Tricked by a Treat

“Hey, San!” I say, swiping to answer the call from my friend. Sandra used to waitress with me at my Uncle Tony’s pizzeria until Trevor McCallister, the drummer from Dominate, made her sunny self even sunnier and asked her to move in with him. “How’s the little drummer boy?”
She chuckles. Sandra can care less about Trevor’s fame status. “Actually, believe it or not, that’s kind of why I’m calling. I’m lonely.”
“Is everything alright?”
Sandra sighs. “Yeah, it’s just with Trevor away and my exam coming up. I need a break.”
“Oh, I forgot about the tour.” Trevor and his band were on a small tour before the holidays. Sandra hadn’t gone because she was in the final stages of becoming a lawyer.
“Yeah, he’ll be back in two weeks, but I have Georgina helping and my brother and Hayden have been taking Emily whenever they can, so I can get in a few hours of studying. I’m done for the day, though, and Georgina said Em’s already asleep, so I was thinking of swinging by for pizza and an adult conversation that doesn’t involve reviewing law documents.”
“No talk of law stuff coming from me. I get off in half an hour. I can hang out and share a pie with you.”
“Great,” Sandra says. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
My Uncle Tony and Aunt Mary are over the moon to hear their favorite and best employee is on her way. Yeah, you heard me right. Those two don’t care about loyalty to blood. But I have to admit, Sandra’s sunny personality makes for a much better waitress than mine.
It might also be because I don’t want to be a waitress and am only working here for the flexible hours and the convenient location to my current living arrangements. I’m also working at Pie in the Sky because I’m not ready to tell my family what it is I’m also doing.
And I’ve been out of sorts the last six months, all because of this stupid neighborhood Halloween reunion party that’s not even happening on Halloween like it always did. Nope. Instead, it’s this weekend and all because of none other than Klay Locke.
Klay and I grew up together. Our parents are best friends. They’re so close, the neighborhood still teases them that Klay and I were conceived on the same night. Klay, being impatient since in utero, and always needing to be first, was born three weeks before me. His almost preemie status didn’t give me a size advantage, though.
Klay is that guy. The one with an advantage over everyone for everything.
Ugh!
I hate the guy.
But I didn’t always.
The bell over the door pulls my attention to the front of the restaurant, where Sandra sweeps in with the crisp fall breeze wearing a smile and offering a wave for everyone inside.
I pull her in for a hug and a kiss on her cool cheek. “Hey! Missed you.”
She smiles and returns the sentiment, then makes for the kitchen to greet her old co-workers and boss while I finish out my shift.
Twenty minutes later, Sandra slides into a booth with a mushroom, spinach, and artichoke pie in one hand and a meatball and eggplant in the other.
“I couldn’t decide, so Tony made us both.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you pregnant?”
“Oh, God, no! It’s the stress from this freaking test.” Her forehead hits the table with a sigh. “What if I fail?”
“You’re not going to fail. You’re the smartest person I know.”