I turned back to the woman and scowled.
“Let me guess, you already forgot what I ordered?” she asked with a tight smile.
I smiled coldly. “No. I was just going to suggest the House Salad. It takes less time to make and fewer calories than the Oriental.”
Her mouth opened. “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged and gave her an innocent look. “I’m just saying… you’re in a hurry. The extra calories in the salad dressing might bog you down.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Just order me the fucking Oriental Salad.”
“Excuse me,” interrupted Rosie. “Ma’am, that’s no way to talk to one of my waitresses.”
The woman reached into her purse and threw a couple of dollar bills onto the table. “You know what?” she huffed. “Screw this two-bit diner. I don’t have time for this bullshit.” Then she slid out of the booth and stomped out of the restaurant.
Rosie shook her head. “I’m not sure what that was all about, but sometimes, it’s just better to let customers like that leave.”
“I’m sorry,” I said to her. “It was probably my fault.”
“No,” said Susan. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. That’s just Faye Dunbar and everyone knows she’s an annoying cunt.”
My jaw dropped and I burst out laughing.
“I have to agree with you there, Susie,” chuckled Rosie. “Spoiled rich girl with some major superiority issues.”
I wiped away my tears and then went to go check back on my other customers, trying hard to forget about Faye. I still wasn’t sure how I was able to read her mind, but I knew it wasn’t my imagination and that the words had come directly from her.
“I just seated an old friend of yours,” murmured Susan, coming up behind me as I refilled one of the coffeemakers with water.
“Really?”
I looked over towards my section and felt a pang of regret.
Duncan.
We hadn’t spoken in over three months; his choice, unfortunately, not mine. He hadn’t gotten over the night I’d disappeared with Ethan, if only to say goodbye. It had been very willingly on my part, even after Duncan and my brother had basically rescued me from Ethan’s house of vampires. When all was said and done, nobody believed that Ethan or the others were, in fact, vampires. Not even my brother, Nathan. He’d somehow been brainwashed to forget. I knew without a doubt that Caleb, my mother’s boyfriend, A.K.A. town sheriff, A.K.A. head vampire, certainly had a hand in that. With the power of persuasion, he could pretty much control anyone’s mind he wanted. That is, except for mine. Somehow, I was now immune to it. My only guess was that it had something to do with Ethan sinking his teeth into my neck before he’d left town. He’d been weak and I’d offered to let him feed before leaving for New York.
And feed he had, almost to the point of my death.
At least, that’s what Caleb had told me. Luckily for me, Caleb and my mother had arrived while Ethan was still attached to my neck, draining the blood from my body. My mom had freaked out and Caleb had shot Ethan, sending him away like a ghost in the night. Now Caleb and I had an understanding; I wouldn’t talk and he’d protect my family from the other vampires.
“Hi,” I said, stopping by Duncan’s table. He was with his dad, Sonny, and looked like he wanted to take off as soon as I approached.
“Well, hello, Nikki,” smiled Sonny.
Duncan nodded but focused most of his attention on the menu, which hurt. I realized right then and there that I still had feelings for him and would have done almost anything to at least have his friendship.
I cleared my throat. “Um, can I get you something to drink?”
“Coffee for me,” said Sonny. “What about you, Dunc?”
“Just water,” he said, still trying to avoid my eyes.
“Okay,” I said.
“Your brother is doing a fine job at the marina,” said Sonny, rapping his knuckles on the table. “Yep, a fine job. He’s a hard worker.”
I nodded. “Yeah, he must be doing something because he’s completely wiped out when he gets home,” I said.
Sonny smiled. “We keep him hopping. But he seems to like it even so.”
I nodded. “He says he loves it.”
“So, how’s your mom doing?” asked Sonny. “I heard she was having some problems with her eyes?”
Duncan glanced at me when I answered. “Yeah, she still does. She’s been to a couple of specialists, but they don’t really know what it is.”
Secretly I knew, though. Caleb was slowly turning my mother into a vampire. I’m not sure exactly when the final change was going to happen and he claimed that he was only doing it to save her from cancer. What I did know was that she hadn’t been given a choice about becoming a vampire, and she scoffed at me when I tried to talk to her about it. She believed that I was watching too many late night movies and they were going to my head.
“Well, hopefully it will clear up. Just tell her I said hello and that the offer still stands to get her out on my boat.”