I wasn't much of a people person, so why I was working in this diner was still a mystery to me. Then again, I have been here for nearly two months, why I left the city for this tiny town, with a population of 541 people, I'd never know…then again, I've kinda adjusted to this little town, and I was starting to love it…okay, I DID love it, it was a very good change from New York City.
I'm not gonna lie, I loved working here and even more so now that I have my regulars who always tip me good, and me knowing their names and their orders by heart always helped the situation.
"Bella, table two," I grabbed my receipt book and walked to the table,
"Welcome to Country Tin, what can I get ya to drink?" I looked up at what had to be the most beautiful set of jade eyes I had ever seen, I wasn't convinced he wasn't wearing contacts, NO ONES eyes are THAT green.
Pieces of what looked to be red hair stuck out below his baseball cap, a dirty t-shirt hang semi-loosely from his body, and his hands were calloused, this man had seen years and years and years of hard work.
His face was slightly kissed by the sun, and a single cross tattoo was on his forearm, the letters ELM and EAM underneath it.
"Sweet Tea please," His voice was like velvet, it kinda made me weak in the knees,
"You got it, do you need some time, or are you ready to order?"
"I'm ready,"
"Sure," I wrote down what he had said as he named off what he wanted, "are you gonna want dessert?"
"He ALWAYS wants dessert, how are ya doin' Edward?" Ellen, a lady in her mid-fifties, also the owner of the diner, smiled as she placed her hands on my shoulders,
"I'm good Ma'am," He smiled, I looked over at him, never had I heard a man use such manners, I couldn't help but smile,
"How's your brother doin'?"
"Good, he started collage last year,"
"Already? It seems like Elizabeth was just puttin' him into Pre-K," The man, Ellen called Edward, dropped his head, "I know, it's hard Honey, how long has it been?"
"Eleven years," He whispered.
"Doesn't seem possible," Ellen sighed. "I made coconut crème pie today," She smiled,
"Sounds good Ma'am," I looked at him again, his green eyes met my brown ones, as I smiled, him smiling right back as I walked off, placing the ticket on the wheel,
"Edward Masen Jr., he just turned thirty in June, lost his Momma and his Dad when he was nineteen to a drunk driver, his baby brother, Jasper, is 19 now, Edward has pretty much raised him for the past eleven years. His Grandparents took him and his brother in when Elizabeth and Edward Sr. were killed, but they were as senile as they come, so Edward was pretty much onhis own. He comes in every Thursday at one o'clock after he finishes all his work on his ranch, orders meat loaf with mashed potatoes and green beans, has two glasses of sweet tea, and a cup of coffee with his pie,"
"Wow,"
"That one right there, he is once in a lifetime man, he has never been married, he has no children, he is up before dawn every day, and doesn't stop until the moon is high, maybe longer now, now that Jasper is in college, he has that huge ranch he has to take care of himself,"
"He can't hire any help?"
"He refuses too, he has kept that ranch going, he is proud of it, he has someone who cooks and cleans for him, but all the physical outside labor, he does himself,"
"He looked like he wasn't shy to work,"
"That boy has been workin' since he could walk, Edward Sr. made sure of it,"
"Seems miserable,"
"Not in Edward's eyes, if a boy can walk, he can work, and this one," She pointed to the young man at the table, "is just like him, you should sit and get to know him, he doesn't have many friends either,"
"Order up!" I jumped at Cookie's voice, as I grabbed Edward's glass of tea and walked it to his table,
"Here ya go," I smiled.
"Thank you,"
"Your food should be ready here soon," I smiled, for some reason I really wanted to get to know him better, I looked up at Ellen, as she nodded her head,
"Is there somethin' else?" He asked, looking up at me, his piercing eyes meeting mine,
"I'm sorry, I'm just-"
"Don't tell me, Ellen is tryin' to play matchmaker again?" I heard the country twang as he spoke, which was far beyond sexy,
"I'm not sure if she is tryin' to play matchmaker or just tryin' to get me to make some friends,"
"Make some friends? Haven't ya been here awhile?"
"A couple months, I moved from New York a couple months ago,"
"New York? So, you're a Yankee?"
