Messy Ending

Dai

“Guess what?” Sammi squealed, pushing through our front door excitedly while I stirred batter in a plastic bowl.

“You’re pregnant?” I guessed, setting the bowl down and wiping my messy hands on a nearby dishtowel.

“What? No.” She narrowed her eyes at me like she was questioning my sanity, and she probably was.

“I just always thought you’d be the first of us to get pregnant,” I shrugged, a hint of smile curving my lips.

“I’m not the one going around and fucking random musicians.”

My jaw dropped. “Neither am I!” I defended, poking my tongue out at her.

Sammi rolled her blue eyes and tucked a lock of reddish black hair behind her ears. “Sure, Dai.” She pointed a knowing look in my direction. “But,” she inhaled deeply. “I got hired!” She clapped her hands like an excited child.

I giggled. “That’s great, Sam.” I embraced her, lightly, pulling back to empty the brownie batter into a glass pan.

Sammi dipped one of her slim fingers into the batter, licking it off with a mischievous grin.

“Sam!” I smacked her hand away with the wooden spoon, glaring at her.

“Damn, Dai. Abusive much?”

“Only towards people who try to steal my food,” I smirked, slipping the pan into the preheated oven and setting the timer.

~~~

I sat the boxes of brownies on the freshly cleaned counter of the diner, calling Steph’s name out to the seemingly empty place. The chairs had already been unstacked, which wasn’t usual.

Steph peeked around the edge of the doorway leading to the kitchen area. “Yeah?”

“The chairs are unstacked,” I stated, motioning towards the set up diner.

“Yeah.” A smile curved it’s way to her glossed lips. “I thought I’d give you a break and set it up for you.”

“Thanks, Steph.” I shot her a crooked smile, realizing that she and Sammi were the ones I could open up to, scratch that, they were the only ones I would open up to, other than my grandma, but I hadn’t seen her in years.

“Oooh, brownies.” She snatched one from the box, tearing into it with her teeth.

I peeled my jacket off my back and tossed it over the counter, onto an empty shelf.

“This is amazing,” Steph complimented.

“Thanks,” I grinned.

~~~

Ben

“So, did you actually find out where the diner is?” I glanced at Danny, a bit of humor in my expression.

“I have not been in that diner in a really long time,” he defended, fruitlessly. You see Danny had forgotten the way to the diner so we'd had to settle on a pizza place. We’d gone by the library, but Danny couldn’t remember which building it was.

“You were drunk the last time you went there weren’t you?” I accused, kicking my feet up onto my coffee table, stretching my hands behind my head.

“Okay, the last coherent time I went there was a really, really. long time ago,” he admitted dropping his head in shame.

I chuckled, pushing the coffee table back from me and scrambling to my feet.

Light filtered into the room as a result of my front door opening and three guys filing in.

“Did Danny find out where the diner is?” Sam inquired, stifling a chuckle.

“I Googled it thank you very much. Now can you just stop giving me shit about this .” Danny ushered us out the door and to his car.

~~~

Dai

The diner felt quite empty without Sammi’s constant presence there, rambling on about what it was she rambled about, I hardly paid attention.

“I think I just gave up my best customer,” Steph giggled, stepping from the kitchen area.

“She hardly bought anything and you know it, Steph,” I pointed a 'you-know-I’m-right' look at her.

Steph shrugged nonchalantly. “She still livened up the place and gave you someone to speak to when the diner was going slow,” she pointed out.

“Very true statement,” I agreed, nodding my head slightly. “But she needed to get a job and far be it from me to stop her from taking responsibility. And I still have you… well… occasionally.” I shrugged.

Steph usually hid herself away in the kitchen for the main portion of the day, appearing only at the most random of times, such as now.

“Hey, you know where I am. Ever need anything come get me,” she grinned at me.

I nodded slightly. “Okay.” I fiddled with the condiments sitting on the counter. This day had gone past painfully slow.

The bell of the door brought my attention to the front door and I froze in place, meeting the light green eyes I’d seen only a week before.

Ben’s hair, instead of being in it’s usual messy fashion, had been straightened, reaching just a little past his shoulders. The V-neck he wore showed off his chest tattoos and I had to admit he looked damn good.

“Wait, what am I doing?” I whispered to myself.

“What was that, Dai?”

“Um, nothing. Listen, Steph, I just got the worst stomach ache,” I lied wrapping my arms around my stomach to make it look real. “And I don’t feel very well at all. Can I go?”

“Oh, sure, Dai.” She looked concerned.

I pulled my jacket and purse over my arm. “Thanks, Steph.” I embraced her tightly, nearly sprinting out of the diner.

I felt like a coward in the safety of my car and I sort of was, but I’d been expecting to never see Ben again, let alone have him know where I work.

“Oh, let’s face it, I’m a coward.” I groaned. “And I’m still fucking talking to myself.” I started the engine and pulled out of the diner parking area, leaving Ben behind me.