I was obsessed with him. I mean, I wasn't creepy about it or anything. Maybe I was a little creepy about it. But I wasn't creepy about it. I didn't follow him home or take pictures of him and develop them in a creepy dark room like stalkers do in movies. I didn't do any of that.

But I was obsessed with him. Obsessed with his arms and his shirts. At first I thought nothing would beat the shirt with the tight short sleeves but then he came in one day in a shirt with no sleeves. The day after that it was cold out and he came in in a tight jean shirt with long sleeves and I felt so disappointed.

Then he rolled those sleeves up.

I nearly lost it.

It's not just arms I liked. I like how he got flushed when Carol made fun of him and how he rolled his eyes when his brother was being stupid. I liked how he cooked an omelet and a burger and chicken tenders. Whenever Tyreese wasn't working I would come in the kitchen and give him a sheepish look. He'd always make me whatever I wanted.

And I really really like him. A lot a lot.

It was really inappropriate and my Mama would be so disappointed in me for acting like a schoolgirl with a crush around my boss. And he was my boss. But I just couldn't help myself.

I tried to hide it and I'm not sure how successful I was. I'd look at him as covertly as I could manage, trying to focus on the order I was taking or the coffee I was pouring. But he was distracting. I've spilled more coffee than I'd care to admit. He was always tinkering with something or fixing something or slapping regulars on the back but not talking much to them. He didn't talk much. He wasn't like most restaurant owners, who are supposed to be out schmoozing with customers, making people come back to the restaurant again.

He knew they'd be back. Most of 'em there early in the morning for whatever stiff pour they could afford. Some of 'em not rolling in till later, with sore backs from a day of work or, more rarely, stiff necks from looking over a computer all day. Daryl knew he didn't need to chat to keep them coming back to his place. And most people he didn't know came into the restaurant had a great time and didn't need to see the owner. Carol and me are dang good waitresses.

Once in a while some family on a road trip would stop in and end up having complaints. The burgers were too pink or the omelet was dry and they'd ask for the manager. I'd have to go up to him and interrupt whatever he was fixing.

Today it was a big mean looking man and his cute little wife. My heart broke for his cute little wife, who was so obviously embarrassed by him as he raised his voice at me and asked for the manager.

I went to get Daryl. He was on a ladder fixing something. I'm not sure how he always had something to fix.

"Daryl. Jerk at Table 3. Wants to talk to you."

Daryl sighed and started climbing down. Resting his arms on a rung of the ladder, he squinted his eyes at me.

"He giving you a hard time?"

"Oh, he's harmless."

Karen and Carol told me to downplay if a guy was ever being a jerk to you. Otherwise he might punch him in the gut.

That was something about Daryl. He was protective. Maybe a little too protective.

From behind the bar I watched Daryl go up to the couple. Daryl wasn't the best at looking apologetic, but my guess is that he was offering him a free drink. That's what he usually did, just to get them off his back.

But this guy didn't seem to want to back down and Daryl just stood there looking at him. Really not the best restaurateur, Daryl. Not the most professional demeanor. But that's what I like about him.

The guy got up out of his chair as swiftly as he was capable of and I heard him say, "Come on, we're going home."

"Waitress. What do I owe?"

Oh shit, that was me. "Um, twelve dollars."'

Huffing and puffing, he counted out exactly twelve dollars. For me, he left an extra penny. "Keep the change," he said snidely. Douche.

And then Daryl did something I might never be able to get out of my brain. He tripped the guy. Just pushed a chair so slightly out in front of him. The big mean dude was on the ground and mad as a hornet.

He lost it. I mean really, ranting and raving. Threatening to call the cops. Daryl just looking at him like he was crazy, "I didn't do anything sir. You just lost your balance."

So they left in a huff, his wife looking sheepish as all get out.

I busted out laughing. "Daryl!" I said, "What the hell?" But I was laughing and he seemed mad but when he looked at me laughing he smiled a tiny bit.

"Tipping you a penny when you did nothing wrong. Guy deserved it."

"What if he sues you?" I said, after my giggles had quieted down.

