Page 99 of You'll Love it Here

“That’d be great. Thanks, Kelly.”

She leaves my wine on the counter and takes off to greet a young couple in matching dark-rimmed glasses who just walked in.

Sami bursts through the kitchen door a moment later, the door flapping in his wake. “I thought I heard your voice!” It’s the grinthat tugs across his whole face when he first sees me that never gets old. “Come, sit at the counter. By the way, remind me later—I made this dip I want to watch you try.”

“Sami,please.” I take a seat at my new stool. (The old one is available online at #onemansjunk, Carmen’s new—officially licensed!—shop.) “I told you it unsettles me when you watch me eat.”

“But the folks in marketing.” He winks. “They need to know.”

I place an unimpressive package on the counter. I wrapped it using a brown envelope I stole from the office earlier, after I decided that this was, in fact, a gift.

“What’s this?” Sami asks.

“Something I made you. Happy birthday.”

He holds his hands to his chest. “Oh my god, Mona, you made me a thing.”

I shake my head furiously. “Don’t get excited! I’m still pretty shitty. But I thought it would be cute for the diner.”

He tears into the envelope and slides out the linen. Then he stares, expression blank.

“If you don’t want to put it up, or... embroidery really is harder than I expected.”

He starts to laugh. “Mona, this is without a doubt the greatest thing anyone has ever made or done in this place.”

He holds it up to the wall behind him, testing a place to put it. The words turned out clear enough at least:

I’m sorry for the way I acted at your place of business last night.

“Look at that. It’ll be a permanent fixture right here as soon as I dig out my hammer.” He rolls it up and places it gently back in the envelope. “This is so random; the patrons are gonna love it.”

A few more strangers file in, taking up the back corner booth. Kelly rushes to bring them menus.

I raise my eyebrows at Sami. “I notice you didn’t close to the public for the party?”

Sami follows my gaze. “I considered it, but I didn’t want to alienate the new neighbors on the street, you know?”

I can’t suppress my giggle. “I do know.”

A crash rings from the kitchen. Sami has hired a few new crew members back there, but they’re still finding their stride as a team. “Shit. I better go see how everyone’s doing.” Sami rushes to join the chaos in the kitchen.

I don’t notice Irene coming in, until she jabs me in the ribs as a greeting. She’s curled her hair into tight ringlets for the evening. “I can’t believe we all stayed alive for this.”

I stand up to give her a hug. “Irene! You came.”

She playfully shoos me off. “Calm down, it’s just for a minute. I’ll have to get back to Ernest soon.” She squints at me. “I don’t know what kind of partying you did this morning, but you got him all worked up.”

“We just... walked to the park and back.”

“Anyway.” Her hands splay expectantly. “Thought this was a mixer, where the hell is everyone?”

Right on cue, the door jingles and Jane and Carmen file in. “Sorry we’re late!” Jane calls. “But the new rec room is looking great! Or should I say—fire! Too soon?”

“Oh, good god.” Irene rolls her eyes about as dramatically as a lady of a certain age can muster.

“You’re all looking dapper!” Carmen takes his usual seat next to me. “Jane took over the entire thing. I was just the gofer, but it turned out pretty nice.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to learn in the real world,” Jane adds.