Chapter 43: A Happy Day
Nora was happy today. Though she was always trying to serve with warmth, there was an extra sparkle in her eyes and a noticeable spring in her step as she moved between tables, taking orders and delivering food with radiant happiness that couldn’t be contained.
As she approached the waitress station to pick up another order, Lena couldn’t resist teasing Nora. "Nora, you seem happier than a kid in a candy store today. What’s got you in such a great mood?"
Nora’s eyes sparkled as if she had a secret and Lena, the effervescent gossip, leaned forward and questioned," Come on, spill the beans, Nora. Did you get a new boyfriend or win the lottery?"
Nora giggled at that and also leaned forward, as if about to tell a secret. And as Lena waited with anticipation, Nora said," I aced the Math pop-up test! All straight A’s!"
Lena could not help but roll her eyes at that and chimed in," Are you sure this happiness is the result of Math and not romance? Because I heard that when someone suddenly becomes this happy, there’s usually a secret romance involved."
Nora pretended to ponder but played along," If there is a secret romance, then it is a secret to me too!"
Lena burst out laughing but continued in a whisper," Well, all you need to do is go and sit on that table and your romance will bloom. Your not-so-secret admirer is here again!"
Nora rolled her eyes but did not glance back towards the table where Lena had gestured. There was no need to see. The man who had first interfered when she had been confronting Antonio was now a regular in the coffee shop. Though he had never asked her to sit with him or even talked much to her, he made it a point to sit at the same table and expected only her to serve him.
But since the man was nothing but polite, she could not help it...