"Eh, no witnesses," He looked around the place. Just Rusty, a regular, taking a nap at the bar with a hand still wrapped around his bourbon "and you won't testify against me, right?" he said with a smile.

"Never." I said.

He looked at me with that look of his and I felt the blood rush to my face. I looked down and away from his intense blue eyes. He was an intense guy. An intense guy who I liked a whole lot.

"You don't have the most typical management style." I said, trying to distract from the tension of the moment.

He grinned a little at that.

"'Spose not."

"He's at least gonna give you a bad Yelp review."

Daryl's eyebrows knit together. "The hell is Yelp?"

Daryl had to be the only restaurant owner in the whole country who didn't know what Yelp was. I felt my eyes rolling into my skull.

"Come here."

He followed me, looking a little unsure and a maybe even a little stiff about being bossed around by a little girl. His employee, no less. I went behind the bar, where I stored my purse, and brought out my phone, opening the Yelp app.

I leaned my forearms on the bar, and he followed suit.

"So it's this app on your phone. It's a website too, I guess, but I mostly just use it on my phone. People can leave reviews about restaurants and a lot of people use it when they're deciding where they might wanna go."

"Well I didn't set nothin' up so we must not have one."

"I think anyone can set it up. Doesn't have to be you."

I typed in Dixon's and there it was: Dixon's Place. Only one picture added, but a bunch of reviews.

"You got 3.7 stars out of 5. That's not too bad."

"S'not good."

"Well maybe if you were a little nicer to your customers, Boss." I said wryly.

I looked at him and I realized how close we were, leaning on the bar, bent over my phone. He smelled good. Manly. Our eyes locked again. He wasn't smiling. He was giving me that look again. I felt hot prickles all down my body.

This time, it was him to break the gaze. He cleared his throat and stood up. "People have too much goddamn time on their hands, leavin' reviews."

His demeanor had changed and I felt that maybe I'd crossed a line.

He walked away without another word, into the kitchen. Probably to finish fixing whatever had been broken.

Maybe he was just walking away because he had stuff to do. But I felt mad and embarrassed. He was probably trying to distance himself because he could sense my obvious obsession with him. I felt a lump forming in my throat and I went to the bathroom before anyone could see me cry.

"You staying for the party, hon?"

Of course I was staying for the party. I'd cooled down since my encounter with Daryl this morning and been looking forward to the party all day. We were closing up the restaurant part of the place early to celebrate Merle's birthday. He'd invited a bunch of friends, who were already starting to roll in. Tough seeming, one meaner looking than the next. But I knew most of 'em were softies. I'd met a bunch of those guys before, and they were hiding a lotta sweetness under their tattoos and bandanas. Some would show me pictures of their daughters or granddaughters with adoration in their eyes.

Just because you look mean doesn't mean you are. Okay, except maybe that guy from earlier.

"Absolutely," I told Carol with a bright smile. "I even biked to work today so I wouldn't have my car."

"Don't you live in the town a few miles from here?" she asked worriedly.

"It's a nice ride. And I'll get a cab back if I need to."

Carol couldn't help but be a little motherly to her, knowing she didn't have any parent at home to be watching over her. "You will be getting a cab back. Or I'll drive you…Bethy, I'm glad you've been having fun here. Don't let Merle be too much of an influence on you, though."

I chuckled. "Quit worrying about me. You have enough to worry about with Merle."

She laughed at that, her shoulders relaxing. "Let me get you a drink, please Carol."

"Just one." I smiled hard at that.

The party was in full swing and it wasn't even eight o'clock. Merle and Tyreese were wrestling. Everyone was laughing because they knew Tyreese could put him right to the floor, but it was Merle's birthday after all, so he was being easy on the guy.

He seemed to be tiring of the fight though because he put him in the tell-tale head lock. Everyone was whooping and hollering, knowing this moment was coming. But Tyreese stopped because Rick Grimes walked in. Still in uniform.

"Off duty" he said, holding his hands up. "Don't stop on my account." He said with a wink.

