“Looks like the rain's gonna hold off,” quipped Bill Sandler.
“Good. My bones can’t take it,” countered Jackie Delvon.
The pair entered the small restaurant that had been in Bill’s family for years.
“I’m surprised the new girl wasn’t waiting here for us like the past two days,” Jackie said.
“Maybe she’s starting to relax a bit, she’s wound up so tight.”
“Wound up? She’s a pompous bitch, always rearranging things, bossing people around.”
“Now Jackie, she is a bit OCD, but everything she's done is an improvement. I’m glad I hired her.”
As Bill and Jackie walked away from each other to start the morning obligations, Jackie whispered under her breath “pompous bitch.”
Next in was Doug Sandler, Bill’s nineteen year old son.
“Hey Doug,” waved Bill without looking up from his paperwork.
“Hey Dougie sweety,” Jackie said as she tended to a serving station.
Doug sauntered in eyes forward, expressionless as he raised a sloppy piece sign with his right hand. Doug rarely talked before nine thirty. Next entered Marcy Hellman and Heather Fields.
“Did you go to ‘Twins of Fire’ at the University, Heather?” asked Marcy.
“No, I saw the movie. Besides, I went to bed early since I had to work today.”
“Pompous bitch,” whispered Jackie under her breath. “I was there last night Marcy,” Jackie said. “It was a fun night, even though the movie was better.”
“Yeah, the movie was better. I thought that guy playing Lance was really funny looking, the one with the bald head and big nose.”
“Oh Marcy, that man was nice looking, although in the movie Lance was a real hottie.”
Around eight o’clock Kyle Grayson, the actor who played Lance in the play ‘Twins of Fire’ walked into the restaurant.
“Hey, there’s the funny looking guy who played Lance,” spouted Marcy.
Heather’s eyes glazed over and she froze where she stood. “Funny looking? He’s like a Greek God.”
“Greek God? Oh God, you’re warped.”
Kyle sat at the bar area and was waited on by Heather.
“What can I get you, Sir?”
“Two eggs over easy, wheat toast, and coffee.”
“Right away.”
Heather brought the order slip to the pass through window. “Dougie. Dougie. Make this order extra special.”
“It’s eggs and toast. How the hell do I make it special?”
“I don’t know.”
“You want it served with gold leaf?”
“Can you?”
Doug looked down and shook his head. “Crazy bitch.”
“Can I get you anything else?” asked Heather while Kyle ate his food.
“Miss. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do I know you?”
“I wanted to ask you the same thing. My name’s Heather.”
“Mine’s Kyle. I’ve never known a Heather.”
“And I’ve never known a Kyle. But you seem so familiar.”
“I feel the same way.”
Bill caught sight of the two in conversation. A sweet memory of him with his ex wife when they first started dating drifted through his mind.
“Hey Doug,” whispered Marcy. “Heather thinks that guy looks like a Greek God.”
“What? Dude looks more like a plumber,” sneered Doug.
Kyle finished his meal. “Anything else I can get you?” Heather asked Kyle.
“Will you be here tomorrow?”
“I’ll be here all week.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow, Cinderella.” Kyle politely left the establishment.
“Did he call you Cinderella?” asked Marcy.
“Yeah,” replied Heather. Marcy doubled over laughing.
The next day a similar set of events played out, ending with Kyle calling Heather Cinderella. The couple started to become a big joke among the staff and patrons of the restaurant.
On the third day, Heather finally asked Kyle, “why do you call me Cinderella?”
“I’ll tell you on one condition. Let me take you out. I want to get to know you better.”
“When?”
“When do you get off work?”
“Two o’clock.”
“I have to be at the University at four. Will you spend a couple hours with me in the park before I have to start work?”
Heather didn’t respond immediately. She asked Jackie “he wants to take me out to the park later. What should I do?”
“When?”
“From two to four.”
“It’s a crowded public place. You should be fine. Think of it this way, how often do you get asked out by an actor?” The fact that he’s an actor did not have any bearing on Heather’s decision. He was so familiar he felt like an old friend, but she had no memory of him. Curiosity of him using Cinderella is what made her decide to accept the date.
Kyle and Heather sat on a bench slowly exchanging bits of information about each other; where they grew up, what their ambitions were in life, how close they were or were not to their respective families. There was no information in common, this was absolutely the first time they had ever met, and yet they still both felt like old friends.
“Will you tell me now why you called me Cinderella?” asked Heather.
“When I first saw you, you were so amazingly beautiful. I don’t think I have ever come across a woman I ever thought was more beautiful. But the more I observed the reactions of people in the restaurant I realized I’m the only one who sees you that way. It’s as though they see you as Cinderella, the servant for her step mother and step sisters, but I’m seeing Cinderella after the Fairy Godmother has prepared her for the ball. It’s like this familiarity I have with you is allowing me to perceive things about you that others can’t. At least this won’t disappear after midnight”
Heather smiled as she admired his Dionysian physique that no one else could perceive. The two silently held onto each others’ hands. A large swell of unadulterated love careened through both souls fueled by hundreds of years of togetherness across dozens of past lives spent together.
Riding this surge of love Kyle spontaneously suggested “the theater company moves on next week. I would absolutely love it if you would accompany me for the rest of our tour.”
While Kyle basked and soaked up the overwhelming surge of love, Heather was shocked and disturbed by it. It felt alien, foreign, forbidden. Her vast intellect quickly built a wall around her emotions binding this sensation of love off like a tourniquet. Thoughts of social protocol and etiquette scolded her ego for indulging in such reckless emotion. She really didn’t know him. He was an actor. She was a waitress trying to study for a position in the medical field. Those two worlds aren’t supposed to coexist.
“Can I think about it overnight before I give you an answer?” asked Heather.
“Of course.”
As they parted ways in the park Kyle spoke “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cinderella.” Heather simply waved goodbye.
The next day Kyle showed up at the restaurant and Marcy was his server.
“Where’s Heather?” he asked.
The normally giddy and jolly Marcy spoke with a smile but a tone of seriousness. “She came back last night and quit. When our owner Mr. Sandler found out, he went to see her to see if he could talk her out of it. She made sure to convince him you had nothing to do with her decision.”
“Do you have her phone number?”
“I’ve been calling her and texting her all morning, she’s not responding. She even shut down all her social media.” Kyle becomes noticeably shaken and unstable. “You miss your Cinderella a lot, don’t ya.”
In a shaking quivering voice Kyle responded “more than anyone can realize.” Kyle knew where his head was. His hands knew where his food was. He could tell he had feet down on the foot rail. Inside Kyle Grayson had become nothing. Inside he was a black hole.
Bio:
Ken Gibbons is a factory worker in upstate New York who is also a published writer, composer, and musician.