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Tim is sitting with his back pressed against his bedroom wall drenched in sweat and trying to catch his breath when the text notification sound from his phone about makes him jump out of his skin. He turns to look at it with wild eyes where it lays on the floor where he knocked it when he fell out of bed. Once his heart slows some he reaches for it with hands that haven't completely lost their tremble.
It's from Rachel.
you up?
a booty call? i'm flattered but i'm afraid i have to decline
hilarious.
meet me at the diner on 3rd
Tim's always felt diners late at night were a liminal space like airports or that one dark corner in every Dollar General. This one isn't any different with it's cracked red booths contrasted with the new jukebox with a touch screen alternatively playing top 40 hits and oldies. Rachel is waiting in a booth near the back along a wall of windows with peeling outdated advertisements. The waitress that comes to take their order wears a stained fifties style uniform and dark bags under her eyes accentuating her bored expression.
"So what's up? You're not generally a member of the one am club." Tim says after they've exhausted the small talk. Rachel is quiet for a moment before answering.
"My marriage is over." Rachel says.
"Is this the part where I'm supposed to ask what happened?" Tim asks as he dips a fry from their shared basket in his milkshake which Rachel wrinkles her nose at.
"He realized he likes men." Rachel says and pauses before adding "And I've realized I don't." Tim raises his eyebrows.
"Unintentional lavender marriage. Impressive." The look she gives him on the other hand isn't impressed.
"I didn't wake you, did I?" Rachel says, changing the subject.
"Nah, I was already up. 'Nam flashbacks." She levels him with a look. "Fine. Afghanistan. But 'nam makes me sound more mysterious." That earns him an eye roll to cover the sympathetic look she knows he hates.
"You know a friend and I tried the whole lavender relationship thing in high school. Get her parents off her back about finding a boyfriend, get my dad to stop beating on me." Tim reveals after a moment.
"Did it work?" Rachel asks, taking a sip of her milkshake to cover her surprise.
"For her. My dad could see right through me, tell it wasn't real. If anything he beat on me more for trying to pull a fast one over on him."
"I'm sorry."
Tim just shrugs.
"What are you afraid of, Rachel Brooks?" Tim asks, being the one to change the subject this time.
"What?"
"I know you're not a regular member of the middle of the night club but this is a prime topic of conversation right after deep dark secrets which we've already covered." Rachel just stares at him for a moment.
"Spiders." She finally answers.
"Boring." Rachel glared at him.
"What are you afraid of then?"
"Dogs." Tim says simply.
"And that's better?" Rachel scoffs.
"Hey dogs can kill you."
"So can spiders!"
"Yeah but it's not as likely. Spider's never taken a chunk out of my leg." That gets a horrified look. "Though those camel spiders were fucking big enough to." That gets am even more horrified look.
"I thought those were a myth."
"They are." That earns him a glare.
"Back to the dogs. What the hell? When did that happen?" Rachel says.
"When I was a kid. My dad had dogs stationed outside the front and back doors so I couldn't sneak off. I thought it was asleep and if I was quiet enough I could get past. I was wrong." Tim says, falsely calm like he doesn't still have nightmares about it from time to time.
"What happened after that?" Rachel asks, leaning forward.
"City took the dogs away."
"That's good."
"He got bigger and meaner ones."
"Shit." She says, leaning back.
"Yep."
"I understand now why you wanted to shoot the man."
Tim laughs darkly.
"That's barely scratching the surface honestly." This time Rachel isn't fast enough to hide the look on her face. Tim looks away.
"Have you told your mom?"
"About my fear of spiders? I think she knows." It's Tim's turn to level her with a look. She sighs. "No. I don't know how I'm gonna tell her. She really liked Joe."
"Well, I'm here for you or whatever."
"Thanks." Rachel says dryly and Tim grins at her.
Both their attention is pulled to the window when a car speeds by playing music too loud to be distinguished.
Tim glances at his watch and sighs.
"We gotta be at the office soon."
Rachel groans and waves down their waitress.
It's a rare tender moment when they part, to go cups of shitty diner coffee in hand. Tim walks with Rachel to her car and she pulls him into a hug.
"Thanks for meeting me here. I appreciate it." She says.
"Of course." He says, rubbing her back before pulling away. "And I do mean it, I'm here for you. You're my best friend, you know that?" He'll blame the sincerity on the late hour.
"I know. And you're mine." She nods and then she's opening the driver's door and climbing in. "See you at the office."
Tim watches her drive off with a wave before walking to his truck. There's a lot of things he likes about his job but the fact it's brought him Rachel might be his favorite.