Blind Date Cake

“Anything else? More grape juice Baby Doll?” the tall and overtly muscled waitress asked in a voice so graveled a propane truck could have been rolling down a country road for all you knew by the sound of it. Kevin looked up from his phone to say he was fine then choked a little when he saw her smiling back at him with fire engine red lipstick, widely set teeth framed with boxy shaped lips and an Adam's apple larger the size of Donald Trump’s nose. He looked her up and down and noted the tats covering her hairy broad forearms as she braced one around a pitcher and rested the other on the booth he sat at. He fought himself to look away from the not so well shaped stuffed bra under her uniform.

“Uhm, no....I think I’m, I’m, no I, yeah I’m.. good.” he stuttered, motioning at his untouched piece of chocolate cake and half empty glass of grape juice. The waitress winked at him, her thick black eyebrows moving wildly with the movement as she did and adjusted her large blonde wig that had been curled and pulled back into ponytails.

“Well, you let me know Handsome just what I can do for you, okay?” she whispered, her Adam's apple bobbing slowly up and down as she flittered her thick and glitter caked fake eyelashes then tapped him on the shoulder before spinning in her size 15 red heels and swaying back to the kitchen. Kevin flinched at the touch then craned around the booth trying to make sense of her broad shoulders and very apparent padded behind.

“Oop, I caught you looking Big Boy!” she hollered in a deep voice as she glanced back at him, putting a large knuckled finger on her lips and playfully widening her eyes before heading in to the kitchen. Kevin’s eyes widened as well as he sucked in a nervous breath, shook his head and then spun back around, knocking his juice over in the process. Frantic with the purple liquid falling like a waterfall he scrambled to wipe it up with the half-used napkin lying on the table before it filled the seat he was sitting.

“Oh no, do you want me to get the waitress? She’s so nice, her name is Derek. DEREK!” a young woman seated at a table next to him asked, raising her hand to wave at the kitchen as she called. Kevin quickly looked back at the kitchen where Derek had her head popped up over the counter, readjusting the wig as she did and looking for who had called. Kevin waved his stubby hands madly at the woman next to him and shushed her.

“NO! No, please, shhhhh, no that’s not necessary. It's fine really.” he said, fumbling his words as he untucked his dress shirt and used it to mop up the mess while hiding behind the booth to avoid being seen from the kitchen. The woman looked sideways at him then chuckled and half waved at the kitchen motioning for them to ignore her request. Derek saw her, winked then sashayed back towards the dish room.

Kevin wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve them pushed the cake away and looked at the time on his watch. The woman smiled and looked sideways at his cake, snorting as she did. Kevin glanced at her in confusion then looked away, smoothing down his now stained shirt and tried to focus on the people outside the window. Her heard the lady next to him snort again but when he looked back at her she was looking down at her own phone while returning to her pasta salad.

Kevin looked down the aisleway toward the door when he saw a woman come in and scan the room, he nudged the cake toward the end of the table for her to see it, holding his breath in case it was actually her, then exhaling in disappointment when a group of ladies motioned for her and she walked over to join them. He let out a tired sigh and checked the phone again.

“That for her?” the woman next to him asked, pointing to the cake as she looked up from her phone but continued to eat her own dish. Kevin turned to her, perplexed by her random question.

“Is what for who?” he asked, his tone wavering as he struggled to hide his anxiety. The woman laughed then caught herself and forced her lips closed to a smile before answering.

‘Your date, of course! Is the cake for whomever you’re waiting on?” she asked, her blue eyes wide and bright as she brushed her thick brown hair out of her eyes. Kevin’s mouth dropped a little as he drew the cake to himself and tried to act convincing as he picked up a fork.

“NO! No, I’m not sitting here desperately waiting on anybody...I’m not-I'm just not hungry right now.” he clamored, his forehead beginning to sweat again as he poked the cake with his fork then fumbled with it trying to place it calmly on the plate as he feigned lack of hunger. The woman laughed, rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I never said you were desperate, I only asked if you were waiting. My mistake, enjoy your cake.” she chuckled, turning back to her phone and taking a bite of her garlic bread. Kevin watched her bite into the bread and couldn’t help but notice how soft her jawline was and how neatly her small teeth pulled the bread away as she brushed the crumbs off her caramel skin with her thin and perfectly manicured hands.

“OOOOH! You’re out of juice Handsome!” Derek boomed, her deep and unsettlingly rough voice jolting Kevin from his stare. Kevin shook his head quickly but Derek reached across him, brushing her lumberjack arms against him as she grabbed the glass and headed back towards the kitchen.

