Page 49 of It’s fine. Everything's fine

I squeezed my legs together and took a deep breath as he left the room.

It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

He washelpingme. My body was getting all out of whack because of him. I fanned my face but stopped when I saw Max staring at me.

“What?” I said to the dog before I stood and ran up the stairs.

TWENTY-FOUR

EUGENE

The dark-haired man with the tattoos returned to Homestyle two days later. He was in one of my booths with another guy. Rebecca informed me that he specifically asked for thewoman with red hair. I wasn’t flattered. That kind of attention from men only made me uncomfortable. I hated feeling more awkward than I already was. Being uncomfortable made me prone to further mistakes and clumsiness.

I could, however, do my job with a smile and hope for a tip. “Hi, guys. I’m Genie and will be your server for the evening. What can I get you guys to drink?”

“Hello, Genie,” my admirer said, flashing his pearly whites. “I’ll take a Sprite.”

His buddy ordered a Coke.

Easy enough. The guy might not be a bad dude after all. He didn’t look like a creep, but appearances were deceiving. Waiting on them had been pleasant. They were kind and didn’t say anything remotely lecherous, but I felt my admirer’s gaze on me everywhere I went.

When they were leaving, he winked and said, “I’ll be seeing you again, Genie.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. A hundred-dollar tip waited for me on their table.

“Who was that?” asked Sue.

I turned around as she approached. “I don’t know, but they tipped good.”

She gripped the table to steady herself. “I’d reckon so with the way that one eyeballed ya everywhere ya went.”

Sue seemed to be struggling with walking more that day, so I held her hand and placed my other at her back. “Let’s go sit down. I’ll get you a chair from Hudson’s office.”

She lifted her head. “Ya still living with my grandson?”

“Yes.”

“I ain’t got forever, ya know?”

She must be referring to Hudson, and her need to constantly match him to someone. Only the idea of her setting up my roommate with someone didn’t sound so amusing anymore. What happened when she started trying to hook him up with another woman? My stomach cramped.

Despite my weird thoughts, I smirked. “What if he’s happiest being alone? Shouldn’t that matter the most?”

“That’s not being happy. That’s being stubborn.” Sue shook her head, meeting my gaze and smiling. “Nonetheless, I’m not worried now. I just wish he’d hurry up before I die.”

My stomach sank at the thought of Hudson losing that woman. “Don’t say that.”

She squeezed my hand. “Go tend to your tables. I’ll go help Hudson in the kitchen.”

???

After showering, I put on a pair of the pink pajama sets Hudson bought me and headed downstairs for a snack. As soon as I brushed my teeth, I always wanted something to eat, so I might as well get the snacking over with beforehand. Hudson’s boots were near the door, so he must have come home while I was in the bathroom.

I didn’t see him in the main room. I padded across the floor and then slipped into the kitchen. Hudson was cutting up some tomatoes. There were two plates with sandwiches spread apart beside him on the island. I paused at the door, and his eyes landed on my wet hair.

“I figured you’d want a sandwich before bed, too,” he said.

He would know. I believed it was his fault that I needed food around nine or ten each night. The man was always feeding me.

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