AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That damned necklace glimmers in my head. Gorgeous, golden irises.
“Jenna got us tickets to see Criminal Records in March,” I answer.
“What’s that? A movie?” Dad asks.
“It’s a band.”
He hums softly, and the table goes quiet again.
“Did I hear it was someone’s birthday?”
I look over my shoulder to find Roger standing behind me holding a small plate with a slice of vanilla cake.
I smile at his familiar, handsome face. “It was yesterday, actually,” I say.
He sets the cake down in front of me. “Happy Belated, Ms. Heidi,” he says. “On the house.”
I laugh. “Oh, thank you. You shouldn’t have.”
“You’re so kind!” Mom says. “Thank you!”
“Is this your family?” he asks me with a wink at my mother. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”
Mom blushes, welcoming the compliment. “You’re too kind, sir," she says with a laugh.
Dad glares, annoyed.
I chuckle. “This my mother, Judy, my father, Harold, and my brother, Seth. Everybody, this is Roger, the manager.”
“What an adorable bunch.” Roger looks us over again. “As she said, I’m Roger. I run this joint, so if you need anything at all, you know who to call.”
“We will,” my mother says, still grinning. “Thanks again.”
He offers me another wink before vanishing as quickly as he appeared.
Mom cants her head. “You’re on a first-name basis with the manager?” she asks.
“Well, I’ve been here a few times with...”
Drew.
“Friends,” I say with a quick look at Seth. “Roger’s a family friend of... a friend.”
Seth sees right through it, but he stays quiet. Thankfully.
Dad reaches for his glass. “Well, use that connection to get a job here,” he murmurs. “Get away from that diner,” he says as if the word itself were a slur.
I nod. “The thought has crossed my mind, but Moira’s requires at least a year of experience, so... next year. Definitely.”
He twitches his jaw in acknowledgment, and the table descends into another lull.
Well, at least there’s cake now.
“Oh, honey!” Mom places her fork down, abandoning the last of her chicken marsala. “Tell me all about the Art Fest!”
Shit.
My breath hitches. “Uh...”