But the fight was over, and Merle went over to give Rick a sloppy hug. It was an unlikely friendship. No one really knew how the Dixon brothers and the Sherriff came to be friends.

But it worked. And Beth was glad for it. Rick was handsome and kind. She was a big fan of his.

Tonight, his wife followed behind him with a young boy behind her and a little beautiful baby girl in her arms.

Rick's wife started talking to Daryl right away. "Daryl I'm so sorry we couldn't find a sitter I know you don't like her in here around all this but..." Daryl, who had been sitting and watching the brawl between his brother and Tyreese amusedly, silenced the woman's rant by taking the baby out of her arms and throwing into the air, making the little thing laugh. He started nibbling at her chubby arms and I think all of my bones started atrophy because I was melting into a pile of Beth goo.

I'd decided earlier after our weird moment that I wasn't gonna like him anymore. That he clearly didn't like me so why waste any time liking someone who didn't like me. But here he was in front of me nibbling on a little baby's chubby arms and making her laugh.

Seriously, I was a pile of goo. Beth goo.

"We couldn't miss it." Rick's wife smiled at him.

"I got her. Go have some drinks."

So Rick and his wife and their boy made their way to the bar and I couldn't help myself: I edged myself closer to Daryl and the baby.

How could I not go and watch Daryl coo at a baby he had situated on his hip? This rough and tumble guy who punches guys in the gut and trips guys with chairs and has a stern looking face and nice arms was holding a baby on his hip.

"What's her name?" I said, my face still warm from the whiskey shot I'd done with Merle a little bit ago.

He looked a little surprised by my sudden presence at his side. "Judith," he said softly, patting her soft hair as she leaned her head against his chest.

I mean seriously. If I hadn't already melted I'd be melting again.

"Hi Judith. You're the cutest little thing, aren't ya?" She smiled a little at me, lifting her away from Daryl's chest to reach for my necklace.

She was a magical thing. Sweet enough and chubby enough to distract me from the man holding her. I'd always loved babies. Wanted some of my own one day.

I booped her nose with my finger and she laughed. It was a perfect sound. I felt my heart warm and let myself feel the warmth and the melancholy for a moment. It had been a while since I was this happy.

Daryl was looking at me. Again. "You wanna hold her?"

"Can I?" I felt my eyes get big.

"Course." He mumbled, handing her to me.

So I took her and played every game I could think of with her. I walked her around the party, showing her the twinkly lights and the on and off switches in the bathroom, which she wanted to switch on and off over and over and over again. I let her play with my necklace and tug at my hair and she looked at me with big eyes and I felt a small lump form in my throat for the second time today.

"You're really good with her." I heard from behind me. It was Rick's wife.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier, you must be wondering who it is holding your baby. I'm Beth." I rambled.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I've heard a lot about you! I'm Lori."

"It's really nice to meet you." I said.

"Daryl must like you. He never lets anyone hold her while she's here."

I didn't know what to say to that. It didn't seem like Daryl liked me much at all. So I looked down at Judith. "You've got the sweetest baby in the whole world I think!"

Lori smiled, touching the girl's soft hair. "I think so too."

Later, almost everyone had left but me, Carol, Karen, Tyreese, Daryl, and Merle, of course. Me and Merle were playing quarters and Merle was telling me all about how the government was out to get us. Karen and Tyreese had their heads leaned on each other and they were watching the Game Show Network, which was playing on the TV. Daryl was cleaning and Carol was trying unsuccessfully, to pull Merle from his post.

"You two have an incredibly amount of energy. Beth's young, but you Merle? I don't know where you get it from!"

"Baby you know I'm nothing but energy! I might be an old man now but I've got that Dixon spirit in my bones."

Carol groaned.

I was tired though. Youth be damned. "I should get home, I open tomorrow."

"See, Merle, we're her ride home. We gotta go."

"But Family Feud just came on!" he insisted, pointing at the screen.

"I'll give her a ride." Daryl said. Throwing a couple more empty beers into the trash before coming around the bar and heading towards the door.

I swiveled around on the stool, staring at him dubly.

"Come on, now." He said, tilting his head toward the door.

So I followed him.