A/N: At the suggestion of one of my supporters I have changed her nickname from Goofball to Swizzlesticks. Nicknames are tricky in writing I find, but I want to try different things on my railing.
One day Kili had gotten into Whitewood late because the Trans Canada had been covered in ice, and he and Reese had been alone. She'd broken the code and had asked him a million questions about himself, finding out why he had the nickname. Turned out he'd gotten the name because he'd started trucking when he was 18. He'd started his 1A license when he was 16 and had his job waiting for him when he finished high school. He said he had to get out of town as quickly as possible because otherwise his mother would have him working for his father and uncle in the familiy business. Kili had said his brother, seven years older, had gone straight into the business, not even bothering with university, with the understanding that he'd train to take over from their uncle as CEO when the time came.
He hadn't even been able to drink when he started, being underage. And so he'd been called "the kid," which seemed to have stuck for the fifteen years he'd been on the road, even though guys way younger than him were there now. Reese thought it fit, though. He had a youngish feel to him. Happy go lucky. Always needing a bit of approval. Even though he fit in well, he had moments when he seemed unsure of himself. He seemed a bit reckless, but seemed to also take his job seriously. She could tell that even though he wasn't sure of himself that he had the respect of the truckers.
It sounded like Kili's mom didn't love that Kili was away all the time, and Reese wondered if his mom was able to see he just didn't fit, needed to be free. Kili sounded very close to his brother, even thought he didn't see him often. Whenever Kili was at the restaurant, his phone kept lighting up with messages. She sometimes caught the names on the screen. Mom, Dad, Fili, and even an occasional Thorin, whoever that was. They had strange names, but she thought maybe it was a maritimer thing.
After that conversation, Reese seemed to develop a bond with him. They started to visit more and more. He often sat up at the counter so that he could visit with her, and several of the truckers followed suit, which Reese loved becuase she liked having lots of people around her. She loved being the center of a busy group and preferred it to having one person who would get too close for comfort.
She'd started feeling an aching need whenever he was around. She'd also noticed that he watched her wherever she was in the restaurant and knew he wanted her too. She felt butterflies in her stomach whenever she had the thought. But there was something different about her attraction to him, something emotional that made her uncomfortable. While they were usually engaged in friendly conversation, there were also time when they hardly talked, sitting mostly in friendly silence as she worked. He was often on his phone at these times, texting constantly or sometimes taking a call, his low melodic voice rumbling pleasantly as she hummed while sweeping the floor.
How she could be in love with someone she hardly knew, she didn't know. She didn't quite trust it either. But in reality she knew him better than just about everyone else in her life, except Adam and Julie.
The moments of honesty with herself that she was in love with him happened a lot more often since she hadn't seen him in five months. He'd disappeared suddenly, hadn't been at the shop in months, without a trace. And when Reese was being really honest with herself, which was usually after at least three beer after hours with Julie, she knew she was sticking around in Whitewood way past her expiry date because it was her only connection to him and she knew she'd never see him again if she left. The way things were looking she wasn't going to see him again as it was, and she was starting to wonder how long she would stick it out for.
Adam and Julie didn't push her, just accepted her the way she was. But they weren't above calling Reese on her shit, telling it how they saw it. A month before Kili had disappeared, Adam had been sitting at the counter inhaling veal cutlets. Reese had just finished the supper rush and was starting to cash out when Adam spoke up. "So, chrome_find class="find_in_page findysel"Swizzlesticks, when yer goin' ter get around ter tellin' that boy you love him." Reese had been so surprised she'd dropped her tray, making Julie pop her head out of the kitchen.
"What'd you go and do that for?" Julie had asked.
"Your husband scared the shit of me," Reese said.
Julie had shaken her head fixed Reese with a glare. "Well he scares the shit out of me every morning when I wake up next to him, but you don't see me throwing the float around over it. You better find every penny."
Reese rolled her eyes and nodded. When Julie had retreated to the kitchen, she'd whirled on Adam and hissed. "I am not having this conversation with you."
Adam just shrugged. Reese turned away, but not before Adam had muttered "Swizzlesticks" at her.
It was shortly after that conversation that Kili had disappeared. He'd been on the return to the maritimes, which meant he'd be back in four weeks, but he didn't come back. Four weeks turned into five, and then six. And then months stretched by without any sign of him. Another guy came in on his route, and Reese nonchalently tried to find out what had happened to Kili. It wasn't part of the code of course, and of course the new guy didn't even know who she was talking about. He'd never met the guy who'd done the route previously.