"No, it's full-size. But it's just a two-top, and it's tucked back in a corner back there. Not that we tuck her in a corner or anything. Her aunt bought her some new toys the other day. And she's only here on days when she's not in school."
"What about tomorrow?"
"Are you asking if Luna will be here tomorrow?" She craned her neck a little and glanced behind Alex. "Bye, you guys, thanks for coming in!"
"It was wonderful, thanks!" someone in the group yelled back to her as they walked out.
"My grandfather will be with me tomorrow. We're just visiting this town. His favorite breakfast is Eggs Benedict."
"Oh, well, he's in for a treat."
"Well, no, I, I need to talk to him. That's the thing. We need a quiet place to talk while we eat, if that's possible. Is there any way I could pay you extra, and we could use that table you're talking about? Luna's table? Could I possibly see it? I'll pay."
"I know Lu's going to spend the night with another little girl tonight, but I don’t know what time she'll be back tomorrow. Let me go ask for you.Hang on just a second. Good morning, Maggie! I'll be back in just a minute!" she said to a lady who walked in the door at that moment.
That lady came to stand next to Alex while the cashier walked into the back. He turned and looked around, surveying the room and wondering if there was any possible way he could have a serious conversation with his grandfather in there. There was so much noise. He needed time to explain his process and sell his grandfather on making a significantly larger investment. That wasn't something he wanted to rush.
The stereo was playing classic rock. It had been a slower song—something by Fleetwood Mac when he first came in. But now there was a faster song playing. He thought the name was Stranglehold, but he didn't know who sang it. All the noise was too much for his grandfather.
Alex glanced at the food that was sitting on one of the tables. One of the ladies had the Eggs Benedict, and it looked delicious. He knew the food itself would be perfect for his grandfather, but there may be no hope for this place.
"Hey, Maggie," he heard the cashier say. He turned and saw that she was standing in the doorway, holding the swinging door open. "Is it the usual?"
The lady at the counter answered with a nod.
"Sounds good," the cashier said. She focused on Alex, and she saw that he was looking at her, so shegestured for him to follow her. He did. They walked through a kitchen where a man was cooking on one side and someone else was washing dishes in a sink on the far wall.
"This is our poacher's room," she said, turning to a wide doorway on the right. This room had a table on the right side of the entrance with heat lamps. There were plates and to-go boxes that were waiting for eggs. Beyond that was a large stove lining the wall, with a woman working. She was concentrating on poaching eggs—staring at pots with timers. It was quieter in this room, more relaxed. She had a ponytail and an apron, and there was some low classical music coming from a small speaker. There was a bit of noise from the kitchen, but this room was different. The young woman working was facing the stove, so he could only see her back and a little of the side of her face.
There was a heavy-duty partition in the middle of the room, and on the left side of it was a cozy seating area. Alex figured this was the table he was being offered. It was a normal, full-size table for two, and besides a few toys, the area was decorated like the rest of the restaurant. He knew right away that this was a perfectly good area to share breakfast. Alex glanced at the row of toys that was neatly lined up on the far wall. The table was tucked in the corner, and the whole area was in a spot where they would be out of everyone's way. It was quiet and wonderful, and Alex didn’t mind at all that it wassharing a room with the woman who was cooking eggs. His grandfather would like it.
"This is perfect," he said, glancing at the cashier with an excited smile as he pointed at the table.
She returned the smile cautiously and shrugged. "Well, I'll let you talk to Josie and see if she thinks it'll work out for you to use it."
Chapter 2
Josie Wells
I had six eggs on the stovetop, and four of them were set to come out within a matter of seconds. I saw Carly come up behind me. She had a man with her. I couldn't see him fully, but I could see enough to know there was a tall, thin-ish masculine presence next to her.
"I've got four eggs about to come out of the pot. I'll be with you in just a second."
"Thank you," Carly said, answering for him. "And Maggie's here. Her ticket's not up yet, but you might as well go ahead and drop two more."
"Got it," I said with a nod.
"Oh, and Scott said he loves your eggs as much as Audrey's."
"Aw, that's sweet," I replied, concentrating on placing an egg on one of the plates that was ready to go. I had to be careful about my every movement, or that perfect yolk would pop prematurely.
Carly waited while I plated a few more eggs, and then she took two plates back to the front with her. I could hear her calling out to Cal that she had this order and was headed up front with it.
I wiped my hands and turned to regard that stranger. He was young and handsome, and I made eye contact with his light eyes for only a brief second before shifting my gaze back to the stove. Oof. Those eyes. They were something. They weren't blue or green, but they were light.Were they yellow?They were definitely warm-toned. I didn't take the time to stare or even think about it. I didn't have time to notice guys in that way, anyway. Not that he would have noticed me. I was a wreck. It was a busy Friday, and I was doing all I could to keep up at this restaurant.
But Carly had gotten my attention when she mentioned money. I was saving up to buy some nice headphones, and I felt bad using the money from my jobs to go to that. Carly had said that this man was willing to pay money to share this kitchen with me for a little while tomorrow.
Cal came around the corner, cutting in front of the guy and putting two more plates and four paper cups on the table under the heat lamp. The gentleman stepped back to give him room. I waited for Cal to walk off before I spoke to him.
