“Um…,” he finally manages to ask. “Did you mean to bring me here?”
He hadn’t really meant for the words to come out sounding so skeptical, but the restaurant wasn’t the type of place his parents would ever dream of taking him to.
Luke looks a bit crestfallen, and now Mikey feels guilty.
Good job,he thinks.
“I’m sorry,” he says at once. “It’s just…I haven’t really been here before.”
“For your information,” Luke says, “this is one of the best places to eat in all of Moundsville.” He gestures up at the worn plastic sign. “It’s called Bob’s Lunch, and my aunt used to bring me here when I was a kid all the time. I haven’t been in a while, but they have some of the best food around, trust me.”
Mikey isn’t at all sure he believes what Luke is telling him, but he doesn’t want to offend him any more than he already has.
I just hope I don’t get food poisoning,he thinks as they step inside.
The minute they’re inside the place, though, the doubts vanish. He doesn’t know how to explain it, but something aboutthe place just feels likehome.There are booths scattered around the dining area, as well as a few tables in the center, all with checkered tablecloths. Pictures and photos of Moundsville are scattered on the walls, reminders of what the city used to be like.
I can see why Luke likes it here,he thinks.I just hope the food matches the atmosphere.
The waitress, an older white woman in her mid-50s, looks at them and smiles.
“Luke, sweetie!” she calls out in a husky but strangely sing-song voice. “We were wondering when you’d be showing up here. We heard you were in town again, and we were starting to think you might not stop in.”
Luke gives them a little smile–it’s a much more open one than Mikey has seen from him so far–and Mikey’s heart gives a little flip. He isn’t sure what’s going on when it comes to his feelings for him, but he knows there’s something special there, something that could get him into a lot of trouble if he isn’t careful.
The waitress comes over and, without saying a word, looks him up and down.
“And who do we have here?” she asks.
“Hi, I’m Mikey,” he says, and sticks out a hand for her to shake. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
She gives him a skeptical look but, when Luke nods, she finally gives him a smile in return. It’s not quite as bright or as dazzling or as enthusiastic as the one she gave Luke, but Mikey takes it.
I’m going to convince her to like me.
“Let me show yinz to a booth,” she says at last, and she guides them to a booth at the back of the room, putting a couple of laminated menus in front of them. “Take all the time you need,” she says. “Though I think Luke probably already knows what he wants. He always gets the same thing.”
“I don’t know, Missy,” he says, giving her a wink, “I think I might like to change things up a bit today.”
She just laughs and moves off, leaving the two of them together.
Mikey pretends to be studying the menu, but really he’s studying Luke. He likes to see him in places where he’s comfortable, but he also wishes there was a place wherehecould feel so at home with himself.
“You sure are studying the menu,” Luke says, breaking into his thoughts. “Or at least, I thought you were. But I think you’re spending more time staring at me.”
A flush creeps into Mikey’s cheeks, but Luke just smirks and kicks him gently under the table. When his foot stays resting beside Mikey’s, Mikey’s heart does a little flip again.
“You might be right,” Mikey says, giving him what he hopes is a flirtatious smile. “But maybe I should just let you decide what I order. You seem to know the menu pretty well.”
“I can do that,” Luke says, and as soon as the waitress comes back he puts in an order for two Philly cheesesteaks. Mikey’s mouth starts to water at the thought of the food, and it occurs to him he hasn’t had anything to eat since breakfast.
“So,” he says, as Missy disappears into the back with their orders, “I assume you’ve been coming here often?”
“You really do talk like someone fancy,” Luke says, but there’s no malice in it. He’s just stating a fact.
“Yeah,” Mikey says. “My mom made me take lessons about proper speaking when I was a kid.”
“Wait, that’s really a thing?” Luke asks, clearly unable to believe what he’s hearing.
