Significance (33 page)

“Maggie, get your butt in this diner, right now,” he commanded.

“Big John, this is Caleb. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Get inside, Maggie. I’ll handle this.” He came to stand in front of us. “You. What do you think you’re doing with my little girl, huh? She’s only seventeen and I won’t have you riding in here on your hog, all smooth and messing with my girl.”

“Hog?” I asked and he pinned his glare on me.

“I thought I told you to go inside.”

“B.J.” I positioned myself in between him and Caleb. “I told you. This is Caleb. He’s my...”

Dang it. I still didn’t know what to call him.

“I’m her boyfriend, sir.” Caleb extended his hand but Big John just continued to glare, ignoring the hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Maggie.”

“Oh, is that right? Boyfriend. You mean dead man! I know your type, ok? I used to be your type. You think you can trick a pretty little girl into giving you the goods and then skip town.”

“Big John, Eww! Enough. Look. Caleb is a nice guy. I’m sorry if you think he’s a bad influence on me because I wasn’t here yesterday and I’m late today but there’s a lot of stuff going on right now. Stuff you don’t know. Can you lower the cleaver, please?”

He huffed and crossed his arms with it instead.

“What things?” His brow drew together and then it turned to rage. “Oh my Lord, Maggie! Are you pregnant? I’ll kill you!” He lunged for Caleb and I pushed him back with me.

Caleb was confused. He thought meeting my dad was going to be bad and it had been cake compared to this.

“Of course I’m not pregnant! I’m...being stalked,” I blurted. Big John stopped and looked sharply at me. “There’s this guy who’s been after me. Caleb’s been watching out for me. Making sure I’m safe.”

“What? Who? Give me his address, I’ll end this right now.”

“It’s not that simple. I don’t know where he lives or anything about him really, just that he tried to kidnap me the other night and Caleb stopped him. He saved me.”

Big John glanced at Caleb with new eyes and tucked the cleaver in his apron, like that helped.

“Alright. Thank you. Maggie is like a daughter to me. Get inside you two. Come on.”

We followed him in and Caleb whispered in my ear from behind.

“What the-”

“Honey!” Smarty yelled. “Oh my goodness, I thought he was going to kill your biker friend.”

“Me too,” Caleb muttered.

“It’s ok, now. Smarty, this is Caleb. Caleb, Smarty and Mena Bena.”

“Nice to meet you, ladies,” Caleb said and it was hard to stifle the giggle at the look they got on their faces. I wasn’t the only one affected by his charm. “Ok,” he thumped my nametag and smiled, “Sweet Pea. I’ll get out of your way and go park it in the back booth.” He kissed my upturned lips softly and quickly. I heard a soft gasp and an angry grunt behind me. “Pretend I’m not here.”

“That’s not possible,” I said breathlessly making him smirk as he walked away.

“Um, details. Now,” Mena ordered.

“That’s Caleb,” I said aloofly as I started to stack napkins.

“Yes, we gathered that. And is he your man?”

“Yes,” I said and heard the smile creep in.

“Oh! Yay. He’s so cute, honey,” Smarty chimed.

“I know. I’m sorry I’m late. I had a problem with my dad. But Caleb’s going to sit in the back while I work. Because...someone’s stalking me. Caleb saved my life.”

“Ah! How romantic!” Mena said as she clutched her chest.

“Which one?” Smarty asked dryly. “The stalker or saving her?”

“Both!”

Smarty and I both groaned at her as she bounced away.

“I have more bad news,” I confessed. “I’m officially giving my two week notice.”

She sighed.

“I knew this day would come. Big John!”

“Yeah,” he said and came around the grill.

“Our girl is quitting.”

“What for?” he asked and I could hear the hurt.

“I’m leaving for college soon. Caleb’s father helped me and I can go to school in the fall. So I’m going. Plus with this whole stalker thing...it’d be one less thing to worry about. I’m sorry. I’m gonna miss you guys so much.” I hugged him around his middle. “You’ve been so good to me.”

He hugged me back with gusto.

“I’m gonna miss you something awful, girl.”

“Me too,” Smarty said and wiped her eyes.

“You sure it’s not this boy. He’s not gotten you mixed up into something has he? Not taking advantage of you?”
“No. I promise.”

“Ok. Well, then you get your butt to work then if I only got you for two more weeks,” he said gruffly and cleared his throat.

I laughed and pulled way from him, wiping my eyes too.

“Ok. Thanks.”

I took my first table and kept glancing at Caleb. He wasn’t getting much work done back there because he was watching my every move with eager eyes. One table was a group of guys here vacationing from Michigan to see the mountains. They flirted with me but I remained politely obtuse as I usually did.

I looked at Caleb on the way to place their order and saw him with his head propped up on his fist. His lips were twisted in irritation and his leg was bouncing under the table.

It’s just boys. Don’t get all worked up. You know, you’re not getting much work done back there.

It’s driving me insane how incredibly hot you look. Plus it’s ingrained in me to want to pummel those guys for even looking at you. I can’t help it.

Well, I’m sorry but I can’t help how I look,
I said and sent a laugh with it.

Very true. Ok, gorgeous, I’ll get to work but, can you tone it down, just a little bit?

You are insane.

I looked to see him grinning at me. I grinned back and then got back to work. He stood by his statement and the next few times I glanced , he was going through his books and writing.

It went by slowly but steady. I told Smarty all about Caleb, how we met, how he was incredibly sweet and careful with me. She said she was happy for me and that he was extremely cute. We talked about college and my dad a little bit in between tables. I told her about my mom too and how she had called and wanted to come home and my dad had said no.

She listened and sympathized but in the end did what she always did. She was an awesome listener but never told me what to do. She didn’t make suggestions or criticize. She just listened and I loved her for it.

