Fiction: Beth meets Noah - A short story MADE long.
It was mid June when she started her not so glamorous job. Waitressing was nothing more then grease stained clothes, messy buns and change left behind on filthy tables. Often wondering why she ever accepted something so unattractive - spending her Summer months in a rut. Each morning she arose, painted on her face, headed towards what the next 9 hours of her existence would be. The only thing she knew, the only things she looked forward to was when the time clock chimed - she was able go. She could change into something more - her and take her time walking back home to her room where she would kick her shoes off, let her hair down and drop on the oversized bed - letting out a sigh while worming her way down. There she would stay until tomorrow started all over again. The month behind her showed no mercy. Certainly no love like that she longed for. Like that she craved. Like that she read about and seen in movies.
July came in with a Bang. The heat index rose nearly spraying the red liquid from the busted thermometer all over her already sweating, tired body. Going through the motions at work just became more and more tedious as the days drug on.
Nights flowed a little different now. Here it was the middle of July. Already. With only the end of this month then the next month - she needed to face the fact that this year just wasn't her year for falling in love. She questioned why though? All Summers had stories. Hers? Work. Sleep and more work. What a yawn fest that was - she thought in her head. Her mouth formed a silly opening where her tongue peaked out, her eyes growing tired - she grasped her journal drifting off into a restful slumber. Definitely not ready to "head to the grind" as the alarm jolted her awake from a state of peacefulness. Groaning, she reluctantly showered and put on her face like she had done so many times before. Today she didn't seem to care if she was late for work. She took smaller steps slowing herself down. If she wasn't going to have a great Summer love at least she was going to love the great Summer that she was trying to have.
By the time she arrived at work - the place was packed. Every table was "fully loaded" with starving people or so she thought they thought which was kind of impossible by the looks of most of them. Coffee here. Butter there. Her feet ached by the lunch hour. With only seconds to take less then a sip of water to quench her parched throat for calling orders back all morning, the bell let her know it was time for another round. More customers. She needed to know why there were so many people inside today. The line was always across the street at the tiny Café selling iced sugary laden drinks and oversized frosted cookies. There was never a line here. Heck, if she got maybe 20 customers in her whole 9 hour shift - it was a good day. Good days didn't come often. Again she wondered who would choose less then mediocre scrambled eggs and cold toast over the fresh baked pastries and made to order coffees on perfect beach days like today. She caught herself - giggling inside. What did she know about beach days? "Nothing" she said out loud. "Not a thing." Heck, what did she even know about Summer other then the fact it was much to hot for her liking. She would continue to pray for snow but also knew that was a prayer that would probably come just as fast as romance would. No time soon at least not in her near future.
"Ma'am?" a deep soft voice called out stopping her in her tracks. Now, she had been here for awhile and the voice sure didn't sound like one she ever heard - if she did, it wasn't one she would have forgotten about. Before turning around she tried to put a face the the angelica tune he sang out when he called her. He called her "Ma'ma" what? She felt like she was exposed to the sun for to long thinking like this, that or she was just hoping a little to hard for the next month, the last month to do an about face and celebrate her for once. Thinking for just one more second, it was the sun. A heat stroke. Yea, that is what it was. She turned wishing for the best but expecting less then prefect maybe even the worse. Snapping her fingers, "Dang it!" the menu is over his face. I can't see him, she thought. Just my luck. Shaking her head - really why would I think any different? She had settled into her boring life many times over conceding it was her fate.
She approached the table. "I am Beth" she sighed, "What can I get you today?" His eyes looking up from the carboard that seconds before concealed him. She caught her breath. Her heart scream mercy me - in that second she thanked God that she was speechless so the gorgeously handsome stranger didn't hear her sounding like a little girl with a puppy love crush.
