“Sparks ignite despite past schisms between a waitress and her customer.”

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“Hey! I haven’t seen you in a while!” She still had a tray of food in her hand as she set it down on the hostess’ podium and gave the Boy a great, big hug. As much contact as he ever had with her in High School.
I moved to the city, but I’m just back for the evening.
“Well, that’s great! We can catch up! Here, I’ll show you to a table.” She picked up the tray and the Boy & his cohorts followed her to an empty booth, as she motioned she would be back in a bit.

“Hey, who’s that?” “Yeah, who’s the sexy waitress?”
Just someone I knew from school.

In actuality, she was someone he had seen every day, when he closed his eyes and willed the memories to come on strong. She was a rabble-rouser. Fifteen-years-ago, when he was still living in this developer’s dream called a small town, she ran with the wrong groups and flirted with the worst kind of danger. When the Boy was in the parking lot of that same restaurant all those years prior, driving food deliveries just to make a dollar to move away, she was drinking from a paper bag just a few cars parallel with one of the Wretched: the corrupted group of Grade 13s who learned early-on how to reap to their advantage. Amy must have been fourteen-or-fifteen at the time but there she was, dancing to the techno music blaring from the car stereo and just barely able to keep standing. Her partner saw the Boy. “Hey, you want some of this?” Amy lifted her top. There were two tanned, young, B-cup breasts, bouncing up and down, the nipples stiff from the evening air. The Boy tried to keep face as he continued tallying up his tip-sheet, the Wretched throwing a half-empty beer can at his car before the Boy realized this was not a battle worth winning and drove away. The next day at school, he could remember Amy just across the hall from him at her locker, sheepishly looking over her shoulder at him, avoiding his gaze, embarrassed? Turned-on? Curious? He didn’t know. All he knew then was that the heavy layers she wore did a good job of covering up the exotic figure underneath. Forget it, she’s fourteen! Maybe even fifteen… but with the Rule-of-Sevens that still meant he should only be dating someone sixteen or older. What was the age-of-consent anyway? These questions kept him busy enough and by the time he graduated Amy became an evocation, her natural breasts carrying him through many a lonely night to come.

And now here he was, back where it all started; back with her again. She had gained some weight but otherwise looked about the same. He slipped out of consciousness of the table’s conversation to catch the odd-glimpse of Amy and piece together what he saw with what he knew then. She could see him watching. Clear as day, from over the barrier that blocked the patrons from the waitress’ prep station. And as flirting turned to lusting, the Boy knew he couldn’t just sit there like that, not talking to her, staring at her like a creep. She was obviously interested. “Yeah man, you should go for it.” “Look, bro! She’s totally infatuated.” The shameless audience goaded him on. He started to rise from the table, and she came out from around the corner, in all her glory, leaning against a post with her hips out and her legs tight beneath her baggy black work pants. And they all think that hides their body, he could still make hers out, with the tightness of the waist bringing the hem up and enunciating her thighs. Damn, she looked good. As the Boy approached her, she backed away and walked towards the restrooms, motioning for him to follow. His heart was racing. It was too good to be true. She wandered into the handicapped bathroom and the Boy joined her, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Now they were alone. She went right for his junk over his pants and began rubbing it, callously & roughly while kissing him. Hold on, hold on.
“I don’t have time to hold on. I want you now.” The immediacy of her voice brought back memories of her with the Man in the parking lot, foolishly thinking she knew everything about life. She must have known nothing. The Boy grabbed her chin gently and firmly brushed her other hand away from his pants, flipping her around so now it was her back against the door. “What are you doing?”
I hope they don’t mind you taking an extra few minutes on your break, do they? He touched her down below and she sighed, like releasing all the tension she had pent up inside, from years of acting older than she was. She was warm. Very warm. His hand heated up in the few seconds he let it rest there. I can do that to you?
“I always liked you.”
He kissed her. It was minty, fresh for her shift. I want to see them.
“What?”
Your tits. I want you to pull them out for me again.
“Fuck, you still remember.”
I couldn’t forget. The girl couldn’t strip fast enough, she was getting tangled in the arms and her bra wasn’t cooperating. Slow down.
“I can’t. I have to go back to work.” There they were.

He took them in his hands and squeezed. She wheezed, like she was trying to hold her breath. Just breathe.
“I can’t.”
You can.
“No, it’s too hard.”
Why?
“I don’t know.”
The Boy put his hand to her heart and felt her racing heartbeat, pounding out of her chest, like it wanted to be in his hand, like she wanted him to hold it, to knead it back to normal. He let his hand slip down to between her pants and he masturbated her until she climaxed between his fingers, between his arms, cradled like a babe.

This really was taking too long, he thought. He hadn’t planned to spend the night, he needed to get back home. He worked at three in the morning and it was already pushing ten o’clock. So tired. He sucked her nipple one more time & relished it before he pecked her mouth, and gently brushed her aside & walked out the door. Listen guys, I have to go, I just had a call.
“That sucks man! When are we going to see you next?”
I don’t know, but I need to start driving if I’m going to make it. Amy left the restroom and watched the Boy frantically pack up and throw some money on the counter before taking off out the door. Would she? Won’t she?
She did. She ran after him, in full view of the rest of the Boys at the table. “Wait!” Amy, no. “Why not? What’s going on?” Nothing. We’re just moving too fast, is all.
“Not for me. I’ve been thinking about that day for fifteen years.”

Now they were at his car. At the restaurant entrance, the Boy’s friends were gathered, pointing & cheering him on. Amy was blushing. It was do-or-die. I’ve been thinking about that day too. And I got what I wanted.
“What was that?”
To have them, even if it was only for a minute. To hold them in my hand, your beautiful breasts.
“So what’s so wrong for me to want you to keep holding them? Oh fuck, baby, you turn me on so much”you have to stop.

“Why? I don’t want to.”
Because there’s nothing here for us.
“How can you say that? After finding out how you make me feel? How I make you feel? Don’t you want more?”
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. You’re gorgeous. I thought you were then and I was too chicken-shit to say it to you. Now I’m not scared to say it, but I’m scared to follow through on it, you know? You’re damaged goods, baby. I don’t want to get your hopes up.
“You don’t think you could fall in love with me?”
I think I already did. And I saw the width and the breadth of all of it in your chest. You’ll find the right man, I know you will. But he’s not me.
“At least stay and finish your meal. I’ll get a different waitress to help you.” He kissed her then & there, right on the lips. A big, beautiful embrace. And then he left. He never saw her again.

//jf 1.6.2021

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