Chapter 7

The goal of a good waiter is to be ubiquitous but invisible, and Garner worked especially carefully at that for the remainder of his shift. And by the time closing came around, he felt he had approached that tonight—after the incident. He comforted himself by the fact that once, when he caught a glimpse of the manager looking at him, the man’s expression had been benevolent.

He was entering the final part of his last-but-one customers’ bill when he noticed Sharon looking at him approvingly. He deposited the bill on the table, helped the women with their wraps, and finally returned to where Sharon was standing, at the back near the cash register.

She was looking at him appreciatively, which wasn’t quite her usual thing.

“What?” he asked.

She smiled at him. “I was just thinking: What a waste!”

Garner’s face became warm. Not this again!

“What is?” he asked, slightly challengingly.

She looked at him and shook her head, amused.

“Oh, I didn’t mean that—or, at least, not onlythat.”