25The following morning, Emily awoke with a strange feeling of apprehension. She laughed to herself as she threw the covers off her and made her way to the bathroom. She recalled the strangest dream…
It was so vivid, though! The crazed fairy godmother, her wand, the wings…And the challenge she issued!
Emily shook her head; silently scolding herself for thinking it could be real. She took a quick shower and then wrapped her wet body in a towel. As she crossed her room to her closet, something caught her eye. Glittering on the floor were shards of glass, just before her window. Her jade eyes widened in disbelief. She stepped away, her head shaking. It couldn't have been real!
A hand went to her lips. She had to get this mess cleaned up and…go see a doctor about this bizarre feeling she was having. She located a small brush and dustpan to clean the broken glass. When her carpet was visible again, she knew without a doubt that she hadn't dreamed it. Sparkles flashed on the floor in the early morning light. Wasn't that what fairy godmothers were made of or something? She wracked her brain, trying to remember.
Taking in a deep breath, she got dressed hastily. Perhaps work would take her mind off of this. And maybe find the solution—the guy made just for her.
Carter's restaurant was busy—to say the least. A frustrated Emily blew her bangs away from her face as she hurried to the kitchen.
"Are the pancakes almost done, Rob?" she asked the cook.
"Yes ma'am," he answered from his position at the skillet.
Emily risked a glance at the tables she was serving. From the looks on their faces, they weren't happy. It wasn't the restaurant's fault they were slow this morning. The place was packed with hungry patrons for breakfast.
More customers means more tips, she reminded herself.
"Order up!" Rob called, bringing Emily out of her thoughts.
She grabbed the plate of flapjacks and put a smile on her face as she delivered it to the table. "Here you go," she said.
The man looked up from his laptop, his green eyes locking with hers. "Thank you."
Emily gulped from the sudden eye contact. What if he was the man of her dreams? "You're welcome." She said somewhat nervously.
She quickly walked away from the table, not wanting to stay any longer. How would she know if he was the right one? This was going to be difficult.
After serving her other tables, she gave the bill to her earlier customer. "Thank you for eating at Carter's, I hope—I mean, we—hope to see you again soon." She gave a quick grin at her fluster.
She decided it couldn't hurt to try to be interested in the man. He looked to be about her age anyways, and wasn't completely ugly.
"Sure." He grinned.
She decided then and there that she liked that smile of his. After he paid the bill, she looked at the tip he left. Sure enough, there on the line for a tip was twenty dollars written in a messy scrawl.
And what was that? She held the bill closer to her face. Written along the side was a seven digit number. His phone number, she realized. Emily smiled; maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
Several hours later, Emily returned to her apartment. It didn't feel as empty as she remembered. Perhaps it was the bill with numbers written on it burning in her pocket that was making her so elated.
She changed out of her work attire and slipped into something more comfortable. She pulled out the receipt and smoothed it out on the coffee table of her living room. Her teeth chewed anxiously on her lip. What would she say if she called him? She didn't want to seem desperate.
She stared at the paper for a few moments longer. Not able to stand it anymore, she dialed the digits. The line was picked up after a few seconds.
"Hello?" a male voice said from the other line.
This was it, time to not blow this chance at true love. "Hi…Um, this is sort of awkward. This number was left on the bill at the restaurant I work at."
There was a pause. "Maybe it was left there on purpose."
Emily leaned back into her couch, stunned. This man had wit. "Can I ask of the purpose, then?"
"To get to know you. What's your name?" the guy asked.
"Emily, Emily Richardson. And yours?"
"Michael Ayers. Would you like to get a coffee sometime?"
Emily couldn't stop the smile. "I would really like that."
"It was amazing, Kat. One of the best first dates I've ever had by far."
Kat was surprised at her friend's quick rebound after Daniel. "I'm glad to hear that. Tell me about him."
Emily shifted the phone to her other ear as she stirred the pot of spaghetti boiling on the stove. "We have so many things in common. He bought my coffee at Starbucks, and he was the perfect gentleman. And his eyes, Kat!" She crooned.
Kat chuckled. "He sounds like a good guy. You let me know if he ever makes a jerk move, alright?"
"I don't think that'll happen with Michael."
"Okay, well, I'm happy for you Emily. You take care."
"Thanks, and you too."
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Emily focused on the spaghetti she was preparing when her phone rang again.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Emily, hey, it's Rob. Boss said we're having a meeting and really needs you there tonight at 7:00."
Emily's eyes widened, she was expecting Michael to have dinner with her at 7:30. "Rob, I don't think—"
Rob cut her off. "I think he mentioned something about a raise…"
"I'll be there in five." She said quickly.