Breakfast with a Side of Danger

Meet Me at The Pavilion

Angela welcomed the gust of cool air that greeted her as she opened the door to the restaurant after her walk from the apartment. It was only two blocks away, but the in the summer it made her sweat like she just ran a marathon.

Jen, a slender woman in her late 40’s, long wavy hair with a skunk streak in it, waved her up to toward the register she just finished checking a guest out at and smiled. “Well hey there stranger. Haven’t seen you in ‘bout a month or two now. How’s that book of yours coming along?”

“Wonderful. I have had a lot of inspiration to draw on lately so it’s really been coming together nicely. How’s Donny doing?” Angela asked fanning herself with the menu Jen handed her.

“Fine.” Jen drawled out looking at her sideways. “Don’t you write them crime novels?”

“Mmm hmm…” Angela bit back a smile.

Jen squinted her eye. “Now how pray tell do you get inspiration on murderous crimes sitting in that big ol' apartment all by your lonesome….” She inhaled in mock shock, eyes wide and clutching at her chest. “You wouldn’t be experimenting on ways to,” Jen leaned in closer whisper yelling. “you know, make it happen?”

Angela couldn’t hold it in any longer her laugh exploded like a shotgun startling the couple intently listening to their conversation causing the woman to drop her fork and the man to nearly choke on the ham he had been chewing on since Angela walked in.

Donny walked over swatting them both with the hand towel he took off his shoulder. Stop teasing our guests you two. I swear one of these days you are going to give someone a heart attack and then where will you be?” He swatted at them with the towel again causing fits of laughter from both of them.

“Sweet tea Doll?” Jen asked as she walked away still giggling.

“Of course.” Angela replied. And gave Donny the best puppy dog eyes she could muster.

“Aw, come here you.” Donny pulled her into a grandpa bear hug. “Were have you been, you don’t call you don’t write…”

“Hey I write. That’s all I’ve been doing for the last few months.” Angela said pulling away.

“Well you don’t write me.” He chastised.

“I’m sorry.” Angela bumped his into his shoulder. “Think I can get some of those delectable chocolate marble pancakes with strawberries on top if I promise not to get so wrapped up in my writing and stay gone so long again?” She laid her head on his shoulder and batted her eyelashes at him. “Please…” She begged.

Donny rolled his eyes and sighed. “What am I going to do with you?” He laughed as she jumped and clapped in triumph. “But your normal table in the back is occupied, you’ll have to use number 4 in the center.”

“You got it boss.” Angela saluted him and smiled laughing all the way to the table.

Jen brought the tea with 3 sugar packets already mixed in. “He misses you around here you know that right? Your last day working here was hard on him, but he knew we couldn’t keep you to ourselves forever, your writing was too amazing.”

Angela looked over to the open kitchen and watched her 5’6” 180lb 60 year old adopted grandpa beaming and bopping about the kitchen, his full head of snow white hair hidden beneath an old dodgers ball cap, the sleeves of his petal pink and minty green dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, and making her favorite breakfast. A tender smile spread across her face, “I miss you too.” She said.

“I know you do hun, and we are all immensely proud of you for all you have accomplished, but he worries about you when he doesn’t see you work weeks on end. This time was even worse considering.” Jen looked down at her with an apologetic look. “You know.”

Angela looked away and sighed she did know. “I’m sorry. It’s just…”

Jen interrupted her. “It’s okay, no need to explain, but you’re family to us. Donny doesn’t want to overstep and call, but when you disappear like that it scares him. This is the first time I’ve seen him smile and laugh in at least a month. So do me a favor and keep your promise and not stay gone so long next time or at least check in.”

Angela smiled and nodded. “Will do. Thanks Jen.”

“Alright now I got to get back to work, these guests won’t feed themselves.”

Angela laughed, “Actually…”

“You know what I mean smart alack.”

Angela watched Jen walk up and kiss Donny on the cheek and smiled. She really did miss working with them and seeing them everyday. She loved the way they made her feel accepted and cared for. It really did feel like they were her family. She was closer to them than she was her parents and they were pretty close. She pulled the supernatural romance book out of her pack her publisher wanted her to read. They wanted her feedback on it and to know if it would be a genre she might be interested in writing.

“Angela?”

Angela looked up into the hypnotizing ice grey eyes of her high school crush Sébastien Reed.