Running his, a little larger then normal size, hand through his golden brown hair - sweeping it back over to the one side, the right side - his eyes caught hers looking into his - his huge beautiful perfectly round eyes. Like melting caramels over S'mores - oh yes! Please. Give me some more - her mind racing at the wild thoughts going through it. I bet I looked real stupid when after he ordered, I reached out to grab his menu - touching fingers a jolt shot threw her entire being like those of lighten strike against warm evening sand. Quickly pulling her hand back but not before knocking over the glass of water that had already been sitting on his table. His table ... Oh stop she thought to herself. This is crazy. He is nothing short of being everything in ever girls dream all around the World. Yup! This guy had pure Summer lovin' written all over his chiseled tan body. Tanned body? She wondered how many girls he had been with to have a tan like that. Must have been a lot, she told myself. A lot of time spent soaking up rays in the sun with all those "bikini babes" falling all over him. Huh? This wasn't the guy for her. She didn't want to get involved with a player. She wanted a gentleman. Someone who knew she was a Queen. Someone who treated her like one. Not with money though - with respect and time. His time. All his time - most of his time. She convinced herself that she just needed to forget about this delicious man and get back to work - besides she was not his type. She had smeared eye liner, smudged lipstick and smelled of French fries. She asked him one more time while he was eating if she could get him anything else. He declined. Yup. That was the time he could have asked for her number. Perfect time. If he wanted it. He didn't want it. Well, she didn't want him either or that is what she told herself - over and over again each time she got close enough to smell his cologne. She didn't know what it was but she knew it was a mix of warm spices and Heaven.
The boss called her to the back. For some reason he didn't think he could figure out the paper work on his own. Her boss. Ha. He had this purpose in life to scribble numbers on napkins that somehow was to end up being the deposit each night. Drool, she said out loud. You would think he would have a better system but then again, he didn't and maybe that was the reason it was the Café on the corner that always had more business then they did. Once again she figured out his sh*tty filing system. Standing - she was setting herself up to march right back through the doors and speak to this stranger who set her World spinning. Her eyes started to well up seeing his table was empty. His table. There she goes once more - probably never to cross paths again at least with her winning average not in this life time. She cleared a few more tables finding it more then difficult to get anywhere near the one he sat at - cologne lingering. She couldn't work in those moments - all she could think about was those eyes of his. It was the last table, she had to clear it before she could retreat back home to her waiting bed - again. As she approached it, everything was stacked so neatly - almost like he knew what he was doing in a service like this. She lingered taking her time to pick up his bowl and glass because she knew once they were gone so was he. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to her dream man just yet nor the possibility of what might *COULD have happened if things had unfolded different for them. She was sad. She finished her shift, turned the lights out - pulling the door closed behind her, she locked it. Walking back home never seemed to take so long. She just wanted to get out of her apron - get out of her clothes, get into her bed and bury thoughts of him deep in her pillow. She really didn't want to but she need to. She had to. It was the only option she had. Doom lingering. How cruel it was to tease and tempt her like that. What kind of mean joke was this? What did she ever do so wrong that she deserved this? She had no answer. She slid her pants down with her foot while pulling her shirt over her head. Standing in nothing but a bra and panties, she would sleep like that tonight. The fan blowing a cool breeze in from the far off waters, knowing her sheets would be chilly. Chilly enough that she might be able to fall asleep quickly and just forget ... forget the day and more importantly forget him. Whoever him was? She didn't even know his name. Yup. She has officially gone off the deep end. She was in love - if this is what love was - with someone that she didn't even have a name for. Pathetic. That's her for sure. She was to tired to think about it anymore. She just wanted her bed. Her bed loved her and always hugged her goodnight until sleep came. As she went to throw myself down "Geeze, get it together girl!" her voice called out. She looked to see she was still wearing her apron. It was one that ties around the waist so it was easy to forget, she told herself. Imagining herself less dumb then what she looked like at the moment. Untying the back - she started to roll it up to toss it in her chair on the other side of the room when a piece of paper fell out. She left it laying on the carpet barely beneath the foot of her bed. "Come on Roger" she said out loud wondering how he can be so unorganized and still run a business. Oh well, his problem. Her head hit the cool pillow -as her eyes just started to shut, she bolted up like someone had lassoed her chest -Roger and her had done the deposit tonight. Everything matched up. 57 papers later but the money in the till was indeed the same numbers that were jotted on the scraps of paper. So ... what the heck could have been in her pocket then? She was kind of frightened to look at it. She was not a fan of the unknown. She gently picked it up between her fingers. She told herself she wasn't going to open it though. What if it was from Roger and he was firing her? Wait. Why would he fire her? He needed her to keep that place up and running. But - if it wasn't from Roger who was it from? She slowly unfolded it.
