Margaret calls me after church the next day. "Did your folks believe Mrs. Anderson?" I ask

"Oh, yeah. Mom talked to me about staying out late with boys, though. She says you all face temptations to kiss and tell" Margaret laughs, "I know you wouldn't do that."

"Normally we think the other guy is exaggerating." I snicker. "Nikki and her dad are coming to hear the band before they decide to hire us for the birthday brunch. You coming?"

"No, I have some homework to finish." Margaret sighs.

Nikki and Mr. Mason show up to listen to a couple songs. We play for them, her dad taps his foot and shakes his hips a bit. Nikki is embarrassed but we think it's funny. "Nick, want to hire them?" he asks.

"Yes!" Nikki exclaims.

A deal is agreed upon and sealed with a handshake. "Mr. Mason, don't be afraid to dance at the party." says Andre.

"Dancing is what parties are for." Mr Mason informs Andre with a grin.

"The band should at least give her a card, maybe some flowers too-it's her birthday after all and she decided to hire us."Andre suggest after they leave.

"Sure, but you just want to because you're into her" I tease.

"I'm just a nice guy. " he shrugs,"I'm nervous about being at the country club though. There are few black members. It's probably racist."

"It'll be fine" I'm really trying to convince myself.

There's a new special at Pete's Diner that I think I'll check out. I walk in and it's kind of crazy. Full of people. Margaret and another waitress are running around trying to clear tables and serve people. Pete tells me, while clearing a table"Busy today. The other waitress has to help Brian, the dishwasher keep up and thankfully Margaret was just about finished with her homework."

Heading to an Employee's Only area, I say nothing and grab an apron and rubber gloves. Time to make a great impression on everyone here. Without being asked, I start picking up dirty dishes so the waitresses can serve. Pete is surprised. "You look cute in that apron," Margaret whispers in my ear.

Finally, the crowd thins out and I sit down with a glass of water. "Thank you so much," says Margaret's Aunt Martha. She places a piece of the pie she baked in front of me. She and Pete do the cooking here.

"I'm going to whip up the special for you." Pete smiles, "You worked hard."

"You didn't have to bus tables." Martha tells me.

"It was the right thing to do. You needed some extra help." I reply

"Normally, our daughter Beverly would have come but she has a big history test tomorrow and really needed to study. It's her worst subject."

Pete sits down next to me. "Summer is coming. How would you like a part time job?" He asks.

"I have a job already, I'm a musician." I remind him.

"I know that. But the steady income would be nice to supplement that. Surely, you must want to save for something: a car, a really good guitar..."

"Don't forget the fringe benefit of working here: hanging around Margaret" Martha laughs.

"Almost forgot about that" Pete smiles.

"Margaret, I thought you were assisting at your dad's law office this summer." I say.

"I was but there's this writing course I wanted to take at the community college. So Daddy said I could do that and work in the diner since Uncle Pete is flexible with schedules." Margaret says.

Once Pete tells me working here won't interfere with my music, I tell him I'll consider it.

Andre comes bolting in. "Come on Prince, we need to go shopping before the store closes!" he insists.

"huh?" I reply

"I wanted to go to the place on the corner of Main Street and pick of a little something for Nikki, from the band."

"Andre you're very thoughtful...but I think that shop is too expensive. And it's not even that special." Margaret says.

"I want to check it out anyway"

"You're nuts." I say as I follow him anyway. I've never been inside this place. A white salesman looks at us as though we've taken a wrong turn someplace.

"Hi, we're looking for a birthday gift for a young lady." Andre informs him.

The salesman looks amused. "What were you planning to spend?" He asks.

Andre tells him. 

He shows Andre three things:a really plain keyring, a money clip and the ugliest broach I've ever seen.

Andre says,"I don't really like any of those"

"That's what is available in your price range."

"We're leaving"Andre says to me.

A saleslady pulls us aside. "There's a reasonably priced gift shop Uptown that has lots of fun little things. Try there."

"Thank you." I say,"Andre, you dummy, thinking this was a good place to shop!"

We decide to go home and check out the shop Uptown later. After all that work in the diner, I need some rest.