The Waiter by Bradleigh Collins (bill gates books recommendations .txt) 📕

Dana couldn’t wait to hear about my night with The Waiter, and I couldn’t wait to tell her.

“I’m sorry, Dana,” I said as I answered the phone. “I’ve been kinda busy.”

“It’s Dalton.” Oh fuck. It was Dalton.

“Oh, hey. Dana’s been calling me all morning, so I thought it was her.”

“Just exactly who was keeping you so busy this morning?” His voice was ominous.

There was a knock at the door. I figured the “Do Not Disturb” sign had fallen off and the maid was here to clean the room. It was a welcome interruption to this phone call.

“Hang on Dalton, the maid is here.” I opened the door.

“Hey babe, I left my wallet,” The Waiter said as he walked back inside.

“Who the fuck is that?” Dalton yelled into the phone. I knew they had both heard each other.

“None of your fucking business. I have to go.” I hung up.

The Waiter stood there looking at me. “Are you okay? Who was that?”

I had already lied to Dalton about The Waiter. But I wasn’t about to lie now.

“That was the plague.”

He looked confused. “Are you back together with him?”

“God, no!” I responded. “It’s a long, ugly story. I can tell you tonight if you want to hear it. But no, I am definitely not back with him.”

“Good.” He wrapped his arms around me.  “Because I’m kinda crazy about you.”

I looked up at him and smiled. “I’m kinda crazy about you, too.”

“Maybe we’re both just crazy.” He leaned in and gave me a long kiss. “I’ll see you tonight.”

As soon as he left, I knew I had to call Dalton back and tell him the truth. I had just come clean with The Waiter - well, somewhat clean. The rest of the cleansing would come tonight. Now I had to be honest with Dalton. I called him.

“What the fuck?” he answered.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hung up on you like that.”

“So you’re fucking some guy in New York now? That’s why you didn’t want me to come with you this weekend!” He was livid.

“Dalton, I’m sorry I lied to you. But you and I are not together anymore.”

“That’s pretty fucking obvious, Sam.” He hung up on me. I was sick to my stomach. I called Dana crying.

“Sam, you know I’ve always loved Dalton like a brother, but fuck him. Seriously, fuck him! You don’t owe him any explanation after all the shit he’s put you through.”

“I know. I just still feel so bad.”

“Forget about Dalton. Focus on your man there. And focus on getting that job.”

“You’re right.” Dana was always right.

“By the way, how was the sex?”

“It was incredible. I don’t even know how to describe it. I mean, it was weird at first, being with someone that wasn’t Dalton.”

“I’m so glad The Waiter popped your Dalton cherry.”

“That’s lovely, Dana.”

“Well, now it’ll be easier for you to move on. Move on Sammy, seriously.”

Dana’s pep-talk motivated me just enough to get in the shower, get dressed, and head down to Balthazar to meet Lucy for brunch. I wanted to focus on the job interview and learn as much as I could about her friend Jackie, who would hopefully become my new boss.

“You are going to love her,” Lucy said as we sat down. “She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. She’s incredibly smart. And funny as hell.”

“Lucy, I can’t thank you enough for getting me this interview.”

“Girl, you got it yourself. Jackie was really impressed with your writing samples.”

Soon we were sipping mimosas, and I was diving into a bowl of French Onion Soup. “I’ve been researching the website and am totally in love with the concept. I never know what to wear.”

“You’ve got incredible style,” Lucy said. “Jackie will love that about you.”

“I saw her picture on the site. She’s intimidatingly attractive.”

“She’s a goofball. Seriously, she’s really down to earth. And she’s a redhead, like you.”

“I noticed that. How old is she?”

“She just turned 50.”

“Get the fuck out. Are you kidding me? She looks a lot younger than that.”

“Yeah, she does. She’s my icon.”

“Well now I’m really nervous about what to wear tomorrow. I brought a pantsuit and a dress, but now I don’t like either of them.”

“Don’t wear anything conservative,” Lucy said emphatically. “It’s a startup. Find something edgy.  Bonus points if it’s a throwback to the seventies. That’s Jackie’s favorite fashion decade.”

“Good to know,” I responded.

“We’ll go to Scoop. It’s right across the street. You’ll find something perfect there.”

“I know I said this the night I met you, but I’m saying it again. I love you.” She laughed.

We finished brunch and headed across the street. Scoop was an adorable boutique that sold a mix of designer and indie clothing brands. The entire store was organized by color, and everything was out of my price range.  But that didn’t stop me from trying on several bohemian style dresses that fit the seventies vibe I was looking for. I ended up purchasing a Missoni wrap dress that was the most money I’d ever paid for a single item in my life. But it came with a really cute reusable Scoop tote bag that Lucy said was as much of a status symbol in Manhattan as a Gucci or Chanel.

I said goodbye to Lucy, promising to call her right after my interview, and hailed a cab up to Columbus Circle. I wanted to explore what I hoped would become my new work neighborhood. There was a Starbucks on the corner directly across from Central Park and a subway stop, both incredibly convenient if this were to be my daily commute. I pictured myself coming out of the subway every morning, stopping off for a latte before heading into the office. I walked up the street until I found the address. It was a 12-story building with a gray facade situated between a post office and a courtyard. I took out my camera and snapped a photo. This is going to be my new office. I wanted this job so badly. I was determined