“Be right back Sugar!” she called, looking back over her broad shoulders and winking at him as she shook her artificial booty at him. Kevin shrank back into the booth and put one hand on his head in frustration as he opened the dating app on his phone to check his messages. None. There were none. He glanced down the aisle again as the door opened but shook his head and let out a long sigh when a family came in and were seated.

“Maybe she’s not coming. You know? Blind dates are scary, or maybe she saw you in the window and just decided this wasn’t for her.” the woman said matter of factly, using the fabric napkin from her lap to wipe her mouth as she pushed her plate away. Kevin looked up at her slowly and narrowed his eyes.

“Listen lady, I said I wasn’t waiting on anyone, okay? You eat your meal and I’ll eat mine, got it?’ he snapped, fixing his hair and forcing his hands to calm as she pushed the plate away and motioned toward the kitchen for the check. Derek was filling his juice when he saw Kevin wave. She nodded, put the glass down, giggled like a trucker who had just won a free box of wings at the truck stop then grabbed the check and started heading towards the table.

Kevin let out an exhausted sigh and rolled his eyes, looking away from her and folding his hands as he looked out the window and waited for the check. He heard Derek come close, whisper something to the lady next him, laugh, then hustle back towards the kitchen like an NFL quarterback who was ready to line up for the next play. Kevin looked slowly around then glared when he saw the lady next to him smiling and holding his check.

“Is that mine?” he asked, gesturing at the check. She nodded as she grinned and shook the check playfully at him. Kevin narrowed his eyebrows and shook his head.

“What are you doing? Gimme my check.” he groaned, reaching for the check. She drew it back and giggled.

“I put it on my tab, I’m a regular here.” she answered, blinking her soft lashes slowly and looking at him as she lowered her head flirtatiously. Kevin’s heart jumped as he cleared his throat and pulled at his collar to loosen it.

“Uh, that is not necessary. It's only a piece of cake and a juice. I am more than capable of paying for it.” He stated, forcing his voice to go lower and fighting it to remain stable as his heart beat faster inside of him. His head felt light as he scanned her body for the first time.

She smiled, closed her eyes briefly and shrugged as she laid it on the table then picked up her small wicker purse that had a pink ribbon tied around the handle. Kevin drew in a deep breath and swallowed dryly as she stood up and her body fell into curves that perfectly filled out the yellow sundress she was wearing and chunky wedge wicker heels that held her neatly manicured feet. She smiled coyly at him as he gazed up at her, unaware that his mouth was now open and his eyes locked on her as she spoke.

“I know you can, and I also know the cake wasn’t for you.” She said, grinning at him as she turned and walked slowly towards the door, looking back one last time to laugh at him before disappearing through the glass door. Kevin found himself staring at the empty door in case she came back through when a deep voice boomed behind him.

“Hey honey! You all done?” Derek called, smiling her boxy wide smile, the red lipstick staining the edges of her square teeth as she flittered her hand at Kevin and nodded toward the table. Kevin quickly cleared his throat and nodded his head, grabbing his phone and straightening his shirt as he slid out of the booth trying not to brush up against the waitress as he did.

“Ahh, you didn’t even touch your cake Gorgeous. Was there something wrong with it?” Derek asking, forcing a dramatic pout while holding up the cake in her large burly hands and motioning it towards him. Kevin let out an annoyed breath and shook his head as he gestured his hand away at the cake.

“I don’t even like chocolate cake. I’m more of a pie person.” he said flatly, rolling his eyes at Derek then turning around to leave. Her heard her giggle like a 90-year-old smoker.

“Same with Sherise. The lady next to you. She comes in for pie every Friday.” he heard her say. Kevin’s heart thumped hard as he stopped and whirled around quickly on one heel to face Derek who was already looking Kevin up and down and smiling. Kevin rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Any idea what time she comes in here?” he asked. Derek shrugged and picked up the empty juice glass to go with the cake.

“I suppose if you were here around 4:30 you’d probably stand a chance to catch her. I’ll be here at 2, if you were wondering...” Derek said in a sing songy voice that made even Oscar the Grouch’s voice sound like an upgrade. Kevin cringed as Derek tossed her head back to flip her ponytail then he twisted his face and closed his eyes as he held his hand up and nodded.

“4:30, got it.” he sighed, shaking his head against the mental image of Derek still standing there smiling as he walked out the door and scanned the street for her. She was nowhere in sight. He pulled out his phone and made a reminder to go off 5 days from now then smiled as he tossed it back into his pocket. Maybe this blind date worked out after all.

Full Copyrights@ Roberta Escobar July 20th, 2021 This story may not be reproduced, duplicated or changed in anyway without express written permission of the author listed above.