My Little Step Secret

Breakfast

"Where did you find this place?" Frankie asked Xavier, who assured her he knew the best breakfast diner in town. Looking at Xavier she could never imagine him knowing about an establishment such as this, never mind dining there. The diner was somewhere Frankie had never visited, it wasn't fancy or expensive, but it was pleasant to look at. It had black and white checkboard flooring, standard diner flooring that reminded her of a chessboard. Instead of the red decor, this diner was decorated with pastel blues and pinks, pleasant on the eye, calming, and peaceful.

The staff is super friendly too, welcoming them warmly as soon as they enter. Here she wasn't the heiress to the Godfrey fortune, here she was just a girl. "My parents used to bring us here as children. I never stopped coming." The nostalgia was a welcome memory for Xavier, Frankie was sure of it.

"What can I get you two love birds today?" The waitress was looking down at her notepad ready to write down just another order. She was an elderly, plump woman, her washed-out red hair, fell in greasy curls over her forehead. Her name badge sat on her extremely large breast, Bessy it read. She peered up with her wide, brown eyes when they took too long to order. "Oh, Xavier!" Her voice went up a few octaves with her excitement. He stood to embrace her. "You snuck right on past me! Let me look at you." She put her hands on either side of his face, smoothing his cheek with her thumb.

"Bessy, you get more beautiful every day." He told her as she almost burst with flattery.

"You young charmer, you! Tell me what I can get you both." She was right, Frankie thought, he was charming. He looked at Frankie to find her staring at him in awe, her beautiful green eyes really were only the tip of her beauty. Turning back to Bessy, he ordered " Two coffees, you know I can't resist a slice of my favorite pie and... for you?" He asked Frankie mid-order. Frankie looked over at the counter, there were several pies and cakes on display, all within glass cloches.

"I'll have pie too, thank you." She smiled, handing back the menu without looking.

"What type do you want honey?" Bessy asked, her eyes full of kindness. There's something inviting about her, perhaps it's her friendly demeanor, or perhaps it's simply her customer service skills, but she left Frankie feeling warm.

"Surprise me," Frankie responded. She had no idea which pie was best for breakfast.

"Two coffee, two pie, coming right up." Xavier thanked her, then leaned back, relaxing in his chair.

The two coffees arrived quickly, steaming hot. Xavier took his with a small splash of milk, no sugar. Frankie made a mental note while stirring one lump into her own cup and more than twice the amount of milk. They sat in silence drinking their respective coffees. An old man a few booths down caught Frankie's attention. He sat alone drinking from his cup, a plate of half-eaten bacon and egg in front of him. On his left hand, he wore a wedding ring, on his face he wore the pain of loss, his eyes hollow and filled with the sadness of loneliness. Frankie felt a pang of sadness for the old man. Her thoughts scattered as the plates were placed heavily on the table, cutlery clanking as it was placed. The biggest slice of apple pie Frankie had ever seen with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream to compliment it. Xavier raised his eyebrows playfully, taking a chunk of his cherry pie and ice cream on the same scoop, and popping it into his mouth. Timidly, Frankie picked up her fork and took the smallest of bites, to ensure she would look graceful while eating, the way she had been taught. The pie ratio was mostly apple filling and just a small amount of pastry. She chewed slowly and deliberately.

"You've never had pie for breakfast before, have you?" Xavier asked her teasingly.

She let out a small chuckle, "Am I that obvious?" She suddenly felt extremely out of place, she had been raised in a place of fine dining and expectations, and she didn't know how to behave when none of that applied. When she was at college, nobody knew her, she could just be another student, and her little quirks were often overlooked, but here, where she was raised, she had always had to keep her guard up, people looking for any slip-up to exploit.

"Here, use this." He handed her a spoon. She took it hesitantly, she wasn't convinced of the idea. "No one is watching you here." As if to prove his point, he took a much too-large spoonful and shoved it in his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff out like a hamster. As he chewed, cherry filling coated his lips, dribbling down his chin slightly. This made Frankie laugh and relax. She grabbed the paper napkin from the table and leaned over to wipe his bottom lip. The energy between them changed, drawing her in, it felt like he was magnetic pulling her towards him. Her heart fluttered as her breath hitched. The loud trilling of Xavier's phone broke their trance. A real saved-by-the-bell moment, Frankie thought, eating a spoon of ice cream in an attempt to cool the heat growing in her. Checking the caller, Xavier apologised and excused himself, leaving Frankie alone while he dealt with that. With no one watching, Frankie took the biggest spoonful she could. She had barely got a taste of it with her first mouthful but this mouthful was different. The pie crust was crunchy and buttery like a shortbread biscuit, the filling morish, sweet and slightly sour with a hint of cinnamon and the creamy vanilla ice cream melted into the hot pie, bringing it all together. That bite alone made Frankie question every breakfast she had ever eaten before. She wasn't convinced she had eaten a more delicious one in her life. She stopped wondering who was watching her and took it upon herself to people-watch as she enjoyed her pie. People walking dogs, mothers pushing prams, runners passing by, couples strolling, it all seemed so normal. That was until Frankie's eyes almost popped out of their sockets at what she saw. Portia, her soon-to-be stepmother, and her former lover, Bradley, meet at the corner cafe across the street...

"Sorry about this, I have to go. Stay and finish your breakfast. Since nobody has been telling you anything, there is a meal tonight at Godfrey mansion at 7." He threw down a $100 bill, which was much more than the meal would have cost, tucked his wallet away, and grabbed his suit jacket. On his exit, he heads over to Bessy to say goodbye, who in turn plants a big smooch on his cheek, leaving a pair of her lips painted on him. Frankie smiled to herself, something about his warmness toward that woman left her heart singing. Now alone, she remembered the unread messages on her mobile. She glanced at them, it started as objections to her offer of coming here for the summer break, then it changed "Screw it. We are on our way. Meet us at the airport, we will be there by 10.15 am." The last message was sent 4hrs ago. The time was now 9:30 am. s**t. Regretting the offer, she cursed herself. She couldn't leave now. Frankie wanted to scream, as she made a call, "Adam, I need a ride to the airport. We have guests coming."