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Nothing.

Nada.

Ghosted.

And it wasn't like America was desperate for the D or trying to build some big relationship here. There were Options for the first and the latter seemed like some far off maybe one day rather than something she'd want right now or even ever. But the problem was, Taym had seemed...friend-shaped. And usually she was good at telling the difference between some ******** and a friend.

But not this time.

No answers to her texts and a conspicuous absence at the garage when she'd gone to check and make sure he wasn't like, dead or in a hospital or something. Hit-n-quits were fine, of course. She'd left a happy trail of them from one coast to the next and this could have gone just the same, had he been a bit more honest about what he wanted.

America felt like she'd been fooled, tricked into liking him and sharing her stories and offering her friendship. It'd been a long time since that had happened, and by the time she'd stopped texting to get an answer out of him, the thought of it all had her seeing red at any reminder of the man.

And there he ******** was, right near the end of her shift and looking real at home on that barstool. He had the misfortune of accidentally catching her eye as she recognized him, her expression going from startled to angry smile between one breath and the next. And then she was whirling away, taking an order, and stalking back into the kitchen.

Before he could slip out, she was there again, setting a plate in front of him with a clatter and a sweet, "It's on me."

The dish was, of course, chicken.

"As if it'd do you a bit of good, hun." One of the tables, as yet unaware of any stirring drama, waved at her. Still all high mettle and possibly especially angry because that had been a good line, she turned away with a honeyed drawl, "Have a nice life, Pedro."

His casual attitude was a little bit lost as she pointedly ignored him in favor of her customers. But her shift was pretty much over anyway and a waitress who was a much more familiar sight around Darlene's took her place, giving Taym's plate a quizzical look as she did so.

A glimpse toward the door would show a crouched figure near Ivy, offering some tender bits of leftover steak that Nasir had kindly let her take. The kitchen, it should be said, had been weirdly busy and studiously going about their business whenever she'd stormed in to kick a wall or berate a paper towel dispenser for being a stupid a*****e.

"Noooooo, I know it's not your fault. You are a good and pretty fluffy baby and I'm sure you're a good friend and honest and oh, yes you've got a soft tummy don't you? Yes you are a good Ivy and I'll be your friend even if it means putting up with your shitty mister casting his shadow 'round here. You just tell him not to bother with America Jones again, okay? I'm taking back any and all invitations, open doors, and friendly faces."

"Mister Borr is a nice and good fellow, isn't he Ivy? Yes he is! It's real fortunate I managed to meet some genuinely friendly folks." He remained ignored as America scratched his dog's ears and made kissy faces at her.

She wanted to say, Magic is real. Wanted to ask, Do things sometimes go all funny, sorta sharp and then a little sideways when you look at them? It'd be nice to laugh, Those two old assholes, are they always there?

But all she has at the moment is hurt distrust and the desire to let him know he ******** up and that he's gonna miss out because of it.

Her answer was to stand up, straighten her skirt, and walk away. And, moments later, turn sharply and storm back toward him.

"You know," and here her voice both lowered in volume and raised in spirit, "If all you wanted was a one night stand, that's fine. But don't act like you're gonna be a person's friend and just ******** ignore them like they're nothing. I don't know-"

Someone exits the bar and she's all smiles for them, "Did you enjoy your meal Mr. Samuels? Damn right that boy knows how to cook, you should stop by in the morning sometime, try those cinnamon buns. You have a good night, honey!"

And just as suddenly she's back to railing at Taym, "I don't know what kind of game you're into with that bullshit, but maybe put it in your ******** profile or something that anything lookin' like friendship from you has a one night expiration."

"What kind of a*****e do you take me for, of course I ******** care! Isn't that the ******** play here? Make a girl comfortable enough to offer a piece of her tomorrow and next week and then be like, ha! Fooled her! 'Cause if that's not what you were aiming for, it sure as hell's what you got!"

She seemed to settle a bit at that, suddenly less angry, less anything really. "Well I guess I really did read too much in to someone just being friendly for a bit. My bad, then." Because she didn't have some amazing excess of friends here, having only been in town a couple weeks. She'd been maybe a bit lonelier than she'd thought, to mistake friendly for friendship.

"But you could have just said no 'stead of nothing at all."

"Well then, what exactly was stone cold silence supposed to be mean?" She crossed her arms over her chest, still not trusting him even a bit, even if he hadn't meant things the way she thought he had.