Appalachia Year

Back at the farm.

Kate and I became friends when we were hired at the Restaurant at the same time and went through training together. During our last training shift, she waited on a man that we dubbed, uncreatively, Creepy Guy (if only we knew how many creepy guys we would come to encounter..). Exerting no responses save for neanderthal grunts during the meal, as she dropped off the check he suddenly jolted to life with an unctuous smile and asked for her number. Like the other wackjob regulars that showed their face several times a week at the restaurant, Creepy Guy would enter the cast of irritating, imposing characters in my Columbus life. One time he hit on me at Target while I was shopping. With my mom.

So it makes sense that Creepy Guy would show up just a few minutes into my first shift back, chomping on a stupid toothpick, smirking his stupid smirk. As I rang up his carryout order he mentioned that he hasn't seen me around in a while. And because I often forget that I'm under no obligation to run my mouth at all times, I geared up for the dialogue about how I moved, blah blah, I'm back temporarily.

But I paused. And just offered a dismissive, "yeah".