The UnKnown (A Novel) (17 page)

“I know, but my mother and their mother are identical twins. That is why we look so much alike.” Yeah I wasn’t buying that, but I chose to drop it so she could finish getting ready.

“OK.” She finished putting on her uniform and slipped on her shoes. God she looked hot in it. I just wanted to take the clothes back off her.

“Come on lover boy. Let’s get you out of here before the twins wake up.” She pulled me up and opened the door to pop her head out to see if anyone was in the hallway.

“Coast is clear.” We both dashed out and down the stairs. No one was up yet. When we reached the door I pulled her in close.

“I’m going to miss you today. Why did you get a job again? You know I can take care of you.” Sighing, she pulled away.

“I told you Drake. I want to make it on my own. I can’t live here the rest of my life and I won’t mooch off you.”

“It’s not mooching if I am willing to do it. I’m going to drop it for now, but know this is not over by a long shot. Now come here so I can kiss you goodbye.” She came back to me and finished the kiss we started this morning on her bed.

“Bye, Drake. I need to finish and head out.” She pushed me out the door. “Thank you for staying with me, I will call you later.” I felt in my pockets to make sure I had everything before she closed the door.

“Got it all. Bye baby. See you later.” I walked to my truck and made my way home, where I was going to be alone. I wasn’t sure if my parents would be there or not, but I just hated the feeling of always being alone.  Perhaps if I call the Gallery they will let me start my internship early. There was just too much time I was wasting doing nothing. Everyone was working except me and it felt really lonely at times. There were only so many video games one guy could play in a day. It was eight forty-five in the morning and I was already counting down the hours until I saw her again.

My phone began to vibrate in my pocket and I got excited because I thought it was Misty, but much to my surprise it was Sara. I wanted to ignore it, but I knew she would just call back.

“What is it, Sara?” I said in a harsh tone.

“Why are you being such an asshole? I did nothing to deserve this treatment.” I guess she was correct. I was being pretty mean to her.

“I’m sorry. What is it that you want? I’m a little busy right now.” Yeah, busy thinking about Misty.

“Drake, please I need to see you. I need to understand what happened between us. I still love you and I think we can work things out.” She just didn’t get that we couldn’t work it out. I was trying my best not to hurt her more than I already had.

“Sara, there is nothing to work out. Something just died between us. I am sorry but I don’t have the same feelings for you anymore.”

“I don’t understand how you could just not love me anymore. We have been together for so long. Please meet with me. That is the least you can do.” She began to cry uncontrollably. I guessed it wouldn’t hurt just to talk to her.

“Fine, where do you want to meet? I am telling you now that this meeting will make no difference.”

“You don’t know that, Drake. I miss you so much. How can you just throw us away after so many years?” She was sniffling.

“Where do you want to meet and what time?”

“Maggie’s Diner at noon.”

“Fine, I will see you there.” I ended the call before I had to hear anymore of her whining. I continued on my way home. I had just enough time to take a quick power nap before I had to meet Sara. This was going to be a long drawn-out process and I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. Wait, did I just agree to meet her at the Diner? Well it is better for Misty to see me with her. I want no secrets between us. I want her to know that I am breaking it off with her for good.

Chapter 21

Misty

I pulled into Maggie’s Diner right on time, fixed my uniform, and headed through the front door. My stomach was doing flip flops. I knew that everything would be fine. I walked towards the counter and saw Carla standing there with a big smile on her face. The place was surprisingly empty for a Sunday morning.

“They are still at church. They will start filing in shortly.” She must have seen my facial expression as I was looking around the diner.

“I’ll show you where to put your things. Judy has some paperwork for you to complete. She is in the office.” Carla took me to a very small white room with lockers in it. “Pick any one that is open. There are extra locks in the drawer.” She pointed to a small oak-looking desk next to the lockers.

“Thanks.” I put away my belongings, which consisted of only my purse.

“I’ll take you back to Judy.” Carla took me back through a long, narrow hallway to the back office where the beautiful Judy sat typing on her computer.

