CHAPTER 10


IHOP was its typically brightly-lit, pancake-flippin’ self when they arrived, and they took a booth along the back wall in the theoretical non-smoking section. The haggard-looking waitress breezed by, dumping silverware, napkins and laminated menus on the table. She breezed off without a word. 
 
“So whatcha havin’?” Josh asked, sliding a menu in her direction. 
 
Sadie shrugged. 
 
“Waffles maybe?” She was actually feeling hungry again. This was a good sign. 
 
“Mmm! With whipped cream! Get whipped cream!” JC encouraged. He grinned. Sadie laughed. 
 
“I’ll get whipped cream,” she agreed. “What about you?” 
 
“I’m now leaning away from blueberry towards strawberry,” he said seriously, scratching his scruffy chin. “What do you think?” 
 
Sadie pretended to be deep in thought. 
 
“What do I think?” she asked, faking a New York accent. 
 
“Yeah,” JC responded. 
 
“Bud Light,” she teased. JC laughed. 
 
“No, I like strawberry myself,” she said honestly. “But it’s up to you.” 
 
“I think I like strawberry too,” he decided. “With whipped cream…” 
 
Sadie laughed again. 
 
“You’re all about the whipped cream, aren’t you?” she noted with a coy smile. 
 
JC batted innocent eyelashes. 
 
“Whipped cream is good for breakfast!” he insisted. Then he spotted a little cup of crayons on the edge of the table. His eyes lit up. 
 
“Wanna draw?” he asked, yanking them to the center, “You can have the green crayon…” 
 
He handed her the little, green cylinder with a sheepish smile. It was like being in kindergarten, but much more fun and much more adult. Their fingertips brushed. This time, in addition to fireworks, Sadie felt something warm and gooey swarm over her heart. Love, maybe, she reasoned. But it was way too soon for love. And it was their first sober moment all night. So love it couldn’t be. Maybe it was just really deep like… 
 
“Thanks,” she said blushing. She went to pull her hand away, but JC held on. She met his eyes tentatively. They had this strange, soft, misty look to them and there was a sort-of wistful smile on his lips. There was also a ringlet of hair that had escaped his hat hanging down near his eyes. Sadie used her opposite hand to brush it away. JC leaned forward.  
 
She could feel the soft caress of his breath on her cheeks and nose...she could smell the warm scent of sweat, musk and Envy eminating from the collar of his shirt. She felt her eyelids flutter close. JC pulled her in a little more... 
 
“All right, what can I get you?” the waitress demanded. 
 
The moment shattered. 
 

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