Her hands were trembling. Her thoughts jumbled - screaming Do it. Dont do. Do it! Well, she did it. She was so confused. Across the paper were 10 numbers. 10 numbers? Like a safe combination? A locker combination? A phone number? A PHONE NUMBER! Whos phone number though? And was this meant to fall into her hands? Should she call it? No don't. Do it! She couldn't - she didn't know whos it was or who to ask for. Do it! Wait! How did this get into her pocket to start with? Raising her hand to stroke her hair - she knew that scent. That faint smell on her fingers. On the paper. Noooooooo! Now she was sure it wasn't meant for her. It couldn't be his. Not Mr. You are my dream man (s) number. Now she had to call it to either be sure or be let down yet another time in her rather short life that she had semi lived so far.
She could barely read the numbers from shaking so dramatically. One ring. Two rings. Three rings ... whoever this belongs to isn't going to answer. She cursed at herself for believing again, as she lower the receiver to hang it up:
"This is Noah."
Noah? Noah who? she thought.
"Hello? This is Noah." Awwww, his name was Noah. Beth and Noah. She could see those names together for a long, long time.
"Hello? Is anyone there."
Oh crap. "Yes, hello? This is Beth."
"Well, Hi there Beth. I was really hoping you would call."
"You were? You did?"
"Sure, I wanted to talk to you earlier today but I was just to ummmm ... shy? Shy. Yeah. Shy."
Him shy? He is a Greek God - or at least could have been one. She meant if it was her you were asking.
"So, what's up - Noah? You give all the girls you meet your number?"
"It is late Beth, can I take you for ice cream after your shift tomorrow? We can talk then."
"Sure, if that is what you please?"
"Good night Beth, sweet dreams."
She sure damn well knew that she was going to have them now ...
"Night Noah. Same to you."
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough for her. She was beyond exuberant to see Noah again. She skipped on her way to work arriving early. Roger said he didn't understand why she was acting different and included he didn't like it much. Her shift drug on. Noah never came in. Her heart breaking a little more each time the bell above the door rang signaling a new customer, it never being him. "BETH!" Roger screamed from the back office, "Get in here NOW!" one glance at the clock - almost closing and that meant paper work. Her heart wasn't in it. She didn't care. AT this point she only cared about one thing ... home and her bed. Turning the lights off, backing out through the door so she could lock it, she smelled something that smelled like something she wanted to smell the rest of her life. She turned, lifting her head. It was Noah. He took her hand, walking to his car - her chariot. On the back seat was a pair of shorts and neon tank top. He grabbed a blanket, holding it up while looking the other way "Get changed Princess, I have something to show you." She didn't play the devil/angel on her shoulder game this time. She stripped down - her new attire fit perfectly. She motioned she was ready. His hand was so warm in hers. Her heart pounding in her my throat. She feared he could hear it - he seemed focused. Walking under the pale moonlight was something out of a romantic novel or one that she would have wrote if she was writing one. They didn't talk. They walked. All at once he jerked back just as she did when she felt a warm spray of water hit her flush cheeks. She stopped, turning towards him. Her eyes must have been full of questions "We are almost there. Few steps more." He didn't fabricate. In the clearing was the beach. A blanket holding a small basket, to keep it grounded - sat inside a ring of candles that seemed to dance in the moonlights path. Noah tugged on her hand to follow him. They sat. Staring at the soft water no words were spoke for a few moments. She wasn't upset about that because her head was humming along to the song her heart was singing. Noah put his hand on her leg. She flinched. Not because she was scared but because she wasn't expecting it. It was nice. He brush her hair ever so softly from her forehead, he handed her a pink carnation. She loved carnations. This was better then nice, she told him. His head tilted. This was it. Her mind echoing into her heart. This is everything she had ever wanted in a Summer. Summer. A perfect Summer with a perfect guy. She was convinced she was in Heaven and Heaven was the one place she wanted to be for a real long time.
Noah and Beth spent every moment of the rest of the month and the following month together. The times she wasn't working, she was consumed with him. The times she was working - he sat and waited for her. She was in love. This was love. She loved love and she didn't care who knew it. Beth loved Noah and that was something she wanted to scream from the top of every building in every city all over the entire World.
