Chapter 17 #2
“There’s no time limit on getting things right. Don’t you know that?”
Cristie sipped her tea again. “Maybe,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about the first patients this morning. Trey and I can handle it. You sit here and eat a little, get yourself together. Come help us whenever you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
“You’re welcome. And, Cristie? It’ll be fine.”
“I hope so,” Cristie said.
Alex walked back down the hallway before she heard Cristie call out.
“Alex!”
Alex backed up to Cristie’s door again. “You rang?”
“Yes. I’m going to need tomorrow off. I have to wait for the delivery truck to bring all my new things to Remi’s.”
“Your new things?!” Alex asked.
“No, Remi’s new things.”
“You just said your new things.”
“No, I didn’t. Did I?” Cristie asked.
“You did.”
“Oh, well, no, I meant Remi’s new things.”
“Not a problem. I’ll see you the next day.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
“You’re welcome, Cristie. Enjoy,” she said, winking at Cristie and walking away again.
~~~
The next morning about 8:30 in the morning, Cristie walked into the restaurant with her coffee already in her hand.
She smiled at everyone as she walked through, but it wasn’t quite the same greeting as she gave those she saw first thing every morning.
She went straight to the kitchen, announcing herself, like they didn’t know she was there.
“I’m here!” she said brightly, looking around but not seeing Remi.
“You’re a little late this morning,” Richie said.
“I have the day off!”
“Oh, lucky you,” Richie said, winking at her.
She looked around, expecting Remi to walk out of the chiller, or even the storage area in the back, but the longer she stood there, the more sure she became that he wasn’t in the kitchen at all.
“Oh, today’s the day Remi’s furniture is coming, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is. I’m going to go over and wait for the truck so he doesn’t have to take any time off. But if he already took the day off, then I guess there doesn’t really have to be two of us there.”
“He didn’t take the day off. He helped open up this morning, then ran a quick errand. He’ll be back any minute. Though he did promise to work the dinner shift for me so I can take tonight off.”
“That was nice of him.”
“It was. All I said was Yvette was recording the game for me tonight so I can watch it when I get home, and he offered to work it for me so I can go watch it live tonight.”
“He’s considerate,” Cristie said.
“Yeah, he is. He’s a good male.”
“You mind if I hang around for a little while?”
“Not a problem. Want something to eat?”
“I ate breakfast, but I smell your potato and beef burritos.”
“And you want just the potatoes, don’t you?”
Cristie laughed. “You know me too well.”
Richie picked up a bowl and used his spatula to scrape a large serving of caramelized cubed potatoes, bell peppers, and onions off the grill and fill the bowl for her, added a fork and handed it to her. “There you go.”
“I love these potatoes.”
“I know you do. Always have,” Richie said, grinning at her.
She walked over to a stool that sat out of the way and made herself comfortable while she finished off her potatoes.
“There he is!” Richie said a little while later, when he caught a glimpse of Remi’s car pulling into the parking lot.
“Oh, good! I’m running out of time.”
“He’ll be here in a second or two,” Richie said.
But instead of coming into the restaurant, he got out of his car and went the other way, toward the store.
“Maybe not,” Richie said, as he watched him head toward the store.
Cristie sat, waiting, while she finished her potatoes, giving him time to finish whatever he needed to do, but something was needling at the back of her mind.
After close to ten minutes had passed, she couldn’t take it anymore and decided to go after him.
“I’m going to go see what’s keeping him.
The delivery is supposed to be any time from 9:00 to 11:00. It’s about 9:00,” she said.
“Probably just grabbing some more of those apple drinks he likes.”
“Thank you for the potatoes, Richie,” she said, as she left the kitchen and made her way out of the restaurant.
When she got to the back of the store, she quietly opened the door and stepped inside, listening for anything out of the ordinary.
And sure enough, along with the sound of customers talking, paying at the cash register and the scent of Remi’s Dragon, there was also the sound of the feminine, flirtatious voice speaking to him.
“You should, though! You spend so much time working you deserve to get out and have a good time. Cut loose a little. I could take you. I have lots of friends and we’re always out looking to have a good time,” Casey said.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good sitting on my porch and watching the stars at night,” Remi answered.
“Oh. Well, I could come watch them with you. Give you a little company,” Casey said.
“I prefer the quiet, but thank you anyway,” Remi said.
Cristie heard his footsteps across the tiled floor in the store’s front, then heard Casey speaking again.
“Oh, that’s sweet! A key chain with a bright red heart on it! It’ll be easy to spot in… oh, well, I was going to say your purse but you don’t have one, so never mind.”
Remi laughed. “No, I don’t have a purse to need to find it in. But then it’s not for me either.”
“Ohhh, I see, you already have a girl. What a thoughtful little gift.”
Cristie heard the cash register, then change being counted out. She chose that moment to walk into the store from its back entrance.
Both Remi and Casey looked up at her as she stepped through the arched entrance and into the front of the store.
Remi was looking down at the keyring in his hands as he struggled to fit a key onto it. He smiled at her as he pushed the key into place on the ring and held it up toward her. “For you,” he said.
Cristie walked over to him, and reached her hand out for the key. “What’s this?” she asked.
“A key. To my house.”
“Thank you! That’s actually what I was coming to see you for this morning. The furniture store is scheduled to be here,” she looked at her watch,” now!” she said. “It’ll probably help if I had a key to let them in so they could unload your furniture.”
Remi smiled at her. “Great minds,” he said, tapping his temple.
“I wanted to thank you for breakfast and lunch yesterday. It was very thoughtful of you. And the tea… you even made the tea I love,” Cristie said, looking up at him as she still clutched the key in her hand.
“You’re welcome. But you don’t have to thank me. I just wanted to make you smile.”
“You did. It was so thoughtful.”
Remi smiled at her. “I guess I should get back to work. I told Richie I wouldn’t be long.”
“Yeah, and I need to get over there in case they show up sooner rather than later. They said anytime between now and 11:00, so it shouldn’t be too long.”
“Make yourself at home, help yourself to whatever you want,” Remi said.
“Thanks, Remi.” She walked toward the front door of the store and pushed it open. She turned back to Remi and held up the key he’d given her. “I’ll bring this back as soon as I’m done getting your stuff all set up.”
Remi shook his head. “No, that’s yours. Hold on to it. You never know when you might need it.”
Cristie stood where she was, half in and half out of the door, her eyes locked on Remi’s.
Remi remained where he was, everything he felt and everything he wanted reflected in his eyes as he refused to break eye contact first.
Cristie nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll hold onto it then.”
“I’ll see you later.”
Cristie nodded. “Don’t work too hard.” She winked at him and let the door close behind herself. She glanced back only once, to smile shyly at him.
“She’s a lucky lady,” Casey said enviously, watching Cristie cross the highway and head toward the trailer park.
“She deserves every good thing there is,” Remi said, his own gaze following Cristie as she crossed the highway and walked past the animal hospital on her way to his house next door.