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“Hayden’s,” I say, hugging her back. “And before you jump to conclusions, allow me to fill you in.”
She breaks our hug and gives me a sly grin. “Girl, I would never jump to conclusions.”
“Sure,” I say, rolling my eyes at her. “Did you order already? I’m starving.”
“No,” she says, plopping into her seat. “I did order coffee, because you know the addict in me couldn’t wait for that.”
“Understandable.” I laugh, taking the seat across from her.
“How’s Mort doing?”
“He’s fine.” I sigh, taking a big sip of my water. “I called this morning. They said he’s scheduled for surgery this afternoon. They couldn’t do it yesterday because he had to be cleared with a catheter first. It all went over my head, to be honest. Yesterday seems like a blur.”
“I’m sorry. That must’ve been a lot. I’m glad he’s going to be okay.”
“Me too. I’m nervous about the surgery, but they assured me it’s nothing complicated.”
A cheery teenage waitress comes up to us and I order my usual––a veggie breakfast burrito with a side of hash browns. It’s what I got the first time I came here, and I have been ordering it ever since.
“Will you ever try something new?” Kora mutters, the corners of her mouth lifting in a teasing smile.
“Why try something new if I already know what I like?”
“What if you might like something else more?”
“Well, I won’t know. But I’m happy with my usual, thank you very much.”
Kora shakes her head at me affectionately. Then, after a beat, she finally says what I knew she’d bring up sooner or later. “So, Hayden came to the rescue last night …”
I hesitate. The first time Kora and I talked about him, she warned me to stay away from him. It influenced my entire opinion of him, and although I don’t blame her for it, I do regret not making my own judgment first. After last night, I feel protective of him, and I can’t stand the thought of her potentially saying something negative about him.
“He did,” I say slowly. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without him, to be honest. My car is fucked up again, and I didn’t have a ride. I didn’t even know where to go. After the vet trip, he stayed with me until midnight and made sure I ate.”
“That was really nice of him,” Kora says, sounding sincere.
“He is really nice, actually. Not at all what his reputation suggests.” I try to say it with a straight face, but something about my expression must give me away, because Kora grins broadly.
“You like him.”
“I do not.” I glare at her.
“Yes, you do,” she singsongs. “You were a little damsel in distress, and he waltzed in, saving your child.”
“You’re being dramatic.” I laugh. “Yes, he did save me. Thanks for acknowledging that Mort is my child, by the way. But just because he’s not an asshole doesn’t mean I like him. I mean, I like him as a person, but I don’t like him like him.”
Kora gives me a knowing smile.
“Stop it.”
“I’m not doing anything,” she says innocently.
“You’re giving me that look. The ‘oh, you’re telling yourself lies’ look.”
She shrugs, but before either of us can continue, we get interrupted by the waitress, who places our food in front of us.
Kora starts to pour an absurd amount of maple syrup over her pancakes, but she still wears a smug expression on her face.
“I hate you,” I mutter.
