I hustle to table five and take the order of the very handsome regular that comes in like clockwork every Friday. He is tall and lean but has a great big beard like a lumberjack. Most of the men in this town work for the local factory, and Manny’s is the go-to place after work. The ratio of guys to girls here is 5:1, so there is always light flirting and sometimes big tips.
“Hey Jack, the usual?” I ask, even though I know his answer. It’s been the same since I started working here two years ago.
“Yes, please. And how is my favorite waitress this evening? Doing anything fun after work today?” he asks with an amused tone, because he already knows what I am going to say.
“No, nothing going on after work. Just some good old binge-watching on Netflix,” I reply, with a tight lip and a flicker of pain in my eyes.
“That’s a shame, Azra. You know, a pretty girl like you could have the pick of the litter in Hellebore. I know you’d make some poor sap lucky,” he says, as he tries to grasp for my hand.
“Thanks, Jack. I’m pretty content with being alone,” I say, pulling my hand away. This guy is lucky he tips so well.
“Well, if you change your mind, I want to put my hat in the ring,” he says, with a slight seductive tone.
“Don’t worry, you will be the first to know,” I say with a chuckle in my throat to hide my contempt. Don’t get me wrong; Jack is hot. He is personable, respectful, and has a good job. It’s just that I don’t date. Especially not after what happened to me two years ago. Love isn’t worth it.
I shuffle over to the counter and put my order in before turning toward the coffee machine to make myself a cup. I’m dragging ass today, and the dinner crowd is going to be in any moment. I need to caffeinate to keep my eyes open. Friday night is Mystical Night at Manny’s. Our local tarot reader and psychic makes an appearance here once a week to read people and provide hope to the weary. I don’t believe in any of it, but it gives the folks something to do, and Noli is the best at what she does. She makes people believe that better things are on the horizon and that their lives mean something. It’s better than Prozac and cheaper than a therapist. Besides, Noli is like one of my favorite people. She is upbeat, helps everyone out, and always pays her rent on time. She’s my roommate and best friend. We live down the road from Manny’s in a two-bedroom ranch style house that was built a million years ago. It’s falling apart at the seams, but it’s cheap and cozy. Noli has made these last two years bearable. I couldn’t have made it through them without her.
The bell over the door rings to signal more customers. We are going to have a full house tonight which means two things, a whole lot of being on my feet and some pretty sweet tips. I hate being a waitress, but it was the only job available when I got to town. I would rather be in the arena show jumping horses, but money is money.
Noli steps through with her bags of tricks. I rush over and grab a bag to relieve her and bring it over to the card table already set up in the back of the big open room. She’s got on her usual garb, a big flowy purple maxi skirt with a white peasant top. Her hair is braided down her back, and there are some crystals and charms threaded through. She says they are for luck and to help keep evil spirits away, but I think she does it because it looks cool. She talks about magic and mystical beings all the time, but I assume it is just her schtick. She’s quirky like that. She even has a scarf tied on top her head like a bandana, with the tails mixing in with her thick chestnut braid. She’s a knockout standing at 5’8” with a lean figure and these great big green eyes. Her face is soft and inviting. People fall in love with her instantly. She has no problem getting all the guys in Hellebore. Except for Jack; he seems to be impervious to her charms.
“Thanks, girl. All this crap is so heavy,” she says with a huff.
“No problem, Roomie. So, what’s on the agenda for tonight? A little tarot? A little crystal ball? Or maybe a magic show?” I say jokingly, because all this is just for fun, even if the old ladies of this town believe it to be true.
“Haha, very funny. If you must know, we will be doing some tarot and rune reading tonight. I figured I’d switch it up and give the old cronies something to talk about at their canasta card game this week.”
“Interesting. Will it be like the tarot reading you did on me yesterday? You know, the one where the same card kept coming up?” I tease, wiggling my eyebrows up and down. It was peculiar to me that only one card kept showing up every time she flipped a new one over from the deck, but I’m convinced she was just messing with me. She claims that it’s the cosmos, or whatever, trying to tell us something, but I think it’s total bullshit. A piece of paper isn’t going to tell the future.
“I already told you that it wasn’t a trick deck. It’s up to you to decide if you want to believe in the things that are right in front of you. Don’t worry. I’ll love you anyway, even if you are a null,” she tells
