Single Mom Warned The Boxing Champion 3 Times "Don't Try Me" On Live TV — 5s Later Silenced Studio
Chapter 7
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"Man, this place hasn't changed one bit," he said. "Same old booths, same old smell." He wrinkled his nose slightly. "Guess some things just stay small forever."A few people laughed nervously, unsure if it was affection or insult. With Colton, it was rarely only one—usually both tangled together on purpose.Underneath the grin, something sat tighter, something almost like discomfort. Colton had not set foot here in over a decade; some part of him clearly did not want to. He covered that feeling the only way he knew: loudly, and at somebody else's expense. It was an old habit of his: deflect discomfort outward before anyone notices it inward. It had worked for years in interviews; it had worked in press conferences, too. He saw no reason it would fail him here in a diner he barely remembered.He strolled toward the counter. He looked Sadie up and down carelessly, the way a man glances at furniture—furniture he has no intention of buying."What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked, loud enough for the microphone to catch."Sadie," she answered simply."Sadie," he repeated, trying the word on for size. "Cute. You've been working here long?""Long enough," she said, unbothered.Colton chuckled and turned back to the camera. "Small-town charm right there, folks. Woman of few words."Denise laughed along on cue, though her eyes flicked toward Sadie briefly, something close to sympathy in them.Colton ordered his breakfast loudly. He changed his mind three separate times, clearly performing for the lens rather than choosing. He asked for eggs a specific way, then complained they weren't quite right. Sadie was fairly certain he had never eaten here before in his life. He sent the plate back once, theatrically, for the cameras: he claimed the toast was cold, though it clearly was not. Sadie simply took it back without argument; she returned moments later with an identical plate. Colton never noticed the difference.Before the food arrived, he picked up the menu. He studied it with an exaggerated frown. "$3 for a cup of coffee," he said loudly. "You'd think in a town this size, they'd just give it away."Denise laughed nervously, glancing toward her producer. A few crew members chuckled along, unsure of the joke. Sadie said nothing at all; she refilled a nearby cup without looking up.Back in the kitchen, Ruth muttered under her breath, low enough only the spatula could hear: "Boy's been gone from this town longer than he ever lived in it."Colton spotted Ruth through the pass window. "Hey now, is that the same cook from back in the day?"Ruth stepped forward, wiping her hands on her apron, chin lifted with quiet pride. "26 years and counting," she said."No kidding." Colton grinned wide at the camera again. "Some people just never move up, huh?"He said it with a laugh meant to sound light and playful, but it landed like an open hand: quiet, but it stings just the same.