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“It’s okay,” I said, taking a sip from my sweet tea. “Haven’t found the one yet. Still looking.” I inadvertently glanced toward Hen, who was looking anywhere but at me.
Birdie smiled and said, “You’ll find her when you least expect it.”
Chester nodded. “And then you’ll never be able to let her go.”
“Maybe someday,” I replied, thinking that was years down the road, when I could afford to stay in Cottonwood Falls and invest in my dream.
Our food came out, and a waitress named Betty set our dishes in front of us, along with all the condiments we could wish for. “I’ll refill your drinks,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
The service was great, and then when I took a bite of the burger, I knew I’d be frequenting Waldo’s Diner while I was in town. “This place is amazing. I mean the service is great, and the food... Tastes like home.”
Birdie and Chester smiled at each other, and Chester said, “I’ll be sure to tell the owner.”
Mara and Tess laughed, and I asked, “What am I missing?”
Henrietta gestured toward Chester. “He’s being humble. He owns the place. But it would be our favorite either way.”
Chester blushed as much as an old man could and batted his hand at the women. “I’m just good at quality testing the coffee.”
“Well, I’m going to get good at testing the burgers,” I replied, taking another bite.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mara mouth to Hen,I like him.
I focused on my food, desperately hoping this dinner hadn’t gone amiss and I hadn’t sent Hen the wrong signal. Best not to mix business with pleasure, no matter how beautiful and curvy that pleasure was.
3
Henrietta
Confession: My grandma is just as invested in my happily ever after as I am.
The more Igot to know Tyler throughout dinner, the more I liked him. He had a tight-knit family like mine. The same number of siblings, except he had one sister and two brothers instead of three brothers like me. He was second born, where I was the second youngest. Since his family’s farm wasn’t big enough to support him once he grew up, he learned a trade and worked his way up in Crenshaw Construction until they trusted him enough to lead major projects around the country.
But he didn’t brag. On the contrary, he acted like it was no big deal and asked questions of each of my friends. In fact, watching the way he blended in intrigued me that much more. He didn’t act like a boss—he acted like a friend. And I wondered how that would change on the job.
He walked with Chester to the register, insisting he pay for each of our meals, while the girls and I finished up our drinks.
Mara nudged my side and said, “Hen, you have to get on that!”
My cheeks were just as hot as Tyler’s backside. “He’s working with my company.”
“And?” Birdie demanded. “You’re both still answering to your boss, so technically it wouldn’t be a huge conflict of interest.”
“Maybe a tiny one then?” I deadpanned. Because even though Imaybehad a crush on Tyler, there was no way a guy like him would ever want a twenty-eight-year-old plus-sized virgin like me. And did I mention I still lived with my parents? Not exactly a great look, especially to a guy like that.
Tess glanced toward him and Chester. “He’s a great guy. I mean if I wasn’t married with a baby... I’d be getting his number.”
Birdie gave her a coy look. “Or building a weak chair for him to sit on.”
We all laughed at the joke of how Tess met her husband while she rolled her eyes at us.
Mara shook her head. “I think you need to keep your eyes, and your legs, open.”
“Oh hush,” I said, swatting her hand. “I’m giving him a ride home. Which is where Iwork. I will see you all Wednesday for breakfast.”
They waved goodbye, and I walked toward the register just in time to hear Tyler and Chester talking about the build for the second Blue Bird apartment complex. Chester shook Tyler’s hand again and gave me a hug before we left.
Tyler and I walked to my car, and he stopped on his side, looking at me over the roof. “That was great, Hen. Thanks for letting me crash dinner.”