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

started into Cheap Trick’s “California Man,” I started dancing like a maniac. In the mid-eighties, when Josh and I started driving, this song was constantly blaring from either his Jeep or my Pontiac Fiero. It was exactly what I needed tonight. And Josh knew it.

I looked over at Katie. “Your man is the karaoke king!”

“It’s just one of the things I love about him.” She saw the look on my face. “Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

“Katie, are you in love with my cousin?”

“Don’t tell him, okay?”

“I promise.” I was pretty sure Josh felt the same way about her, but knowing him the way I did, it would be a long time before he said it.

When he finished singing, I gave him a big hug.

“That was epic!”

“Yeah man,” Dalton said. “You’re like a rockstar here.” Then he looked at me. “I’ll be right back, babe. I have to go to the bathroom before I piss myself.”

As soon as Dalton was out of sight, I apologized to everyone.

“Guys, I’m so sorry about what happened at the restaurant.”

“Why are you sorry?” Katie asked. “You weren’t the one being a jerk.”

“Yeah, Sam,” Josh said. “He’s still pissed, obviously.”

“I think he’s just stressed with the move and the new assignment and everything.”

“Girl, you are so making excuses for him,” Lucy stated.

“I know guys. I just really, really, want it to work out this time.”

“I’m staying out of this,” Kyle said. “I just met the guy.”

Just then, I felt someone come up behind me.

“Hey Red.” I panicked. I turned around. It was Darryl. Thank god it was Darryl. I’d never been particularly happy to see him, but this time was different.

“Hey Darryl!” I gave him a quick hug.

“Um, Darryl, you probably shouldn’t be touching my cousin when Dalton gets back,” Josh warned him.

“Who’s Dalton?”

“Sam’s boyfriend.”

Dalton came back to the bar. I introduced him. “Dalton, this is another one of Josh’s friends Darryl.”

Darryl looked up at Dalton.

“Dude, you’re a beast!” he said. Dalton laughed and shook his hand.

“I should have known Conan the Barbarian was your boyfriend,” Darryl said to me. Then he looked back at Dalton. “I hope you treat her right, dude. She wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

I laughed. Dalton didn’t.

“Let’s do a song,” Lucy said. “The three of us. You, me and Katie.”

Katie grabbed the song book and began looking through it.

“You guys know I can’t sing. I didn’t get Josh’s voice.”

“You’re singing,” Katie said.

“I’m gonna need a little more alcohol in me.” I turned to Dalton. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you, baby.” He put his arms around me. I stood on my tip-toes and gave him a long kiss.

“Jesus, get a room,” Lucy said as she handed both me and Dalton kamikaze shots. She had ordered them for all of us. “To Sam making her karaoke debut!”

“Hear, hear!” Josh said loudly. We all downed the shots and then Lucy grabbed me by the hand and pulled me and Katie in front of the karaoke screen.

“We picked the perfect song,” Katie said. And then I had no choice but to lose my karaoke virginity to The Spice Girls. We sang “If You Wanna Be My Lover.” Apparently we weren’t that bad. We received a rowdy reception from the crowd. Not Josh-level rowdy, but respectable.

Afterwards, Kyle was craving pizza, so we decided to go to Big Nick’s. We stumbled out of The Parlour and began walking down Broadway. I couldn’t believe this was my first Saturday night living in Manhattan. I’d done it. I’d made my dream come true. And while I never expected to be living here with Dalton, here we were.

Then I realized where we actually were. We were stopped on 77th and Broadway, waiting to cross the street. We were right across from On The Ave Hotel. Memories of The Waiter flooded my thoughts. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe. My entire demeanor changed. Katie noticed and caught my eye.

“Are you okay?” she mouthed the words. I nodded “yes” even though I wasn’t.

Standing there on the corner, I finally felt the heartache I’d been trying to avoid since he said the words. I’m just not ready for a serious relationship right now.

It took every ounce of control I could summon in my drunken state not to burst into tears. The truth was, I did still have feelings for The Waiter. Strong ones. And that was definitely going to be a problem.

CHAPTER 18

◆◆◆

Today I was officially starting my new job. I woke up incredibly early and spent two hours getting ready. I wanted to look perfect and make a great first impression.

I spent the previous week exploring my new neighborhood and shopping at Scoop. I also signed up for a flexible membership pass at New York Sports Club so I could work out with Lucy and Katie. All week long, I had been hitting the gym hard to keep my mind occupied with anything but thoughts of The Waiter. Plus, Dalton had been working late every night, so I had plenty of time on my hands.

I rehearsed my morning commute every day, figuring out the subway and how long it would take me to get to work. I would take the 6 train downtown from East 77th Street and transfer to the N&R at 59th. Then I’d get off at Fifth Avenue and walk across Central Park South. I could make the trip in about thirty minutes, but I would always give myself at least an hour. I had already found a shortcut through Central Park right past Seventh Avenue that put me out directly in front of the Columbus Circle fountain. I’d been stopping at the Starbucks on the corner each morning and ordering a Venti Iced White Chocolate Mocha. I was trying to get over the memory of The Waiter sitting there the day I got the job. And the memory of how we celebrated afterwards with a three-hour sexcapade that made me almost miss my flight.

The