Carla softly knocked on the door and Judy looked up at us. “Hey guys,” she said, sounding very chipper.

“Misty is here and she needs to complete her paperwork. She is all yours.” Carla smiled and walked back down the hallway of death. It looked like one of those hallways where the girl is screaming at the top of her lungs and eventually she gets slaughtered by the killer. Yeah I wouldn’t be in here alone too often.

“Come on in, Misty.” Her office was surprisingly big and comfy. She had two wing-back chairs covered in a light grey material sitting in front of her desk.

“Here is the paperwork that you need to complete. There are also two safety videos that you need to watch as well. You can go over and sit at that table in the corner and fill them out.” I took the paperwork and walked over to the table.

After completing the paperwork and watching two half-hour safety videos I was back out on the floor with Carla. Judy gave Carla instructions to train me on the register for the day. The register was easy enough to learn. It was mostly computerized so it was very easy to pick up. The lunch rush was really booming. Families, friends, and the after church lunch crowd were here. Judy emerged from the back to help. There was another girl working named Gayle, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to work with her. Carla and Gayle really moved quickly taking orders, breezing through the crowd and clearing tables. Judy worked the lunch counter. She had all the men there, go figure.

It was coming up on twelve when I saw them. He was with some dark-haired fake looking thing. She was wrapped up on his arm. Why would he bring her here? Hold your composure Misty. Drake stopped dead in his tracks and looked me in the eyes. I knew he sensed the hurt I was feeling. I couldn’t run out and cry because it was my first day here and I didn’t want to make a bad first impression. He and the GIRL walked over to a booth. He never took his eyes off me the entire time. All the blood drained from my face as the GIRL nuzzled her face into the side of his arm. Who was she? Drake finally broke eye contact with me and was conversing with the GIRL next to him. He gave her a weak grin, and the jealousy in me reared its ugly head. I stormed off towards the restroom. How could he do this to me? I trusted him and he was flaunting her right in front of me. Before I could open the door to the restroom a hand grabbed me and pulled me back.

“Misty, it’s not what you think,” the voice said behind me as I spun around.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” I was yelling at the top of my lungs, “How could you do this, Drake, how?! I trusted you and you do this and of all the places my job! And on top of it all it’s my first day! I can’t do this on my first day.” I started to storm off but he grabbed me once more.

“Please listen to me. Hear me out. She wanted to talk. I owed her that much. I broke up with her on the way here. She was a mess and I wanted to talk with her in person,” he pleaded.

“Why did you bring her here? Listen, Drake, maybe this is moving too fast. I knew this was too perfect. I shouldn’t have trusted you. Go explain to her. She can have you.” My heart broke as soon as those words left my lips.

“Misty, I am not letting you go that easy. Please listen. I know you have trust issues and I wouldn’t do anything to betray you. I promise. I brought her here so that you could see for yourself that nothing is going on. I want no secrets.”

“Let me go Drake, I have to get myself back together before I get fired.” He still had his hand on my arm, preventing me from moving.

“Please tell me we can talk about this some more? Sara and I are over. Think about it, if I wanted to play you I wouldn’t have met her here where you could see us.” He did have a point, but at that time I didn’t care.

“I said let me go, Drake. I just need to think.” He finally let me go and I moved slowly past him. I smelled her perfume all over him and it made me want to vomit. Get it together Misty; you can sob when you get home. You have another four hours of work to get through.

“I’ll call you later so we can talk.”

“Please don’t. I don’t want to see you.” I stormed off to my post. I felt the wetness on my face and quickly wiped it away before I checked out the next person. Drake returned to her with the most pathetic look on his face. He didn’t order anything but coffee and listened to the GIRL chatter on about something. He didn’t look in the least bit interested, but he still had the nerve. After about an hour of discussion, they came to me and he paid for their items.

“Are you new in town? I haven’t seen you before.” Sara sounded like a snotty bitch. No wonder why Drake wanted to get away from her. I didn’t want to answer any of her questions.

