"What are you doing?"

"Can't wait to shave my tongue" he smiles completely ignoring the problem "I'll shave yours too if you want." Why's he being nice?


"I'm sorry" I apologize avoiding eye contact "sometimes I open my mouth and shit falls out." He chuckles "you're laughing?" I turn to him smiling

"If I don't then I'll cry" he replies and my smile is gone "now about your hairy tongue-" "I don't have a hairy tongue"

"Not yet but you will." we finish our cigarettes "and I accept your apology, I'm sorry if I did anything


to make you not like me..." he walks back in leaving me in the alley. I fucked up and he apologizes. I can't help the smirk on my face as I walk in after him.

Towards the end of my shift as I drop a hand full of dirty plates "Dean," Haley walks up to me, I turn to her "how do you feel about a second shift? Tonight"


"No- no I can't"

"Please one of my night shifts dropped out I'm desperate" "What about the new guy?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know his name, and Cooper's already doing a double"

"He is?" I turn to her and she nods "fine I'll do it"

"Thank you!" Heading back to the flour Haley stops me "I heard what you said to him earlier by the way"

"Fucking bat ears Haley"

"My office is in the kitchen I hear everything, stop being a dick all right?" "Trying."

"Hey you got people" Cece points to my table.

Walking over with my pad and pen "welcome can I get you folks anything to start?"

Days shift ends and night shift begins, night shifts at the diner are quiet so it's just Cooper and I. He's barely talking to me, now that I think about it we've barely talked since the alley "how's the food?" I watch him from the kitchen as he talks to the only 2 customers we have currently eating.

"It's good, thank you" they reply with a mouth full

"Great can I refresh your drinks?" They decline "no problem enjoy" he walks away. Coming into the kitchen I quickly turn to not make it seem like I was watching him. "It's pretty dead in there I'm gonna take a quick break" he says

"Sure" I reply and he walks to the back door.

A few minutes passed and he isn't back in to check on the people at his table, walking out to warning him I stand behind him when I see him on the phone "...I miss you too" I hear his low voice.

"Cooper" I walk closer and he quickly puts his phone away wiping his eyes when he hears me "are you-"

"No no um sorry it's..."

"Are you ok?" It's a dark alley but it's lit enough for me to see the tears in his red eyes "who were you talking to?"

"It's no one" he looks away embarrassed "Fine don't tell me but-"

"It was my mom" he cuts me off

"Your dead mom?"

"It was a voicemail she left before her and my dad..."

"Oh," he looks so sad "What'd it say?" Taking out the phone he puts it on the voicemail and hands it to me

'Hey Coop it's mommy' he looks at me as I listen to the voicemail 'When are you coming home kiddo? Your father's excited to show you the new gazebo in the backyard... please come home soon Coop, we miss you.' The recording ends

"That fucked me up," I say as I hand him back the phone "I'm sorry"

"No it's fine" he puts the phone in his pocket and wipes his eyes "I should check on my table" he goes back inside.

Nights shift is slow so I keep my distance from Cooper, I seem to stick my foot in my mouth every time I talk to him so it's best if I just don't. "What the hell did you do?" Haley comes up to me as I'm cleaning tables

"I'm sure you know I have no idea what you're talking about so..." "What did you do to Cooper?"

Turning to her "nothing why? What'd he say?"

"He just quit"

"Because of me?" Even when I don't do anything I'm doing something wrong

"He didn't say exactly but it was only his second day Dean and you were the only person he had a problem with here."

"But we were fine, we even smoked in the alley together and I apologized" "So why'd he quit?"

"You're the boss Haley you tell me" frustrated she sighs walking away. I refuse to take fault for this

that guy quit on his own merits I was being nice, I know I was. I refuse to feel guilty for something I didn't do.

Walking into Haley's office as she's packing up "it wasn't my fault" I defend myself, not answering she continues to pack "you will not guilt me with silence"

With a smug smile, she replies "why feel guilty if you didn't do anything?" "I don't feel guilty"

"Good. Is your section closed out?" I nod "and the dishwasher is cleared out?"

"Yes"

"Okay" she walks away leaving me in her office. Looking at her desk I see a sheet with Cooper's name on it, sneaking a peek I see his phone number and address on the sheet. "Go clock out so I can lock up" Haley says and I move away from her desk leaving her office.