My clothes were already threadbare, but that morning I saw that the sole of my right shoe was separating from the top.
“I have to win the lottery today,” I thought to myself. By the time I got to work, I had convinced myself that I would win the jackpot that day.
Bob is a regular for breakfast at the diner where I waitress. He always sat at the counter with the newspaper and read the winning lottery numbers out loud. That morning my ticket numbers weren’t even close. I burst into tears.
Terry, the owner of the diner said in his usual gruff way, “Hey, Sally, crying on the job is unprofessional.”
Bob said, “Don’t be mean to her, or I won’t come back. Sally is my favorite waitress of all time. She always gives good service.”
Terry shrugged his shoulders. “She’s good, but this is a business.”
I regained my composure during that interchange, then wiped my eyes and nose with a napkin and gave all my customers refills of their coffee.
While I put the coffee pot back on the burner, Bob said to me, “You know, the lottery is just a game; one that we’re not likely to win. You play three or four numbers a day. If you need money, you’d do better to save it rather than buy lottery tickets.”
I sighed. “Clothes are more expensive than lottery tickets.”
After Bob left, there weren’t many customers in the diner. Terry pulled me aside. “I didn’t want to be mean. The regulars love you.” He handed me a twenty dollar bill. “Here’s a bonus. Don’t spend it on the lottery.”
Bob came back for lunch, something he never did before. He ordered a cheeseburger deluxe plate. The diner was really busy then, so we didn’t talk other than about the order. After Bob left, when I was clearing the counter, I fount that he had given me a $100 gift card for Marshalls. That was the biggest tip I had ever gotten. I was able to buy shoes and clothes at a deep discount.
Now Bob reads the comics at breakfast instead of the lottery numbers. I haven’t played the lottery since he gave me the gift card.
LZ Short Stories 