Life was complicated enough after all.
Rachel nodded, looking satisfied. ‘If this were a book though – you wouldn’t be able to stay away. You would be drawn to her, whether you liked it or not.’
‘Well, it’s a good job this is real life then, Rach,’ Lucas replied with a wry smile. ‘I’ll be fine. I’m not going to be drawn in. I have far more important things to worry about than her.’
Like customers, for a start.
Lucas tried not to panic as he looked around The Diner. It was a Wednesday morning. It was sunny outside, a beautiful spring morning. When his mom was alive, this place had been busy most days, with people looking for a full breakfast before work. Some even came from outside of town because her reputation was so good. Mel was a great cook and created a great vibe, so this quickly became the heart of the community.
Old Ernie was back, sitting at the far corner, eating his usual toast. Tommy and Joey were having milkshakes before school and there were a couple he didn’t recognize, eating toasted muffins and barely speaking to each other. He suspected they were guests at the Parkers’s inn, about to go on a hike. Although the Parkers served breakfast at their inn, their offering was poor, which often meant that Lucas benefited.
But even the Parkers were getting fewer guests these days.
Lucas had been going over the books until late yesterday evening and no matter what he did, he couldn’t get the figures to stack up. It was looking pretty grim. He hated to admit it, but if things carried on like this, he would have to let Janice go. If it got much worse – well, he didn’t even want to consider the options then.
Janice walked over to him. She had been in the kitchen cooking, but there were no orders left to process and everything was clean and tidy.
‘I’ll be off then,’ she said brightly, nodding at the particularly empty space around them. ‘I’m guessing you can handle this on your own until lunch.’
‘Yeah, I think I’ll be fine.’ Lucas managed a stiff grin. He didn’t want Janice to worry about anything. She had Tommy and another younger girl at home and although he couldn’t offer her many hours, or pay her that much, he knew it helped. Janice had worked loyally alongside his mom for years and he didn’t want to let her down. ‘I’ll see you later.’
Janice nodded and tapped his arm gently. ‘Things will pick up, I’m sure. It’s just a bad time of year.’
‘It’s been a bad year altogether – but thanks.’
She smiled. ‘The event in a few weeks will help. I’ve already heard some people talking about it.’
‘Yeah, that’ll be good.’
May 22nd marked the passing of his mother, but Lucas had decided he wanted to do something positive with the day. He and Janice had been busy making plans that morning for a special day at The Diner, a celebration of life. His mom had always loved this season and the surprisingly warm days they brought. The idea was to celebrate it by serving some of her favorite dishes, including a very special and very large blueberry cheesecake that Lucas was going to bake. It was his mom’s specialty.
‘Your mom would be so proud of you,’ Janice said as she reached the door. Her expression changed as she pulled it open. ‘Oh, that’s funny. It’s quite busy out here.’
Lucas walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder.There was already a small crowd gathered around Willow’s van. He even spotted the Parker sisters in the line.
Didn’t they say they wouldn’t go near matcha?
He wobbled on the spot for a moment, wondering if he should go out and offer some words of support – or even buy a drink. But then he remembered what Rachel had said earlier. She was right in some ways; Willow had caused him a lot of stress in the past.
And where Willow was, Jake wouldn’t be far away, and Lucas certainly couldn’t deal with that right now.
He hated the feeling of envy that filtered through him too. Why were people there, gathered around a small van, rather than inside his warm little diner? What did Willow have that he didn’t?
‘I might go and try one,’ Janice said eagerly. ‘I’ve never had matcha before, but there’s a first time for everything, right?’
‘You go for it, Janice,’ he replied. ‘Looks like you’re not the only one around here looking for something new.’
Greg came back in just before lunch, sipping his own purchase from Willow’s Matcha Wagon.
‘It’s nice, to be honest,’ he said, hitching himself up on the stool. ‘I went for blueberry, but she has loads of flavors. The two-for-one deal was a good idea. The Parkers particularly bit her hand off. They love a freebie.’
Lucas peered at it. ‘It’s very – green?’
‘Yeah, that’s the matcha, isn’t it? It’s good for you or something.’ Greg shrugged. ‘She serves it with a smile. It’s nice.’
‘Are you saying you don’t get that from me?’ Lucas said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Because I’ll have you know, my customer-service skills are second to none.’
‘I don’t doubt it – but Willow is different,’ Greg saidcasually, slurping more of his drink. ‘You should check it out. She reminds me of someone.’
