Between the Lanterns(6)
Chapter 3
SPARKS FLY
Samantha came out of the kitchen with both arms full of plates. Earlier she had overheard one of the customers talking about National Nutricator Day, and the Credit that Montek was giving away for real food. Well, she might hate them and their stupid machines, but at least they were doing a good thing today. Even if it was just to lure more dummies into buying their useless garbage.
She handed out all the plates and chatted with a few customers. Most of them were not very talkative – nothing new there. People weren’t friendly like they used to be, or so she had heard from Cheryl when Samantha first started at the diner. That wonderful woman had always told of how things were in the old days in New Dothan.
Cheryl had once said that running a diner was the best decision she ever made. Talking with the customers all day every day, making them smile with her meat loaf and chocolate pie, and being her own boss made Cheryl as happy as she had ever been. She told Samantha that her only regret was leaving her husband. Sure, he wasn’t the most thoughtful man in the world, and he had messed up pretty bad, but Cheryl had loved him still, all the way until the end. She had regretted living a large chunk of her life without her husband, John.
These customers today, though, weren’t there to chat; they were just there for free food, which they ate way too fast to enjoy the quality of, anyway. These people are used to Nutricator food, which has barely any taste. So there is really no enjoyment in eating it. With the fantastic, home-made real food sold in the diner, you need to chew slowly and enjoy every last bite. It’s uncouth not to do so.
Samantha glanced over to check on the kind-hearted old man she had given the pie to, just in case he needed a refill on his coffee. “Unlimited refills on coffee,” was the law in Cheryl’s Diner. Most places in town charged by the cup and that was for Nutricator coffee, which Samantha thought tasted like stewed sock juice.
As she looked over at his table, she saw someone was now sitting with the old man. A face she recognized, but couldn’t quite place. He was a handsome man, and she remembered seeing him somewhere…
“Between the lanterns!” she suddenly exclaimed.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” A woman in a nicely cut business suit said. She had frown lines and was wearing a pair of those new SmartGlasses of which Montek was currently so proud.
“Oh, sorry, ma’am,” Samantha apologized, then explained, “I was just thinking out loud. Can I get you need anything else?”
“No,” the woman curtly replied, as most people tended to do nowadays. “I’ve used all the free Credit Montek gave me. It was good, but I think I prefer my Nutricator’s cooking.”
Samantha had to stop herself from answering the woman rudely. It would be unprofessional to tell this lady her taste buds were broken if she liked that Nutri-trash food more than the real thing.
“Well, sweets, different strokes for different folks, as they used to say,” Samantha answered with a fake smile.
Over at the table with the handsome man and the older gentleman, they were having a nice conversation.
Samantha sidled up, and politely interjected, “Why hello, sweets;, fancy seeing you here. I thought we had a standing date between the lanterns. Where have you been?”
August’s next word caught in his throat as he recognized that voice. He slowly turned his head and saw the beautiful Asian woman from the blackout. He could not believe his eyes or his luck. Granny’s spirit had definitely directed him to this restaurant today. She was always meddling in his love life, even in the afterlife, it seemed.
“Uh, hi. Hi there. Long time no see, ma’am,” Augusts answered.
John looked at the two attractive young people and smirked knowingly, saying, “Well, how about that?. Y’all know each other?”
August spluttered a little trying to find a way to answer that wouldn’t embarrass him in front of this angelic woman.
Samantha beat him to it, saying, “No, sir, not really. This very kind gentleman saved me from the dark a few weeks ago when the lights went out in New Dothan for just a minute. He was as brave and gallant as a medieval knight. Weren’t you, sweets?”
August’s dark cheeks barely showed it, but he blushed hard and said, “Well, I wouldn’t say that, ma’am. I did what anyone would have done under the circumstances. I just tried to offer some comfort and let you know everythin’ would be alright. Heck, I didn’t even know you were a woman when the lights went out. I was just trying to be friendly.”
John shook his head and closed his eyes, then leaned in close to mockingly whisper, “Son, never tell a beautiful lady that you didn’t know they was a woman. It don’t really sit right with them; you catch my meanin’?”
August’s face somehow grew darker.
“Oh it’s alright,” Samantha said, trying to make August feel more comfortable. “I didn’t know I was a woman in the dark either… August, is it?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is, and this here is John,” he said, motioning to the older man. “We are just about to order a feast to celebrate two important women in our lives:; my granny and his wife. My treat. Ain’t that right, John?”
John nodded in acknowledgment, understanding that August might just be trying to impress this lady.