Page 71 of Starfish and Coffee
Matt huffed in bored disinterest. “Then say it.”
* * * *
“So when are you going to fill me in?” Holly asked as she leaned against the server station. “We want all the dirty details.”
“He doesn’t want all the dirty details.” Alex gestured to Jamie with his spatula.
“Oh no, I do,” Jamie assured him. “Lay it on me.”
Alex snorted. “Too bad you’re not old enough to hear them.”
“Dude, I’m twenty-two,” Jamie said with a frown at Alex. “I’m old enough to make details of my own, okay?”
“Wow,” Alex said as he stood there and reeled over that knowledge. Why did twenty-two feel so far away? “You make me feel old.”
“Make me feel old too, why don’t you?” Holly laughed and then tilted her head to glare at Alex. “Are you going to dish or what? We need to live vicariously through you.”
“You smoke, Jamie?” Alex asked curiously, because Jamie didn’t head out back every five minutes like most line cooks.
“Sometimes.”
“Then take a break.”
“Ah, okay, I get it,” Jamie said as he stepped away from the warmers. “But it’s cool. How about I just go out and help the servers clean the tables instead? Play busboy for a while?”
“That works.”
After he left, Holly gave him a haughty smile. “Tell me what a great job I do at hiring the help.”
“He’s a good kid.” Alex nodded. “I like him.”
“So what happened with Matt?”
“Exactly what you think happened.” Alex shrugged. “And that’s all you’re getting out of me.”
“Are you going to get married and live happily ever after?”
“Probably not,” Alex said with a sad laugh. “Even if we could get married in Florida, which we can’t, I think it was just sort of closure.”
Holly nodded. “Is that a good thing?”
“Well, it’s not abadthing.”
“Do you still love him?” Holly asked softly, as if desperate for her own closure.
“I never stopped.” Alex sighed as he tried to sort out the riot of emotions Matt coming back caused.
“Dude, you can’t go back there.” Jamie’s voice drifted into the kitchen from the front. “That’s for employees only.”
Alex and Holly turned just as Matt’s large frame filled the door to the kitchen. His light eyes were narrowed, and the rage was noticeable even before he said anything.
“Can I have a word with you, Alex?”
He frowned at the clipped anger in Matt’s voice. “Sure.”
Alex looked to Jamie, who tilted his head past Matt’s shoulder and mouthed,Is this the guy?When Alex gave him a look, Jamie’s smile broadened as he mouthed,hotwith extreme enthusiasm.
Half worried Jamie was going to start humping Matt’s thigh, he held out his spatula. “Mind taking over?”
