Consider the year of my life I wasted on you as payment.” A gasp comes from beside Aiden, and I realize his new girlfriend is standing next to him. She’s not even the one I caught him kissing. I glance at her. “Get out while you can. He’s a cheater.”
“Meredith,” he sighs. “Ever the little ray of sunshine.” Angela starts to remove her earrings. She’s in her seventies and uses a cane, but I don’t think that’s ever stopped her. Betty lays a hand on her sister’s arm.
I feel his breath on the back of my neck, and I shudder. “Good luck finding—” He doesn’t finish the thought as someone sits down on my other side. Pineapple and fabric softener replacing even the strong scent of diner food.
I see Betty’s eyebrows wing up before I turn to my right. I can’t explain the sense of relief that rushes through me when I see Stuart’s smiling face. Except it’s not his usual jolly, friendly smile, and it’s not directed at me. His brown eyes are narrowed at Aiden, and he’s showing his teeth like he’s about to rip my ex’s throat out.
“Read the room, asshole. You don’t get to talk to her if she doesn’t want you to.” His voice is a definitely not-sexy combo of flinty and smooth. I’m not fooling anybody...that’s hot.
I turn to face Stuart completely, my mouth hanging open. My happy puppy has gone feral, and I don’t hate it. In fact, I’ve got some embarrassingly wet evidence in my underwear that I kinda love it.
“And who the fuck are you?” Aiden doesn’t sound so sure about this line of questioning, but if he’s got one consistent quality it’s that he hates being bested in anything. It’s why he stopped playing backgammon with me.
I expect Stuart to stand up and have a face off, but he leans back and props his elbows on the counter, looking relaxed and unbothered. I let an incredulous laugh escape when Stuart gives me a wink. “Oh, this is good,” Betty mutters behind me.
“Not really any of your business. All you need to know is that I’m a guy who can appreciate a smart, beautiful, capable woman like our Meredith here. I’m a guy who’d never be stupid enough to let her go if I was ever lucky enough to have her in the first place.” It comes out like a threat, and I hold my breath. A shiver of goosebumps race across my skin, and I fist my hands to keep them from grabbing Stuart by the suspenders and kissing him. Wouldn’t want to make it a habit.
How is he able to say any of this with a straight face? Not just a straight face, but that same benign smile. I can’t look away from him as he stares Aiden down. The sounds of the diner are muted, and I don’t know if it’s a trick of my heated brain or if people are gawking. I don’t care either way.
“Whatever, dude,” Aiden huffs out.
He turns on his heel and leaves with his date trailing behind him. “I’ll have what she’s having,” Angela whispers to Betty.
I remain frozen in place, staring at Stuart as he turns around on his stool, waves Dana down, and motions at the empty mug in front of him.
“What...” I can’t finish the thought. I don’t even know what I want to ask. My face flames when he turns his full attention to me. It’s like being hit with a concentrated beam of pure sunlight. “Why?” I point over my shoulder at the diner’s exit.
Before answering me, he leans forward and smiles at Betty and Angela. “Ladies.” He tips an imaginary cap at them. It’s the dorkiest, sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, and my brain trips over itself trying to make sense of it.
“Would someone please explain to me what the fuck just happened?” I splutter.
“Your dumpster fire of an ex just got served his misplaced ego on a platter by our lovely boy here,” Betty says like she’s narrating a nature documentary. A deep blush rushes up Stuart’s neck and cheeks. He taps his glasses back up his nose and my fingers twitch, wanting to snatch them off his face so I can mash mine to his.
“You looked like his presence was unwelcome. It made me cranky.” He shrugs as he sips his coffee. Like it’s no big deal that he publicly called me beautiful and slapped down a stuffed-shirt asshole without laying a finger on him.
“That was you cranky?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to see that.” He grins at me. I know this smile...this is the one where he wants everybody to be in on the joke. He’s got a million different smiles. I’d never seen the one he aimed at Aiden before. Recently every single one of them sends shivers through me.
Dana sets a plate down in front of him. “You didn’t order anything.” Seriously, what is going on right now?
“It’s Tuesday. I always get the roast beef on Tuesday. Dana stopped asking months ago.” He puts the napkin on his lap, adjusts his glasses again, and takes a giant bite of the sandwich. The moan that escapes him...it’s pornographic. I hear a whispered oh my from next to me. I can’t tell if it was Betty or Angela because I’m too focused on Stuart’s mouth. But I have to agree with the sentiment.
Oh my, indeed.