I stirred the mixture in my cup with a spoon and watched the clouds of white whipped topping float around. "Collette, honey, you've been staring at that cup of hot chocolate for almost fifteen minutes now. What's on your mind?" Marcy Lingual, one of my only friends these days, frowned with concern. I allowed a smirk to form over my lips as I shrugged. Marcy was always a sweetheart to me. I had known her since I was a kid. She owned the best diner in Jersey and I forced myself to eat there at least once a week to visit with her. She was an overweight, fifty-some year old African American woman with charcoal colored hair, strands of gray poking out in a few different spots.
"Ah, work," I shrugged. "Like always." I tried to play it down. "But I'll be fine. You know me. I recover quickly."
"You know what, honey? One of these days I'm gonna march on over to that place and give them a piece of my mind," Marcy waved her notepad with a few orders from the five or six people that were seated in the diner. "I swear to you. They treat you with such disrespect. Your momma would never have wanted it to end up this way." The smile that had formed on my lips at Marcy's anger quickly diminished at the mention of my mother.
"It's ok, Marcy. Soon I'll be off for Christmas break and then I won't have to worry about it. Besides, I'm a store manager and I make more than three of those people put together. I don't have much room to complain," I finally took a sip of the drink in my hands. The warmth had disappeared and I made a sour face. It was no use drinking it cold. It defeated the purpose of "hot chocolate".
"Honey, you just wait. One of these days you're gonna meet a nice man and move your way out of this crazy place," she shook her head. I laughed out loud at how random her statement was. "I'm serious! I can feel it in my bones!"
"Alright Marce," I smiled and fished a five dollar bill out of my wallet. "I believe you."
"You better," she said seriously. "I met this nice man a few days ago...he came in here to buy a lunch and coffee..." she strained to try and remember every detail. "Tall, dark hair...maybe in his early thirties?" She described. "I think he paid with a credit card! Let me go look up his information!" She exclaimed. I laughed and shook my head.
"It's okay, Marcy. I'll find a man on my own," I sighed. I only wished I could find a man. I was tired of going home to my one bedroom apartment and having to snuggle in warm blankets until the heat kicked in. "Here you go. I'll see you next week?" I asked her.
"Hold on, lemme get your change," she glanced at the five. I scrunched up my nose and shook my head.
"No change," I said. "I'll call you later in the week."
"Thank you baby," she smiled a toothy grin. "You still comin' over for Christmas dinner?" She asked and I nodded.
"I'll be there," I smiled as I pushed open the door and heard the little bell ring above my head. As I pushed open the door my attention drifted to above and I watched the mistle toe dangle. The corner of my lips curved up in a grin and I shook my head and hailed a taxi.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Read and review! I have up to Chapter 5 written. Once I get the reviews I'll post more!
