Page 24 of Love Deep

Now I’m making it awkward. I need to fucking sit down. I’m hovering like I’m an indecisive bee.

“Sure, I’d love to join you, if you don’t mind sharing your space?”

Juniper and Riley both shuffle up, leaving room for me to sit next to either of them.

More decisions. I really should have skipped breakfast. Although there’s a part of me that’s glad I didn’t.

“Come sit, Fisher. You’re making me nervous.” Juniper pats the bench next to her, and I slide in.

“Pancakes, huh?” I say, nodding toward Riley’s plate.

Riley shoots me a look like I’m a loser. And she wouldn’t be wrong. I just don’t know what to say to an eight-year-old.

“Oh, and here’s mine,” Juniper says as the waitress sets down another plate.

“You’re a table of three now!” the waitress says. “How perfect.”

Something passes between her and Juniper.

“Don’t start, Donna,” Juniper says. “Or I’ll send my mom after you.”

“What are you talking about? Your mom would be on my side.” The waitress laughs and turns to me. “What can I get you? You had the waffles and strawberries last time you were in, right? You want the same again? With a black coffee?”

“You memorized my order?” I ask. Am I being stalked?

Juniper laughs beside me. “Donna has a photographic memory. Don’t worry; she’s not your personal stalker.” She stops herself. “Although, she has the skills.”

“I absolutely do; you’re right,” Donna says. “So, what’s it going to be? Same as last time?”

“Sure,” I say. What elsecanI say? I’m slightly concerned that if I order something different, it will be entered into a database somewhere, and Donna will be able to tell me what I’m going to be doing five years from now.

“You want the whipped cream?” Donna asks. “You said no yesterday.”

“Now you’re just freaking me out,” I say. “But no, no cream, thanks.”

Donna writes it down and disappears, and I watch her go, wondering if she’s going to note down my order somewhere so she can pull it out next time I’m in. Or maybe she really does remember everyone’s order.

“Does she really have a photographic memory?” I ask, watching Donna.

“I’m not lying, Fisher,” Juniper says sharply.

Before I have a chance to respond, Riley says, “Donna remembers everything. My birthday. Everyone’s birthday actually. Even Albert’s birthday.”

“Right,” Juniper says. “Let’s not bring Albert into this.”

Albert is clearly a topic of controversy.

“But, Mom, please can I have another Albert? I promise I’ll do all my chores for a month without complaining?”

Juniper shakes her head. “I am not buying you another fish. They die, Riley. That’s what fish do. And you wouldn’t leave your room for three entire days when Albert died. I’m not doing it again.”

I try to bite back a smile, because I thought Albert might be the ex-husband or something. But Albert’s a fish. And Donna remembers his birthday. This town sure has its quirks.

“What are you up to today?” Juniper asks, clearly and desperately trying to turn the conversation away from Albert.

“Well, breakfast for a start. Then I’m going to text you to see if you called Grace Astor.”

She laughs. “You don’t give up, do you?”