September came. The warm breeze no longer caressed her aching skin. It was Autumn now. The sound of the leaves dancing confirmed that. She woke when her alarm went off. Where was Noah? Why was her alarm waking her and not his gentle voice calling her Princess? She was confused - She showered, putting her face on as she had done every other day since she could remember.
She arrived at work. Roger was in a frenzy. His books didn't balance. He was missing a slip of paper. She explained that she had just walked in, asking him how he thought she would know where his scraps were. He told her to check all the booths, the floor - her pockets. She was sure he was certifiably insane at this point but she went and looked in all the booths. She looked under the tables. Nothing. All his bad bookkeeping was finally there to bite him in the *ss like it should have done so so long ago but it didn't - showing him mercy until now. She reported back to him there was nothing to be found. She grabbed her apron off the rack- tying it on, he demanded her to check the pockets. "Humor me. It might have got put in there by accident. Hell, it might have just jumped in for no reason. Just look!" he growled at me.
"Fine! Then can I start my shift?"
"Sure, whatever fancies you. Just find that paper."
Reaching in her pocket she pulled out 3 one dollar bills, 6 quarters and a slip of paper. The money was tips but the paper? What the? She opened it to reveal 10 numbers. Roger yanked it from her hand yelling "Thats it! It must have somehow gotten in there - mixed up with the tips maybe?"
"Maybe ..." she walked back into the dining room. It was quiet. Almost to quiet. It was unsettling to her while she was thinking about it. Across the street at the Café on the Corner, the line stretched back close to 30 people. That was strange. For the past month and a half they had only a select few customers. It was our diner that was packed. The whole time Noah annnnnn ... Noah. Where was he? Was there even a he? Was he real? If he was - where did he disappear to? If he wasn't -was it all just a dream begging to break free from the inside me? She questioned.
September bowed out and October came in with a vengeance. It was cold. It was windy. She hardly notice though. Her heart still aching from the missing touch of Her Noah. Work was dull. She was dull. Life was dull. Everything was dull. She needed Noah. She wanted Noah. Even if he wasn't real - she still longed for him. She barely could face each day. She just wanted to sleep. If he was a dream, all she wanted to do was dream. Dreams seemed to be the only time she felt alive. Her chest hurt. Every breath she took made it ache even more. She looked forward to getting off work each evening so she could sprint home, close her eyes and think about him. His smile- when she thought of it all she could say was Oh Sh*t! His laugh - the way he smelled. She wondering if she would ever have something so euphotic like "their" love again in this life time or any other.
She picked up extra shifts at work. Extra shifts not only meant extra money for the holidays but it meant extra time she was busy and didn't have time to cry or dwell over the perfect person she made up in her mind. She was called in to work on a Saturday. She never worked Saturdays. She didn't care anymore. She didn't have Noah. She didn't have anything NOT even a life. It was close to closing time, she didn't notice until Roger yelled at her again. She should have been used to it after all Summer but she wasn't or at least she didn't want to be. She finished helping with the books. Deposit was made. It was to usual next, turn the lights out and lock up. She did just that like she had done so many times before this time. The night was bone chilling. Winter was on its way in. She guessed she was ready. As ready has she could be. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.
The following Saturday she made her way to work, clocked on even though the place was totally dead. Dead just like her soul. How ironic she thought. She was in the back stocking things when she heard the bell over the entry door beckon her. She didn't want to deal with people. Not today. Not any day. "I will be right there .." she called as she was juggling dishes and bowls trying not to drop any with her clumsy self. Standing up looking past the counter she could only see one customer. "They" had settled down at a table. Seeming very interested in the menu that was held up in front of them .. "Just give me one more second please?" she called out. Retreating back to the kitchen, holding an arm full of glasses, in hands cups - she must have lost track of the minute she said she would be.
"Ma'am?" Dropping everything in her grasp, no one has ever called her Ma'am but one person. Slowly turning - a gust of warm air blew an all to familiar scent on the wind towards her. She knew that scent. That was home. Her happy place. Her feet were froze to the floor. Her legs shaking. She couldn't move. She didn't want to move. If this was real, she didn't know. If it wasn't real she so desperately wanted everything to stay just like it was. Perfect.
Kazz 💋
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