Surprised Visit

Wilson

"Hey, does the last name Calloway ring any bells for you?" I asked Arian, exactly one week after the whole restaurant fiasco.

We were currently at my other part-time job, a coffee shopbaptly named Coffee House. Arian was, decidedly, my best friend. He may have filled that role solely because I didn't have any other friends and we worked together a good portion of the week, but I was more than content with him. He was cute and friendly and an all-around good guy. The type of person everyone needed in his or her life.

"If I answer that will you fishtail my hair for me?" he responded, pointing at his dark hair tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head. "I was already late for work and couldn't really do anything with it."

"Fine, fine, sit down."

Arian cheerfully took a seat on one of the stools lining the countertop. Fortunately, the coffee shop was pretty dead, as it usually was in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time to fix her hair up.

"I'm actually worried that you don't recognize the name," he said to me.

"Although, you do live under a rock most of the time."

I tugged on her hair a little harder than I had to. "Is she an actress?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Uh, she kind of looks like one."

He whipped his head around to face me. I quickly let go of his hair so I wouldn't pull it. "You saw him?" he exclaimed.

"Careful, and yeah, she was that lady I told you about at Michelangelo's the other night. Who is she?"

"Think about her name carefully for a moment," he replied, looking forward again. He gestured for me to finish the braid. "You haven't seen it anywhere?"

I pursed my lips, rolling a hair tie off my wrist so I could lock the braid in place. "No. I can't remember. That's why I'm asking you."

"Remember your twenty-first birthday?"

As it was a night to remember, I nodded.

"Do you remember where we stayed?"

"That hotel near the casino," I answered.

He turned around to look at me again and nodded. "And what was that hotel called?"

"Calloway Express. But why..." The connection took a moment. My jaw nearly dropped.

It explained so much.

Me being supposed to know who she was, her attitude, the fanciness, the ten thousand dollar tip. "Oh man."

"Seems like you recognize it." He giggled.

"Ah geez, no wonder why she knew so much about average customer times," I mumbled.

The restaurants at the Calloway hotels were a hell of a lot more extravagant than Michelangelo's Georgia probably ran some of them too. But why had she been dining at Michelangelo's anyway? Surely she got free meals at her own restaurants.

"It's going to be hard to track her down."

"You want to find her? Why?"

"Well, the thing is..." I pulled out the receipt from that night and handed it to him.

I'd kept it because I knew Georgia had been way drunk when she wrote it and it didn't feel right just taking the money. It sat in my bank account, untouched. I wanted to return it. Arian's jaw dropped as he saw the tip amount.

"Wow, she must've really liked you! What's with the random forty-three cents and that weird note? She wants you to be her boyfriend? You didn't say you two were flirty-flirty. What exactly happened again? You should definitely call her. And you should get me a job at your work."

I shook my head. "No way. I couldn't let someone like you work there. You'd be eaten alive."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're too kind for your own good. I'd be afraid of you getting attacked. And besides, I'm returning the money."

He handed me the receipt again.

"Why? That would really help you out, Wilson."

"Yeah, but it's not right. She was really drunk."

"So? Drunk and rich. I doubt someone like her would even notice they were missing ten grand. Ah, it's annoying to even think about. You should just keep it," he advised, poking at the finished braid.

I slapped him hand away. "You'll mess it up. And I'm not keeping it. It feels weird."

Besides, the note had said the tip was an advance. An advance for what, I didn't know, but an advance was something you had to pay back and I'd rather just avoid the whole thing altogether.

Arian turned to me, his brown eyes taking on a serious edge. "All honest heart aside, you should at least keep it for emergency money. What if something happens to you or your brother or your apartment? How much do you have saved up on your own?"

Not enough was the answer to that.

And as much as I did want to keep the money for extremities, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It just didn't feel right. Taking money from drunken people was like taking candy from a baby. "I just can't keep this money. I'd feel gross. I'm giving it back."

Resigned, he sighed lightly. "I know. I'd probably do the same in the end. It kinda sucks though. Ten grand to the rich is nothing. Tern grand to us is everything."

"Hey, at least we appreciate each dollar more than them," I responded brightly.

"Mmm," he responded, trailing off and gazing out the door.

Then his eyes widened and he turned back to me.

"Oh my god." He pointed toward the door. "It's... Callow... Look!"

Just as the door jingled, signaling the arrival of a customer, I pivoted to see none other than Georgia Calloway coming through the doors. I felt like I could spot that confident gait and that trussed up hair from a mile away. I stood rooted to my spot in front of the counter. What in the world was she doing here?

"Willey," she greeted me, a beautiful smile on her face.

I wasn't sure if I was more weirded out by the fact that she was here, or that she remembered my name. I glanced at the young woman she'd come in with and realized it was the same lady Georgia had been with at thee restaurant a week prior. What was her name again?

Sol? Salon? Like from The Little Mermaid?

"Uhh, crab?" I said aloud, eyeing the light-haired woman.

Her expression became confused and Georgia quickly put a hand to her mouth, disguising her laugh as a cough. Realizing what I said, I felt my face warm up.

"Wait, sorry! I didn't mean to say that. I meant to say Solene. I was just thinking of The Little Mermaid."

"It's okay," Solene said, smiling a little bit. "I'm pleased that you remembered my name, actually."

Was it weird that I remembered her name? Probably. I was just as strange as Bennett now.

"I haven't met a Solene before, that's why," I covered.

Georgia smirked. "Have you met a Georgia before?"

"Most likely," I answered, her smug look annoying me.

She immediately dropped it and folded her arms over her chest. After brooding for about point-five seconds, she glanced around the shop, now seemingly interested in it. I followed her with my eyes as she walked over

to the painted mural on the wall, then to one of the wooden tables, and then finally to the marble counter. Arian stood behind it, near the register. He shot a bewildered look at me and gave a slight shake to my head as if to say I have no idea what's happening.

He brushed his bangs out of his face and smiled hesitantly. "Um, would you like something, Ms. Calloway?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Ms. Calloway? Why was he being so polite? This woman barely looked younger than us.

"Your phone number?" She responded smoothly.

Arian became flustered and I did my best not to roll my eyes. Solene shook her head a little bit, but she was smiling.

"I'll actually have an iced coffee. Black, please," Georgia said before turning slightly so that she could rest her back against the counter. I thought she kind of looked the type to drink black coffee.

All business like and strict.

Arian went off to make her beverage and I walked over to her, my arms still in my apron. "What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked.

How had she known I worked here?

"I came to see you," she answered.

"Why?"

She pushed herself off the counter, closing the distance between us. When she was about five inches away, she stopped. I caught my breath a little, uncomfortable with our proximity. The scent of her cologne wafted in the air between us. It smelt good.

A very woodsy smell. "You haven't called me," she stated simply.

I looked into her dark eyes and swallowed nervously. Her presence almost felt overbearing. Clearing my throat, I took a step back. "Was I supposed to?"

"I left you a note."