"I beg your pardon!" He chuckled, I couldn't help but giggle, "I USED to be a City Slicker, not so much anymore,"
"What brought ya here?"
"Order Up!"
"Oh that's probably your meatloaf, I'll be right back," I smiled as I stood up walking to where his food was waiting,
"Is he talkin' to ya?"
"Yeah, why?"
"That's a start, why don't ya sit and have lunch with him?"
"Ellen! What are you doing?"
"I'm just sayin' Bella, get to know him,"
"Only if he asks me!" I said in a harsh whisper,
"He isn't gonna ask you, he's very reserved, you have to be the one to peruse,"
"Yeah no, not a cop," I walked to his table and sat his plate down, "Here ya go," I smiled, before walking off,
"Wait," I stopped and turned, sure I had forgot something, "will ya join me?" I looked over at Ellen and glared,
"I have a few minutes," I smiled, as I went to sit, he stood up, I looked at him, as I sat down, him taking his seat again,
"Edward Masen," He held his hand out,
"Bella, Swan, pleasure," I smiled shaking his hand, electricity shooting up my arm as soon as we touched,
"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you," He smiled, as our eyes met briefly. "So, why did ya leave a huge city to come to a small town?"
"Honestly, for a change of scenery, I've lived in New York my whole life, and decided to try small town living,"
"And what d'ya think?"
"So far, it's nice, I just wish that I had some friends around here,"
"Well, ya have Ellen,"
"True, but I just wish I had a few my age," What was I doing?!
"Well, ya have me now,"
"Really? You don't even know me,"
"So? Lemme git to know ya,"
"Okay, what do you wanna know?"
"Are ya married?"
"Uh, no, never happened for me, I haven't even had a boyfriend since I was about sixteen…eleven years. You?"
"Never married, never had a girlfriend,"
"So you're a virgin then?"
"Pardon me? That's a bit personal, don't ya think?"
"My apologies," Way to go Big-Mouth Bella,
"But, no, I'm not a virgin,"
"But you said-"
"I said, that I never had a girlfriend, I never said a thing about not havin' sex,"
"Well, I guess you don't have to be in a relationship to have sex,"
"Ya don't,"
"Well, I better get back to work," He stood as I did,
"Would ya like to have dinner with me?" I turned and looked at him,
"What like a date?"
"If ya wanna call it that, sure,"
"Um, sure when?"
"Next week? It'll give me some time to make my house presentable,"
"I thought you had a maid?" He chuckled,
"Ya really shouldn't believe everythin' ya hear,"
"So, ya don't have a maid?"
"Why would I need a maid? I'm perfectly capable of cookin' and cleanin', I've been doin' it for years,"
"So, how should I dress?"
"However ya want, I'm gonna cook,"
"You….cook?"
"Yup, I kinda had to learn, I raised my little brother,"
"Do ya get to see him?"
"Sure I do, on weekends,"
"Oh, okay,"
"So, can I call ya?"
"I dunno, can ya?"
"Lemme rephrase that, may I call ya?"
"Sure," I wrote my number down on a napkin and slid it across the table, "would you like that pie now?"
"Yes I would, and a cup of coffee, black,"
"Right away," I walked off,
'What did you just give him?" Ellen asked,
"My number, why?"
"Alright! One step closer,"
"One step closer to what?"
"Him asking ya on a date,"
"He already did,"
"What?!"
"Yeah he said he wanted to cook for me,"
"Cook?"
"Yeah, he doesn't have a maid,"
"He did, at one time,"
"Maybe at one time, but he doesn't anymore, he said he does everything,"
"That's not a lie,"
"I didn't think it was,"
"So when are ya'll having that date?"
"Next week sometime, said he wants to make his house a bit more presentable,"
"What a gentleman," Ellen smiled, "I'm willing to bet money he won't kiss ya,"
"I hope he don't, it's not that kinda date,"
"How many kinda dates is there?"
"Several, it's just a friendly date,"
"A date is a date if ya ask me,"
"Well nobody asked you," I giggled as I took Edward his pie and coffee, "here ya go,"
"Thanks, so, I'll see ya next week?"
"Absolutely," I smiled as I walked off, I wasn't gonna lie, I was nervous, I hadn't dated in years, what if I did it wrong? What if I forgot…..
