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

“Which Titanic moment? ‘You jump, I jump’ or the one where he dies at the end and she accomplishes everything she ever dreamed of?”

“You know what I mean,” she said. I did know what she meant, but I was trying to inject some humor into the conversation.

“Sam, he’s a Cal. Not a Jack. You can’t actually be considering moving in with him.”

“Of course not. Although the idea of not having to pay rent in Manhattan is quite tempting.”

“Oh, you’d pay alright. Because he would constantly hold it over your head. This is the ultimate power play. He knows you want to move to New York more than anything, and he wants to be the one that makes it happen for you. He has to be in control.”

I was still thinking about that statement in the laundry room of my building as I waited for my clothes to dry. I had one more week of work in Atlanta. Well, four days actually. I took a vacation day on Friday because movers were coming to take my furniture to a storage unit. My co-workers were having a going away party for me on Thursday night. Then I would have two weeks to get myself moved to New York. Of course, I still didn’t have an apartment.

I retrieved my clothes from the dryer and headed back upstairs. It was almost ten o’clock. I still hadn’t told The Waiter about this recent turn of events. I hadn’t actually spoken to him since Wednesday night. We’d both been incredibly busy this week. Me with online apartment hunting and him with school. But it was the longest we’d gone without talking to each other since we met.

I logged onto ICQ and saw that he was online. “Hi stranger,” I typed. He logged off without a reply. My heart sank immediately. I knew something was up. I wasn’t sure if I should call him or not. I was afraid I might get bad news. But not knowing would have been even worse. So I called him.

“Hey,” he answered. I could hear it in his voice.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “I’ve just been busy, you know.”

“I know something’s up so just say it.” I looked down at my hands. They were shaking.

“It’s just that,” he hesitated.

“Just what?”

“I’m excited that you’re moving up here and all, but...”

“But what?”

“I’m just not ready for a serious relationship right now,” he said.

There was a ringing in my ear. My face suddenly burned with anger.

“I don’t remember offering you one,” I replied. And then I hung up.

He called me right back. I didn’t answer. I turned my phone off and just sat there on the bed. My hands were still shaking. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

There were no tears. Not yet anyway. I was hurt. But more than that, I was angry. At myself. You stupid bitch. You should have seen this coming. What the hell were you thinking?”

“Uh Oh!” The familiar ICQ alert sound shouted from my computer as if it were mocking me. Uh Oh! indeed. I got up and went over to my desk. The Waiter had logged back into ICQ and sent me a message.

“I’m sorry, Red. Please talk to me.”

I started to log off. Then I thought about all the things I really wanted to say to him right now. Instead, I replied with one simple sentence. You don’t get to call me Red anymore. And then I logged off.

I was stunned. I did not see this coming. Not at all. Deep down, I actually thought he was different. But then again, how can you really know someone in just three weeks? This was on me.

I went to the kitchen and took a dose of NyQuil. I would not lose sleep over another failed relationship. Not even a relationship. Not even a month. It was nothing but a fling, I told myself. And now it was over.

CHAPTER 16

◆◆◆

My co-workers were all gathered at El Azteca for my going away party. I chose this location because it was close to the office and because I was planning on getting shit-faced drunk. I wanted to be able to walk back to my apartment.

We had a large table in the back of the restaurant. Deb was sitting on one side of me and my boss on the other. At the end of the table was Bitchy Brenda. She tried her best the entire evening to pretend like I wasn’t there, even though it was my party.

After a couple of hours of heartfelt toasts, funny work stories, and way too many pitchers of margaritas, people started to leave. We had basically closed down the restaurant. It was still a work night for everyone but me. I said my goodbyes as they left, promising to visit the office whenever I was in Atlanta and inviting them to visit me in New York. Deb and I stayed a while longer.

I poured myself another margarita from the pitcher. Deb looked concerned.

“So you’re just never gonna talk to him again? You’re just gonna keep ignoring his calls and emails?” She was referring to The Waiter.

“Yep. That ship has sailed. No, wait. It didn’t sail. It sank.”

“I think he just got scared. I mean, it was all fun and exciting when you were just visiting, but now you’re moving there. It’s riskier for him.”

“He’s a dick. All men are dicks. Sean excluded of course.” Deb had been dating Sean since our night out at the Clermont.

“Oh, Sean’s a dick too. But so far, he’s manageable. He’s picking me up soon.”

“I like Sean. I’m glad you guys are dating.”

“Sam, you know I love you, but I have to say this.”

“I’m so drunk I probably won’t remember it tomorrow.”

“I think you should give him another chance. Just talk to him. I mean, how many second chances have you given Dalton?”

I was silent. She had a point. But I was so pissed at The Waiter that I wanted to punish him.