You're It: Part Two

by Lara Jade
Staff writer​

“Morning Mr. Martin!” I said and smiled at one of our daily customers. He sat up at the bar counter with his brown, tan, and blue plaid Gatsby cap atop his nearly bald head. A pair of trifocals shielded his blue eyes. Rosemary had our new employee, Daya, follow her and showed her around the diner. I was cleaning off the back booth when I heard a loud engine outside. I felt the familiar chill run through me. I looked up to see the familiar black car from last night. It was a 1963 Pontiac GTO. The mystery man climbed out and entered the diner. I noticed Rosemary look my way when she noticed who it was.

“Jazzy, your regular is here,” she called. The man had a sly smirk plastered on his face as he walked up to me, taking a seat in the same booth yesterday. The bulb still flickering.

“Wow, freshly cleaned. I’m honored,” he said and smiled at me. I watched him as he removed his jacket revealing a nice button up and tie.

“Breakfast?” I asked.

“Yeah. Could I get the eggs, bacon, and pancake deal I heard your co-worker mention?”

“Sure. Orange juice?”

“Nah, water.”

“Be right out,” I replied and jotted his order on a pad, passing the paper to Jason. Once again, the man watched me. Even when people entered or left his eyes stayed on me. Until…

“Jaz.” I looked up to see Sam.

“Hey!” I smiled. Sam looked around and automatically noticed the man, but the man already had his eyes on Sam.

“Uh, coffee please,” Sam shrugged the mystery man’s glare off and sat down in front of me. I turned and grabbed the coffee pot as Sam slid the mugs we had sitting out already across the counter to me.

“On me,” I said pouring it.

“No. Don’t worry about it,” Sam shrugged and took a small sip.

“Whatever. Why are you here?” I asked setting the pot back down and propping my elbow on the counter, my hand holding up my chin.

“Well, I wanted to know I if should… expect you home tonight,” he said obviously trying to make sure I was on the same page as him.

“Of course. I’m off early today,” I replied.

“Wanna catch a movie?”

“What’re you thinking?”

“Mission Impossible: Hellbound,”

“Oh yeah! Tom Cruise any day,”

“I know,” he smirked and took another sip. He watched my eyes and as I looked into his they reminded me of why I liked him so much. He finished his drink and reached his hand across the counter to hold mine. “I’ll see you at home?”

“Okay,” I smiled and undoubtedly blushed a bit. Sam leaned across the counter and pressed a kiss to my forehead. I couldn’t help but smile ten times as big as I typically would have. He left, and I noticed the man narrowing his eyes in on Sam as he walked to his car. I took the man his receipt, and he looked me over.

“Boyfriend?” he asked. There was something about his voice that made me want to roll my eyes into the back of my head.

“N-no… yes…” I replied. He looked up at me and furrowed his eyebrows.

“You sure?” he smirked.

“No,” I said and took his dishes. Like the last time, he appeared at the register before I spun around. Daya beat me to the register, and the man rolled his eyes. As Daya counted his change, he threw his head back.

“Could you possibly count any slower?”

“Excuse you!” I snapped at him.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it took snapping at someone to get your attention,” he remarked. “Sorry dear, have a nice day,” He said to Daya before spinning around to leave.

“Told you to go after him. What? Are you back with Sam”?” Rosemary asked standing next to me.

“I thought that boy was old news?” Mr. Martin asked.

“He was…”

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them that a mystery man followed me home. I tell them everything, but for some reason, this was harder.

“He’s just been on my mind,” I shrugged.

“You two were together for eight years… that’s a long time,”

“When you’re young that does seem like a long time. Try thirty-five years,” Mr. Martin scoffed.

“That’s wonderful,” I smiled at him before grabbing a squirt bottle and rag from under the counter. I walked over to the back booth for the second time today and sprayed it down. I looked out the window to see him, again, sitting in his car.
 
I got off and walked out to my car. I wound up getting busy the rest of the day and didn’t have a chance to check and see if his car was still outside the diner. I looked around the lot but didn’t see it. I sighed happily as I climbed in my car. I got halfway down the road when I noticed the Pontiac behind me. I pulled up outside Sam’s apartment and knocked on the door.

“C’mon in,” Sam smiled at me and looked off behind me to see the car. He shut the door behind me, and I turned to face him.

“I can take that drawing into the police station before we go. That’s a Pontiac too,” Sam offered while checking out the car.

“I think I’ll just talk to him about it tomorrow if he comes back to the diner,”

“You sure? He could get aggressive or pull a gun on you-,”

“He would’ve done it by now, Sam,” I sighed noticing the lack of his chastity ring on his finger. “Where’s your ring?” I asked.

“Oh…ah… don’t think I need it anymore,” He nodded almost as though he were trying to convince himself, not me.

“Who changed your mind?!” I smiled.

“Hopefully you…”

“Oh!” I practically gasped in shock. He looked away and smiled down at the floor.

“I didn’t want to try anything until after the movie, but I didn’t even know if you still wanted to be with me, or if this was just-,”

“Sam,”

“I love you, Jazmine. Please,”

“God Sammy, I love you too,” I sighed feeling my heart ache for my best friend. He pulled me close and pecked my lips. That one kiss quickly escalated to a heated make-out session on the couch. I heard an engine roar by and Sam stopped and stood up. He walked over to the window and looked out.

“No one,” He said. I sat up and removed my shoes. “Go to my room. I’ll shut everything up.” Sam smiled at me. I nodded as he pecked my lips again and pulled the curtains shut.