Free Fully Restored by Delaney Williams Page B

quietly, just for me to hear. The more he told me about how he felt, the more I relaxed. I didn’t have to agree with him, but all signs were pointing to the fact that Brock really saw me differently.  Maybe he was right; maybe I did use my quirkiness as a mask. But now, with him, I was able to be me. I turned in his arms just before we sat down and kissed him. When I pulled back his eyes were smoldering, looking nearly black with need. He was so goddam hot. Maybe everyone was staring at him. They probably were wondering what he was doing with me. I shook off my insecurities knowing that Brock wouldn’t like the direction my thoughts had gone and kissed him quickly again before sitting down. I needed to stop thinking and food was the perfect distraction.
    When Brock sat down, he didn’t sit across from me like my past boyfriends had. He sat with me, taking my hand in his and squeezing it, silently giving me strength to hold my head up.  I looked up and smiled, “I think I want pancakes.”
    We sat and chatted about simple things while we waited for someone to come take our orders. Talking with Brock was easy, natural, like breathing. I liked it. I was sitting firmly on a happy cloud, basking in the warmth that was him, my sun, when the waitress broke in to take our order. Her makeup was too heavy and her eyes too bright and focused on Brock. She spoke to him, running her hands over her curves, flirting outrageously.
    “Mornin’” she purred, her voice breathy and heated. She wanted Brock badly. How bold does a woman have to be to hit on a man while he is eating with another? I stared in shock, my face heating with anger. How dare she! Just when it seemed I had made a little progress on my self-esteem issues. Just when I was beginning to feel secure. Just when a few of the old wounds were healing over. It hurt.
    “What can I get for you this morning?” she asked, speaking to Brock and only to Brock. “I can get you anything you want….” WHAT THE HELL? Was this a brothel? Brock looked up, shocked I think, at the woman’s bold statement. He smirked and lifted my hand, still held in his, to his mouth and kissed it.
    “I don’t think there is anything you can give me that would be worth anything compared to my current choice. So, no, I don’t think we will be needing your ‘services’ this morning. I was hungry for food until you sauntered over, all bones and makeup. Maybe if you walked away, my appetite would come back. Let’s try that. You go away and get another server and I’ll see if I feel like eating again when that person gets here. You do it now and I won’t tell your boss he is paying you for more than serving food.”
    The waitress pulled back, shocked. Her face had contorted into something resembling the “Scream” mask.  Had I thought she was pretty? I take that back. She glared at me, as if this was my fault. Turning to Brock she said, “You’re a dick. No wonder you’re with this… slag. I wouldn’t serve you if you were the last man here.” Turning on her heels, she stomped away, presumably to send us another server.
    As I watched her stomp her way across the restaurant, looking uncannily like a toddler throwing a fit, I could feel Brock’s body start shaking. He was laughing! I turned to him and looked up. He was trying so hard to not burst.  I smiled then, egged on by his face and his controlled laughter, I started giggling as well. That caused him to lose it. By the time the new waiter had made it to us, both Brock and I were laughing so hard we had tears and I had an ache in my side.
    After some work to end the laughing, we turned to the new staff, and nearly lost it again. The new waiter was the most outrageously gay man I had ever seen.  He was slightly effeminate in his looks, but it was his hilarious outfit that got to me. He was wearing a t-shirt that had a rainbow unicorn on it that said “yeah… I am that gay”. Seriously. I decided I needed this guy in my life. If