When it was time for my break I sat with Caleb and brought him some sweet tea and a cheesy bacon burger with fries.

“Where did you get this bracelet?” he asked as he fingered the star charm.

“They gave it to me.” I hooked my thumb over my shoulder towards the grill. “For graduation.” He nodded. “What did Kyle get for a graduation present?”

“A car.”

“I thought he already had a car?”

“He did but his parents got him a new one, the first one was used. The silver Audi is his.”

I balked.

“What? I thought that was his dad’s car.”
“Nope. Kyle just thought his car was messed up and in the shop. His dad actually pulled the battery cables off before school one morning so Kyle would think it was broken down.”

He chuckled.

“Wow. That Audi was pretty nice for a college kid.”

“He’s spoiled. Only child,” he scoffed.

I smirked at him.

“You’re pretty spoiled too, pal, a truck and a motorcycle?” I shook my head at him. “There are carless kids in Milwaukee and you have two! Disgraceful,” I joked.

“Hey!” he laughed. “I have you know my truck is a hand me down from my dad and that bike was my graduation present.”

“Oh, well that makes it better.” I grinned at him.

“So, what did your dad get you?”

“Nothing.” I smiled sadly. “He didn’t even stand when they called my name.”

“I’m sorry.” I shook my head at him. “I wish I’d paid more attention at the ceremony now. I might have remembered you from when you crossed the stage.”

“Yeah. That IPod is not good for you.”

“You already know me so well,” he smirked and rubbed my feet under the table with his, making me laugh.

“Ok, back to work both of us.”

Later that night after Caleb took me home and we both parted ways to get dressed, I was on the back of his bike. This time, headed back to the place I never thought I’d go again, the high school, the gym to be precise.

I wasn’t even sure why I wanted to go. If it wasn’t for Beck’s begging... I wasn’t sure why exactly but we were underway so there was no point in stopping now. Caleb seemed to be excited about the idea of seeing the people I went to school with, besides Kyle and Chad. Excited to see pictures of me during school functions. I’d been so out of the loop this year, out of touch with friends, out of focus. I had no idea what they were going to do tonight, but I was pretty sure it wouldn’t involve me since I’d barely been involved myself all year.

We pulled into the parking lot and he helped me take my helmet off, smoothing my hair back. I was nervous for some reason. I felt like everyone there would be able to tell that I was different somehow. We started walking towards the school and my heart beat faster and faster the closer we got.

“Hey.” He stopped in front of me. “We don’t have to go in there.”

I swallowed and looked around the school parking lot. There weren’t a whole lot of cars because this was only for the senior class but still...a gym full of my peers who I abandoned for the past ten months.

He read my anxiety and started pulling me back to the bike. I halted my steps.

“No it’s ok. Let’s go in.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. It’s stupid to be nervous anyway. It’s not like anyone is gonna care that I’m here.”

I had visions of prom, streamers and flashing lights with glittery signs when we entered. But what I got was flashbacks that made me want to simultaneously smile and run.

The decorations were our school pictures, prom pics, candid’s at lunch. Big, blown up pictures lined the walls and the centerpieces on the tables were a school pom-pom and yearbook opened to the page of the people who were assigned to sit there alphabetically. I looked around at the photos as we made our way down the wall towards the tables and laughed at one of Beck and I sitting in art last year with paint on our faces, laughing.

Caleb smiled at it and let me tug and pull him as I got more enthusiastic about the photos and memories splayed out everywhere I looked. Then I heard my name across the room and turned to see Beck and Nicolette skipping across the gym, arm and arm towards us.

“Mags!” Nicolette cried and squeezed me. They both squealed and bounced around me, drawing attention to us and I cringed. “Oh. My. Goodness. You look so fab. Where have you been, girl?”

“Uhum,” Beck said grinning and pointed to Caleb. “That’s where she’s been.”

Nicolette perused him openly and gave a cocked little grin before coming up to him and holding her hand out.

“Nicolette.”

“Caleb,” he said politely and shook her hand quickly before releasing her and coming to put an arm around my waist. Her eyes bugged a little but she grinned all the same. “You girls ran track with Maggie?”

“And Cheerleading and Volleyball and just about everything else.”

He looked down at me with a raised eyebrow, his lips parted.

Cheerleading? That totally just blew your little work outfit out of the water.

I pressed my lips together to keep from giggling.

It was only ninth and tenth grade. I did it because my mom wanted me to. I dropped out, it wasn’t for me.

And yet my fantasy lives
.

I smiled and tried not to laugh, to look normal and casual though an extremely hot guy was speaking into my mind about his fantasies.

Then an enraptured mass squeal erupted as Beck and Nicolette waved. The group of girls who I used to know all swarmed around us like they hadn’t seen us in years, though it had been days. Technically, I guess it had been longer for me.

“Magsie! Where have you been?”

“Oh, we missed you at the meet last month. We could’ve used you when Brayers came up-”

“Dang, girl. You look so cute tonight!”

“Ok! Ok! I got it! Let’s do a cheer! For old time sake!”

Meghan was the instigator but everyone seemed to be on board and clapped and squealed as they made their way to the front of the room.

“Mags. You too!”

I turned to the traitorous voice and was shocked to find it was Beck.

“I haven’t cheered in two years,” I protested and clung to Caleb’s arm.

“Oh come on. We’re doing the spirit cheer. It stays the same every year, its tradition. Come on.”

“No, no way.” She had to know why I didn’t want to do it. For the spirit cheer you paired with a football player. We danced and slid around them and at the end they lifted us in their arms. Chad was always my partner and there was no way in hell or high water she was getting me on that stage.