He smiled. “I’ll take your word for it, then. I’d like a bacon double cheeseburger, an order of onion rings, and a chocolate milkshake.”
She smiled back. “Hope you’re hungry because they serve big portions here.”
That’s when Nathan turned on the charm. He leaned forward and smiled. “You know what… I already like this place, sis. Nice portions and even nicer waitresses. What more could a guy ask for?”
Amy blushed. She was very pretty and I’m sure that guys were always coming on to her, but even I had to admit, Nathan was a good-looking guy himself. Obviously, he knew it, too.
“I’ll be back with your malt and water in just a moment,” she said softly before she walked away.
“I guess Deanna is beginning to fade from your memory as the day progresses,” I mused.
His face became serious. “Not really. I mean, there will always be a special place in my heart for her, but, I’ve decided to keep my options open. Heck, I’m young and shouldn’t be tying myself down to one girl; especially one who’s a few hundred miles away.”
I folded my hands and nodded. “That’s why I’m not going to waste time pining for any of the guys in town. After high school there will be college, and I don’t want anything holding me back.”
Amy returned with his milkshake and handed me an application.
“Um, if I were you I’d only request hours during the day or early evening.”
“Why?” I asked, puzzled.
She looked around nervously and then whispered, “It’s too dangerous around here at night.”
Nathan raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean by dangerous?”
“Amy!” hollered someone behind the counter, who looked like the cook. “Order’s up! They’re waiting!”
“Sorry, I can’t talk about it now,” she mumbled. “Just take my word for it.”
Then she left us both staring at each other in surprise.
I bit the side of my lower lip. “Wow, first a dead body in the lake and now this creepy warning?”
He waved his hand. “Oh, it might be nothing. Maybe she’s talking about drunk drivers or something.”
“I don’t know, but, I’ll take her word for it. I’d prefer to work during the day, anyway.”
I finished the application just as our food arrived.
“I can take this and give it to the owner if you’d like. She’ll be in later this evening,” said Amy.
“Thanks,” I said. “So, what did you mean earlier about it being dangerous around here at night?”
Her eyes darted around the restaurant again and I had this feeling like she was genuinely scared. Finally she cleared her throat and mumbled. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just forget I said anything.”
At that moment I noticed that the diner was unusually quiet and I had the impression that some of the other customers were listening to our conversation. I decided it would be best just to drop the subject.
I raised my voice. “Oh. Well, yeah, if you could give the application to whoever does the hiring, I’d really appreciate it.”
She nodded and then stepped away. I immediately noticed that the volume of the diner rose again and I stared at Nathan curiously.
“Okay, kind of weird,” he said, under his breath. “Must be a small town thing?”
“Must be,” I said, picking up my fork.
We finished our food and Nathan left a big tip for Amy, who was so busy she could barely make it back to the table, to refill our glasses.
“You dropped something,” called Amy as we were leaving the diner. Before I could respond, she handed me a folded-up note and hurried away.
“What was that all about?” asked Nathan as we walked to the car.”
The sun was bright and I put my shades on. “Don’t know. We’ll read it in the car.”
When we got into the Mustang, I immediately opened the note and read it out loud. “Lock your doors at night and don’t invite any strangers inside.” A shiver ran up my spine and I turned to Nathan. “Okay, that’s really freaky.”
Nathan’s cell phone began to ring before he could respond. “It’s mom,” he said, answering it.
I could hear them talking about her date with the sheriff and then he hung up.
“I guess it’s going to be a late dinner, so we don’t have to be home for a few hours. The sheriff is working a little later and isn’t getting off until sometime after nine.”
I snorted. “If it’s dangerous here at night, it would make sense that he’s really busy.”
“Listen,” said Nathan, as we pulled out of the parking lot. “I wouldn’t go blowing everything out of proportion. It’s possible that Amy was friends with that dead girl and doesn’t trust anyone right now. Or maybe, she’s a little crazy.”