Faithful by S. A. Wolfe Read Free Book Online

him a Norse god-like appeal. He’s a kcuffing Viking. I was never good at geography, and I doubt Mackenzie fits into the Viking surnames, but who gives a flying kcuf . I’m getting good at this.
    “Cooper is delicious,” Kelly says dreamily as she watches him being escorted to a booth by my traitorous mother.
    “He’s at least ten years older than you. Stop looking at him like that,” I hear my mother’s voice coming out of my mouth.
    “Why?” Samantha laughs. “He’s gorgeous. Like a—”
    “Like a guy that’s too old for you. Seriously, stick to your high school boys,” I say bitterly and swipe the counter in front of them with a wet rag.
    “That’s the problem, they’re immature boys ,” Samantha responds.
    “I’ve got news for you, men are just as immature. Most of them are wankers.” My riveting lecture doesn’t end there. “Didn’t anyone teach you about the famous Just Say No Campaign ? It works on every person and every topic. Stay in school and just say no.”
    “You lost me at wanker.” Kelly sighs.
    “What’s a wanker?” Samantha asks.
    “It’s a male kcuffer,” I reply dryly.
    “Oh, please. You dated Cody Aasland, the god of the football team. You went to homecoming and prom together. He must have been a good guy if you stuck with him for your whole senior year.” Kelly points her straw at me.
    “Yes, I did date Cody, and he was as dumb as a sack of hammers. No offense, but teenage girls aren’t always the brightest bulbs when it comes to boys. In college, I dated more beautiful, stupid hammers.”
    “Hammers and wankers.” Kelly rolls her eyes.
    “Listen, if there’s anything I’ve learned from my mistakes with men, go for the intelligent ones. Find the guy who is smart and kind.”
    “Like Jeremy?” Samantha smirks.
    “Right,” I sigh at my pointless symposium on finding Mr. Right. “Jeremy was intelligent and … kind.”
    “Last week, you called him a twat,” Samantha adds.
    “That’s because he broke up with me from two thousand miles away, so yes, he’s a kcuffing twat.” That has the girls giggling. “He was spineless. You need to be selective and date the ones that are smart, kind, and have a spine. And just say no . There. That will get you through college. Where are you going by the way?”
    “We’re both going to NYU.” Samantha beams.
    “Okay, well, in the city, you really need to learn how to say no.”
    “Hey,” Cooper says to me, suddenly appearing behind the girls.
    They both turn and stare at him, saying “Hi!” in unison with frozen smiles plastered on their faces.
    Cooper smiles and nods at them.
    “Yum,” Kelly whispers to herself, yet we all hear it. Cooper glances at her and then back at me with a concerned frown.
    “Well, you two just wasted my time,” I mutter to them and then give Cooper a shrug. “Sorry, we’re real busy. I’ll send Lauren over to your table.”
    “No. I’m sitting in your section. I’ll wait for you. I just came over to see how you’re doing, but I see you’re busy corrupting the next generation.” With that, he flashes a smile and walks back to his booth.
    My teenage students are still in a foggy rapture from Mr. Yum’s presence.
    “Imogene,” Lauren says angrily as she rounds the counter with an empty tray. “I ran food to three of your tables. I’m in the weeds! Bust a move and get out there, now .”
    “I need you to take Cooper’s table.”
    “No way. He paid me a hundred dollars so you’d wait on him.”
    “What? Why?”
    Lauren pulls the bill from her apron and snaps it in front of my face. “Don’t know, don’t care. I love you, but today, I love this more. Now get to work.”
    I walk over to Cooper and Leo’s booth, pull my ticket pad out of my apron, and click my pen. “Hi, Leo.”
    I am every customer’s worst nightmare: the disgruntled waitress they fear will spit in their food.
    “Hey, Imogene,” Leo says as he peruses the menu.
    I want to get this over with, but