I'd always hated the thought of going back home to Kansas. After five years travelling with my work my contract ended and left me with enough cash to just relax and live off the small income my writing brought me. I'd grew up in a really small town that had very close relations with the nearby Native American reservation and they had decided together to shun the advances in technology the rest of the country made. I suppose it made for a simpler life but I preferred things a little more high tech.
The people were very friendly there though, as long as you lived by their guidelines and went to church at least 3 times a month you'd be accepted as part of the town.
After I got back I spend a few days cleaning up my apartment then decided to visit the old diner. My kitchen was still covered in dust and my stomach told me no more microwave food and with it being a little late I hoped it was still open.
"Well hey stranger, good to see you!" I was greeted immediately by Jessica, the preachers daughter and long time waitress in the diner.
"Hi Jessica, is nice to see you're still here." I replied.
I was honest about that part. Jessica was a woman I'd lusted after pretty much as soon as I hit puberty. Her mother was Native American, her father an all American high school quarterback turned preacher so she had the smoldering sexuality of her beautiful mother but the prudish sensibility of an eternal virgin. We had dated for a little just after high school but she made it clear if I touched her in places that only Gods eyes should see, I would never talk to her again. Tell that to a young man whose hormones were firing off like the 4th of July and you can imagine why it didn't last long. We'd stayed good friends though and college had provided me with all the willing women a hot blooded man could ask for so I soon forgot about wanting to see her full breasts under the moonlight or being the one to take her virginity.
"You haven't changed a bit Jessica, still so beautiful. You married or anything?" I asked, not seeing a ring.
"Well no, I've not had the time for men really, I helped with the new school on the reservation and helped my father with the new church building but thank you for the compliment." She said with a smile.
"So, anything new, that can't be everything?"
She smiled as she poured me a water and leaned close to me over the counter.
"I got a tattoo! My Uncle is amazing at art, he did it for me on my 21st birthday. Is on my thigh, wanna see it?" She said quietly, despite me being the only customer at the time.
"Sure." I replied.
Jessica looked around to make sure the coast was clear then hiked up her skirt to her upper thigh. I only got a brief flash but it was pretty, a very ornate, Native American looking woman with a dreamcatcher of some sort.
"Its nice, it must have hurt!"
"It did at first but I think the smoke from my Uncles peace pipe must have dulled the pain, it wasn't too bad. You staying back in your old apartment?" She asked.
"Yea, my folks offered to get me somewhere in Florida near them but after 5 years in the tropics I'm kinda looking forward to being cold again!"
Jessica smiled and took my order to the cook and busied herself cleaning. It was a joy to watch her again, she had a graceful air about her and moved round the tables as she cleaned almost like she was dancing. She had kept in shape too, at 24 she still looked 18, I caught glimpses of her legs as swept but I had to stop staring, she caught me a few times and just smiled at me as I looked away.
We chatted while I ate, I tested the water with a joke or two but she hadn't changed with her views and was still off limits to any man who wanted her. Jessica was rubbing her leg as I paid the check.
"You ok, you look as if you're in pain?" I said with genuine concern, she was wincing as she walked to me with my change.
"I'm ok, my leg is killing me, it's never given me trouble before. Is almost like my tattoo has saved up pain for me and is coming now. Sorry I have to close up so I can rest."
I was quickly ushered out the door, missing the hug I was hoping to get from her but I knew I'd see her again, with it being the only diner in town I'm sure I'd find an excuse to eat out a lot. As I walked home I smiled at seeing the full moon, it always seemed to look bigger at home than it did anywhere else in the world. I sighed as I closed the door behind me, looking around at the cleaning I still had to do and grabbed myself a beer from the fridge. I sat down with my laptop and decided to write a little before I hit the hay. I think I got through 2 chapters when I heard a quiet knock at my door.