“It’s okay,” Isaid. “Let’s go inside and get a table.”
* * *
Train
“Please allow me,mademoiselleSophie,” I said, leading the incognito pop star inside thediner. One side of which had been taken over by our band.
“Do youmind if we find a place that’s a little quieter?” I asked, motioning to theother side of the diner.
“S’il vousplaît,”she said with a nod.
We were greetedby a sweet-faced hostess named June who looked like someone who jumped rightoff the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
“You two byyourselves or are y’all with them folks?” she asked, motioning to the band, whowere already carrying on like a school cafeteria table filled with classclowns.
“Mon dieu!”Melody gasped, her hand going to her chest.
“As if Sophieand I would ever associate with riffraff like that,” I said, adopting a stuffytone.
“Oh, excuse me,I didn’t mean…” June said
“Où est labibliothèque,” Melody said.
“Yes, quiteright, Sophie my dear. Please take us to your finest table.”
“Oh, I have acorner booth. That be alright for you?” June asked.
“Pouvez-vousnourrir mon âne? Il est fatigué d'avoir fait du vélo toute la journée.”
My head snappedto Melody, then to June. “She said, ‘yes.’”
June led us to aclassic, sticky, red vinyl, high-backed, booth and we took our seats.
“Here’s a coupleof menus,” she said, handing us the thick plastic booklets. “I’ll give you a fewminutes to go over them and I’ll come back with the specials.”
“Sounds good,June. My friend here did have one question about your menu, if you don’t mind?”
“Well, sure.”
“Is your Frenchtoast locally sourced or do you fly it in fresh from France?”
June frowned.“Um, well, I’m not exactly …. I’d have to ask Earl. He’s the chef.”
Melody kicked meunder the table, and I could see her struggling not to laugh.
“I’m sure it’sdelicious either way,” I said. “Let’s not go dragging poor Earl into this. Lastthing I want to do is start an international breakfast related incident. Afterall, isn’t that how the IHOP got started in the first place?”
June started tosputter out, “Well, I don’t know anything about that, you see.”
“No, of coursenot,” I said. “We’ll just start with two coffees.”
June left usalone and Melody immediately punched me square in the arm. “Oh, my God, Ialmost pissed myself.”
“Ow. You gave mea Charley horse in my strumming arm.”
“I think you canonly get a Charley horse in your leg,” she said laughing.
“Well, then yougave me a Fred Horse,” I replied.
