“It’s fine. Turns out, they had soy milk.”
“So?”
“So, I’m making you vegan mayo for the burger I’m about to make.”
“What burger? They don’t have veggie burgers on the menu.”
“No, but I sent the cook to the store across the street, where they sell them. They usually have at least one box, so, hopefully, he’ll come back with a black-bean burger for you in a minute. I’ve got the bun toasted already. The lettuce looks fresh enough, and so do the tomatoes. Will you eat them if you don’t know where they came from? Probably the same store.”
Samara watched as Dana whisked soy milk with oil in a big bowl.
“Yes, I’ll eat it.”
“And you won’t complain?” Dana asked.
“No,” she replied with a small laugh. “You really didn’t have to do this.”
“It’s fine. I grew out of an egg allergy, but when I was little, I couldn’t eat eggs in anything, so my mom was always making things special for me or telling me not to eat the cake at someone’s birthday party.”
“You grew out of it?” Samara asked, walking up to the counter Dana was standing behind. “And a hairnet? Really?” She laughed.
“Yes. I’m not getting hair in your food. I wouldn’t evenwantto know what happens then.”
Samara laughed again.
“And yes, you can grow out of allergies sometimes, or they get more manageable. I don’t just eat eggs for breakfast,but I can eat them in things now. My point is that I know it can be hard to find food places without having to make special requests.”
Watching Dana try to make her something specialjust becausehad Samara feeling more than just lust for the woman who was whisking for her, waiting on someone else to bring back a black-bean burger. Samara smiled softly and couldn’t help but stare as Dana stopped whisking, set the bowl down, and brushed a little vegan mayo onto the top bun.
“More?” Dana asked her.
“Yes, please,” she replied.
Dana added some to the bottom bun as well and placed the lettuce and tomato on top just as the back door opened and a man walked in, carrying a box that Samara recognized.
“Whoa!” he said, stopping by Dana. “You’re–”
“Yeah. Hi,” Samara replied.
“Did you get it?” Dana asked him.
“Yeah, last box in the freezer.” He held up the box for her to see. “Want me to cook one up for you?”
“Yeah, with sweet potato fries,” Dana requested. “And can you just make two of everything? I dressed her burger already, but the same stuff on mine is fine.”
“No problem,” the cook replied.
Dana wiped her hands on a rag and asked, “Want to go back out there while he finishes up?”
“Is there another option?” Samara asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Can we maybe just stay back here for a minute or go out back if thereisan out back?”
“Everything okay?” Dana asked.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot.”
