“You are amazing.” Jeff smiled.
“It’s what they pay me for.” Ian said.
“And Younger Justyn, what do you think of all this?” Tess asked him.
“I think you should do a show about Papa and Granny.” Ronnie smiled. “They’re funny.”
“Granny?” Jeff asked.
“Tippy Shores, she’s my neighbor.” Ian said.
Tess sat up. “Tippy Shores lets you call her Granny?”
“Yes’m.” Ronnie blinked.
“And she let you live?”
“Yes’m”.
Tess looked at Jeff and smiled. Jeff looked at Tess. “This is going to work. I’m in, Ian, I am so in!”
“Oh hell, kid.” Tess grinned. “You had me at wildflowers is just weeds.”
Ian sighed. “I need a cigarette.”
“Me, too.” She agreed. Suddenly the intensity disappeared and the four laughed and had a great time, contracts and storylines the last thing on their minds. The waitress brought the check and they all walked to the door to go their separate ways.
As Ronnie hugged Tess and Jeff, the waitress stopped Ian. “Mr. Justyn, this must be yours. It was lying in a pool of chocolate sauce.” She held up a sticky locket.
Ian smiled. “Oh yes, thank you. I must have yanked it off when I had ice cream tossed down my shirt.” He took it from her. “I hope we didn’t make too much of a mess.” He slipped her a hundred dollar bill.
“Not at all, Mr. Justyn.” She smiled. “Come again, real soon.” She sauntered off with a great tip in her bounce.
“That’s beautiful.” Tess said. “May I see it?”
“Sure.” He handed it to her. “It’s just an old locket. I think it belonged to my mother, but I’m not really sure where it came from.”
Tess cocked her head. “But it has your name on it.”
“No it doesn’t.” He said.
Tess held it up and Ian looked closely. He had seen the scratches before, but assumed they had been gouged there years before when his uncle had kicked it across the wood floor.
The shiny coating had an extra layer now, a sticky brown layer. The waitress must have wiped it with a wet rag. Clear as day; the scratches were now filled in with chocolate sauce.
Ronnie peered up and read. “I…A…N…that’s your name alright.”
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