Sticks and Stones and Rising Voices
twenty
"Order up!"
She hit the ground running. The soles of her feet ached with the cold gray dawn. There were times when she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with the unknown slumber.
"Order up!"
Dishes clanked behind the counter and in the kitchen. Steam rose from boiling pots and meats and potatoes sizzled in pans and the coffee maker gurgled beside the soda fountain. Black, with cream, two sugars, one, mocha, vanilla, we don't have that. As tourists drifted off into the morning, she skimmed the tables and seats with a wet rag.
"Order up, Ione!"
She cursed under her breath. The plate bottoms scorched her fingertips. She handed the mash of breakfast foods to the customers at table seven and strode back to the counter for the next order before handing those off too. She was on her way back to the counter when he spoke.
"Excuse me." he said. "What's good?"
She twirled her hair from her face and puffed her cheeks in frustration and turned to the men sitting in the booth. The one on the left bore incredibly blue eyes, like the sea.
"I'm sorry?" she asked.
"Well, we've never been in here before and we're wondering what you recommend." he said.
"Oh." she flapped her arms to her sides. "The, uh, the egg sandwich is nice."
He smiled and nodded. "Two of those then."
"Coming right up." she smiled and put in the order.
Ione kept an eye on the two men in the booth. The one who had ordered was thin and had a face of sharp edges, the other was pudgy and pale. She would catch glimpses of the first watching her from across the floor. They stayed for three cups of coffee after their egg sandwiches. She finally brought them their check.
"That was good." he said.
"Tell that to Shay, I'm not the cook." she laughed.
He handed over his debit card and she took it to the register, swiped it, returned it. She waited for him to sign the receipt. Ewan, it read.
"The coffee then." he said. "I saw you start up a new pot."
"Yeah, the coffee was all me." she smiled.
She left them to finish off the last of their cups and when she went back to pick up their plates and the tip she found a black leather wallet pushed under a bundle of napkins. Finding valuables at work was one of Ione's least favorite things. She looked to see if either of the men were still around. She didn't see them. She flipped the wallet open for inspection and the blue eyed man stared back at her.
"Are you going to take anything?"
He startled her. She held the cloth napkins to her chest and turned the wallet over to him. To Ewan. Their fingers grazed and their eyes held.
"Thanks." he said.
Ewan started back to the entrance. She rolled her eyes at herself and skipped after him, grabbing his wrist before he could exit. She untucked the pen from her ear and bit the cap off, and stroked out letters and numbers across the back of his hand. Their eyes met once more and they grinned.
"I'm Ewan." he said.
"Order up!"
She hit the ground running. The soles of her feet ached with the cold gray dawn. There were times when she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with the unknown slumber.
"Order up!"
Dishes clanked behind the counter and in the kitchen. Steam rose from boiling pots and meats and potatoes sizzled in pans and the coffee maker gurgled beside the soda fountain. Black, with cream, two sugars, one, mocha, vanilla, we don't have that. As tourists drifted off into the morning, she skimmed the tables and seats with a wet rag.
"Order up, Ione!"
She cursed under her breath. The plate bottoms scorched her fingertips. She handed the mash of breakfast foods to the customers at table seven and strode back to the counter for the next order before handing those off too. She was on her way back to the counter when he spoke.
"Excuse me." he said. "What's good?"
She twirled her hair from her face and puffed her cheeks in frustration and turned to the men sitting in the booth. The one on the left bore incredibly blue eyes, like the sea.
"I'm sorry?" she asked.
"Well, we've never been in here before and we're wondering what you recommend." he said.
"Oh." she flapped her arms to her sides. "The, uh, the egg sandwich is nice."
He smiled and nodded. "Two of those then."
"Coming right up." she smiled and put in the order.
Ione kept an eye on the two men in the booth. The one who had ordered was thin and had a face of sharp edges, the other was pudgy and pale. She would catch glimpses of the first watching her from across the floor. They stayed for three cups of coffee after their egg sandwiches. She finally brought them their check.
"That was good." he said.
"Tell that to Shay, I'm not the cook." she laughed.
He handed over his debit card and she took it to the register, swiped it, returned it. She waited for him to sign the receipt. Ewan, it read.
"The coffee then." he said. "I saw you start up a new pot."
"Yeah, the coffee was all me." she smiled.
She left them to finish off the last of their cups and when she went back to pick up their plates and the tip she found a black leather wallet pushed under a bundle of napkins. Finding valuables at work was one of Ione's least favorite things. She looked to see if either of the men were still around. She didn't see them. She flipped the wallet open for inspection and the blue eyed man stared back at her.
"Are you going to take anything?"
He startled her. She held the cloth napkins to her chest and turned the wallet over to him. To Ewan. Their fingers grazed and their eyes held.
"Thanks." he said.
Ewan started back to the entrance. She rolled her eyes at herself and skipped after him, grabbing his wrist before he could exit. She untucked the pen from her ear and bit the cap off, and stroked out letters and numbers across the back of his hand. Their eyes met once more and they grinned.
"I'm Ewan." he said.
"Order up!"