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She takes a muffin for herself. “But you didn’t go after her either.”
“I knew it was useless. If Amanda wanted to leave, who was I to stop her?”
I’ve given up on finding a woman who wants me for me. Putting myself out there isn’t worth the pain.
* * *
The next day, I’m driving down Main Street to meet up with Weston and Dad at Harvey’s, a mom and pop diner that sells the best burgers and shakes you’ll find anywhere. We’re planning to discuss some business. I pull into the parking lot and Weston’s Mercedes is already there, next to Dad’s Lamborghini.
In a town as small as Blue Mountain, the Keiths and Finleys stick out as the only two wealthy families in town. But we don’t really keep to ourselves. We love to be involved with the community. The townspeople have been used to us being around for generations.
When I get inside, Dad and Weston already have a table. I slide into the booth next to Dad. “Have you guys ordered yet?”
Dad is still in his suit from work. It seems like he hardly wears anything else. Weston and I both take after him, with the same dark hair and eyes. While I keep a beard, the two of them are clean shaven.
“We were just about to.” Dad rubs his clean-shaven jaw.
I come here enough to know what I want.
Dolores, an older woman with frizzy red hair comes up to us to take our order.
“I’ll take the bacon cheeseburger with extra cheese, fries, and a chocolate shake.” My mouth is watering just thinking about the enormous amount of calories I’m about to consume.
“I’ll have the usual.” Dad still has his menu untouched in front of him.
“And me too.” Weston hands her his.
“I don’t know why I bother giving you Keiths a menu anyway,” Dolores teases, her neon pink lips curling up as she takes Dad’s menu from him and rests it on one of her wide hips.
Dad chuckles. “We change it up sometimes,” he insists.
I glance over to see that Dad and Weston already have drinks. “Can I get a Coke with my dinner as well?”
“Of course, sweetie.” Dolores gives me a cheerful smile. “Anything else before I put this order in, or are you guys set?”
“I think that’ll do it,” Dad says.
The conversation turns to official business stuff for Keith Enterprises, Dad’s commercial real estate corporation. “There’s a property that just became available in Singapore. I’ve had my eye on it for years. Ashton just called and told me about it.”
Dolores brings me my Coke, and I take a sip as we continue our discussion. Weston and my dad do a lot of work in Atlanta, but we all work remotely too. I prefer to stay in Blue Mountain, which is why I built a house here. I like the quiet, small-town feel. Weston also has a house in town and splits his time between Blue Mountain and Atlanta fairly evenly. He has a penthouse in Atlanta as well.
I go to set down my glass, and I look up to see Jenni and Ronnie walking past just in time for her to collide with my hand, sloshing Coke all over me. It drips down the front of me and pools into my lap.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She reaches across the table to the napkin holder and fights with it to get a wad of napkins out. She grunts as she pulls at it, and they finally come free, flying all over the table. “Great. I’m just making it worse.”
“No,” I joke. “It’s already soaking up some of the mess.”
She grabs a handful of napkins and dabs at my dress shirt, moving my tie to get the spot beneath it that’s soaking into my chest. She smells nice, like lavender. I’ve been around Jenni hundreds of times before, but this feels intimate somehow. And now I’m noticing everything about Jenni. Her dark hair, shining in the diner lights. Her determined eyes as she cleans. Her soft lips.
I shake off the thoughts. I can’t think of Jenni like this.
She dabs at my right leg, and Ronnie growls behind her. “I think you’ve got it, Jenni.”
He looks at me like it’s my fault that his sister was putting her hands on the right side of my lap. It wasn’t like she was groping me or anything.
“Sorry, I was just trying to make it better,” she stammers, her cheeks turning pink.
Dolores rushes up to our table with a rag. “I got this.” She wipes up the mess, napkins and all. Once she has it cleaned up, she says, “I’ll bring you out another Coke right away.”