Was

“What can I get you, sweetheart?” the plump lady asked Gabe as she chewed her gum. Gabe noticed the saliva coming out the corner of her mouth and unintentionally wiped his lips.

“Cheeseburger and fries please.” He answered kindly. Just because the waitress had spit coming out of the side of her mouth didn’t mean he couldn’t treat her with the same courteousness as everyone else. But that spit was just disgusting.

“Want the works with that, hun?” Gabe just nodded to her and fixed the glasses that were falling down his nose. The waitress took his menu and walked off, saying hi to a few elderly women that walked in through the door.

Sadie’s Diner wasn’t full today—After all, it was a Tuesday afternoon—but there was a healthy buzz to the place. Most of the customers were all above the age of 65 and didn’t pay any attention at all to the lone 20 something year old that sat by himself at a table meant for four.

Gabe straightened his navy blue dress shirt, trying not to fret over the wrinkle that had made itself present. He instead put his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands. Melanie had always said he had disgustingly long fingers. He did, but he never thought they were disgusting.

Melanie, the name echoed in his head. His ex fiancé hated the name. She never understood how or why her parents would name her that. Gabe thought it had been beautiful.

“Gabe?” he heard the horrified female voice from beside him and took his hands away from his face. He saw Jordan, Melanie’s best friend. He wondered why on earth she would be in the small town, so far away from where she lived.

“Jordan? What are you doing here?” he asked. Gabe straightened his posture and brushed the black hair away from his face.

“Better question is what the hell are you doing here?” Jordan huffed. None of the customers in the diner even glanced at them. Gabe guessed their hearing wasn’t what it used to be.

“I am living here, Jordan. It’s what people do.” He hadn’t tried to make his answer sound haughty, but Jordan retaliated.

“Don’t act like this is normal, Gabe!” The seniors quieted now, and glanced over at them. Gabe stood and took Jordan’s arm which she promptly shook away. He led her to the door and asked the waitress to “please put his order in a take-out container, thank you”.

Gabe sat down on the bench that was in front of the Diner and patted his hand on the bench beside him. Jordan shook her head and crossed her arms. “You walked out on Melanie, Gabe. You walked out of your wedding, of your commitments... of Melanie’s life. Don’t you get that? You expect me to sit next to you when I can barely look at you, Gabe! She was my best friend!”

“Was?” Gabe asked, and slouched which is something he seldomly, if ever, does. Gabe felt normal around Jordan, unlike Melanie.

Jordan didn’t think it was odd that he had singled out that one word rather than telling her he didn’t mean to hurt Melanie. But that was Gabe. He was a never lying, always truthful man. That’s what made Jordan fall for him... or one of the reasons.