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Jacinda smiled at the girl. "Coffee. Black. Thanks."
The girl looked at Jill expectantly. Jill paused for a moment, flashing Jacinda a teasing smile and then turned to face the server. "I would kill for a latte. Please. I've been drinking swill for days."
Jacinda laughed sharply at the tweak. Jill winked at her. Just then the server spoke up, voice gushing. "Oh my god! The Cosmic Music Festival?!?!? I literally got back from that last week!" She peered down, as if reading. Jacinda found herself frowning strangely. "You went in 23? Let me see." Jill adjusted her shirt so it was readable. "Brandi Carlisle. The One. Star Child...Janelle Monae? God I love her!"
Jill's face lit up and she grinned and Jacinda felt her heart racing. God, what a smile. "Yeah....she's amazing. At the festival....she owned the stage. Made you feel... she touched her heart with her fist. "I dont know. Just good.. Have you listened to her latest streams?"
And suddenly Jacinda felt herself cut out of the loop as they talked. She felt like a kid again. Mom and Dad talking with other adults and her not knowing what was going on. Left to herself. Another time. She was 14 and sitting with Regan at some restaurant. A football game was on and suddenly he and the waiter were talking scores and players and teams. Laughing and connecting.
And she was just sitting there. Fucking sitting there and ignored. No one. Not important.
Just Jacinda.
She wasn't a kid. Fuck this. She interrupted. "Sorry. The coffee? Had a late night." Sasha looked at her surprised and apologetic.
"I'm so sorry. Let me get that." She flashed Jill a smile and hurried off. Jill looked at her, puzzled.
And now she felt stupid. She looked sheepish. "Sorry. Maybe I'm a bit hungover. I should get something greasy." She smiled weakly.
She looked around. The Golden Sands was a typical diner in a small town. You could gauge the temperature of a place by their diners. While they waited, she nodded to the surrounding. "Not a lot of tension in here."
Jill still didn't look away. Jacinda looked at her puzzled, wondering what she wanted.