“She is my girlfriend. The one I told you about at the table. She is new in town. Sara, this is Misty. Misty, this is Sara my EX-girlfriend” My face heated at the mention of being called his girlfriend.

“Oh, so this is the little tramp you broke up with me for. You broke it off with me for this?” She was pointing at me. “She has nothing on me.”

“That right there is the biggest reason I broke it off. You are nothing but a spoiled BITCH.” The room got silent and everyone stopped and looked over in our direction.

“To save on the drama, Sara, I am not his girlfriend. I was hoping for something like that, but I see we are from two different worlds. Please take your drama elsewhere I am trying to work.” Sara opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again quickly.

“You are my girlfriend. We will talk about this later. Let’s go, Sara.” He threw some money down and pushed her towards the door. Before he left he winked at me and proceeded out the door. “Smug S.O.B.,” I said under my breath.

“Excuse me,” the lady at the counter was now staring at me.

“Nothing. I’m sorry.” I rang up her order and she paid for it.

The next four hours dragged by as the diner slowed down from the church crowd. All I could do was think about Drake and Sara. They made a very cute couple. I saw why he was interested in her. She was very beautiful. More beautiful than me for sure. What was it that he saw in me anyway? I see why her friends were so upset the other night. The more I thought about his world the more I realized I wasn’t going to fit into it. I am not rich to their standards. Yes, Aunt Silvia and Russ were well off (I was guessing) but I thought now that these people were in a whole different area code of rich. Why did I have to fall in love with him so quickly? He had ruined me for any other man. When it came down to my last hour, Carla and I stood at the lunch counter and counted down my drawer.

“So,” Carla said as she put a sleeve of cups under the counter.

“So what?”

“What was that with Drake and Sara?” She knew them. God that made me feel even more stupid. Of course she knew them. It was a small town.

“It’s nothing.” I didn’t want there to be gossip.

“Oh honey it’s something. I saw how he was watching you even when you weren’t looking. I heard through the grapevine they broke up. Are you seeing him?”

Shit shit shit. How did I answer that after today’s transaction? “I was, but not anymore. I mean, I am. I am so confused. Ask me that question in a couple of days. Today confirmed I am not part of his world.”

“Honey no one is a part of their world, but from what I can tell he is no longer into Sara. His eyes were on you the entire time he was here.” That made me feel a tiny bit better. Maybe I should talk to him. I loved him with all of my heart and soul. My head was telling me to do one thing while my heart was telling me to do another. I just needed some time to think.

“Honey, don’t miss out on love because you’re too scared to fight for it. Relationships are not easy. Take me for example, I come from that world. My father was the richest man in town, but I could care less. I fell in love with a local bartender and gave it all up for him. I don’t regret for one day what I did. I have four beautiful children that are happy with their own lives now. I was engaged to another, but I didn’t love him like I love Larry. Don’t wash it away. He loves you trust me. I will bet money he would give up everything for you.” That was the thing. I didn’t want him to have to choose a life with me or his own life.

“I get what you’re saying. I guess I have a lot to think about.” I did have a lot. I wanted so much out of my life. I needed to get into school and start my career. I knew Drake wouldn’t come between that, but I felt like I was getting too wrapped up in him and losing my focus.

When my shift was finally over my feet were aching so badly. I definitely wore the wrong pair of shoes and would be getting the pair Carla recommended as soon as I got my first check. I gathered my purse and said goodbye to Carla, Gayle, and Judy. I liked it there. It was like I was part of another family. I still really hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Gayle, but I knew I would soon enough. I didn’t work again until Tuesday, so I had one day to check into the local community college. I walked out the front door and Drake was standing there with a white and red rose intertwined with each other.

I approached him. “Leave me alone. I have nothing to say to you.” He handed me the roses. I didn’t take them because at that point I was still mad.

“Misty don’t be like this. I am sorry. It was stupid to bring her here. Please talk to me. Please.” He was so cute with his pleading that I wanted to give in so badly.