Post by Jen on Apr 26, 2009 21:34:59 GMT -5
April 1997
“Mind if I share your booth?” a dark-skinned, stubble-cheeked, black suit-wearing man asked Harley one day during a particularly busy lunch rush.
“Uh, okay,” she replied as she looked up.
“Thanks. This place is crazy. There aren’t any seats left and I don’t feel like eating on the run,” he added as he slid into the seat across from her and she moved some papers out of the way.
“I must have been in my own little world, I didn’t even notice I was taking up a much needed booth,” Harley said. “I guess I should move.”
“Well, you’re not taking up the booth anymore because now I’m here taking it up too,” he replied with a wink.
“Well, it’s not very good for business if the owner and her paperwork are covering four seats,” she laughed.
“You’re the owner of this place?” he asked.
“One of them,” she nodded. “I’m the one who does all the paperwork and finances. Shannon handles the rest,” she added, pointing to Shannon behind the counter refilling coffee.
“Not the food service type?” he asked.
“Well, you know, genetically, I should be, but…no, not so much,” she answered.
“Same here, I’d rather eat the food than make it. But, you should be happy to know that the food is great, and the price is great.”
“Well, I’m glad you like it. I think you’re the first Fed we’ve had in here though, so pass the word along, okay?” she teased and the man blinked back his surprise.
“How did you know I was a Fed?” he asked.
“Ummm…I don’t know,” she laughed, wondering herself. “I guess I just got good at identifying them.”
“Them?”
“I uh, I used to be a cop, so Feds were always ‘them’,” she finally explained.
“Ah. Used to be? What made you give up fighting crime for filling out paperwork. Oh, well come to think of it, I guess it’s not that different. Cops fill out a lot of paperwork too,” he laughed.
“Yes,” she laughed with him. “It’s a…long story,” was all she said.
“Oh. Okay,” he took the hint and changed the subject. “This is a good turkey sandwich. The stuff they try to pass off as turkey at our cafeteria tastes more like sawdust.”
“Good,” Harley replied. “I mean, I’m glad you like it. Please, have another one,” she teased as he finished off his sandwich with a big mouthful.
“Wish I could, but I have to run. I have a lunch meeting in ten minutes,” he said as he wiped his mouth.
“You have a lunch meeting but you just ate that big sandwich?” Harley asked, amazed.
“Appetizer,” he winked and stood up. “Thanks for sharing your booth…uh…’
“Harley,” she said.
“Harley. Like the bike?” he asked and she nodded. “Don’t tell me your last name is Davidson, that would just be too great.”
“It’s not,” she answered. “It’s my middle name,” she added and Gus laughed out loud.
“You’re funny,” he said through his laughter.
“I’m serious. My name is Harley Davidson Cooper. My dad was a fan,” she shrugged and he slid back into the booth.
“Really? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry for you.”
“You’ve already done your fair share of laughing I think,” she said, laughing herself.
“Sorry, it’s just…wow. Okay, well, it was nice to meet you Harley, uh, Davidson,” he said with as straight a face as possible as he stood up again.
“I hope you have a funny name too,” she teased.
“Gus,” he informed her and she struggled to find something humorous about it.
“Oh, like the mouse in Cinderella?”
“That was Gus Gus, actually but nice try,” he replied.
“Close enough,” she shrugged and he smiled at her for a long moment before he said goodbye.
“Thank you for sharing your booth with this mouse,” he said.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy your lunch, I guess,” she shrugged and he laughed.
“Not as much as I enjoyed this, trust me,” he said with another smile. “See ya,” he added with a wave before he rushed out the door.
Harley took a sip of her iced tea then went back to work, but it wasn’t long before Shannon had slid into the booth across from her.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“Huh?” Harley asked, looking up.
“That guy that you just had lunch with, who is he?”
“I didn’t have lunch with him. He needed somewhere to sit and since I was hogging this whole booth, he sat with me.”
“He was cute! You should ask him out!” Shannon said, excited and Harley rolled her eyes. “Why not, Harley? He was cute, you can obviously converse with him.”
“Shannon, please. Why do you want to set me up with every guy who knows I’m alive?”
“Harley, all the guys know you’re alive, you just won’t see them.”
“I’m not ready, I’ve told you that.”
“You’re a widow, Harley, not a nun. You don’t have to marry the guy!” Shannon added exasperated and Harley ignored her and continued her paperwork. “Well if you’re not going to ask him out, can I?”
“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Harley asked without looking up.
“Today, I do. Who knows about next week. If he comes in here again, I think I will ask him out,” Shannon decided.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to be hitting on customers while you’re working,” Harley replied.
“I’m the boss, I’ll take a ten minute break when he comes back,” Shannon shrugged.
“Whatever you say, boss.”
“Mind if I share your booth?” a dark-skinned, stubble-cheeked, black suit-wearing man asked Harley one day during a particularly busy lunch rush.
“Uh, okay,” she replied as she looked up.
“Thanks. This place is crazy. There aren’t any seats left and I don’t feel like eating on the run,” he added as he slid into the seat across from her and she moved some papers out of the way.
“I must have been in my own little world, I didn’t even notice I was taking up a much needed booth,” Harley said. “I guess I should move.”
“Well, you’re not taking up the booth anymore because now I’m here taking it up too,” he replied with a wink.
“Well, it’s not very good for business if the owner and her paperwork are covering four seats,” she laughed.
“You’re the owner of this place?” he asked.
“One of them,” she nodded. “I’m the one who does all the paperwork and finances. Shannon handles the rest,” she added, pointing to Shannon behind the counter refilling coffee.
“Not the food service type?” he asked.
“Well, you know, genetically, I should be, but…no, not so much,” she answered.
“Same here, I’d rather eat the food than make it. But, you should be happy to know that the food is great, and the price is great.”
“Well, I’m glad you like it. I think you’re the first Fed we’ve had in here though, so pass the word along, okay?” she teased and the man blinked back his surprise.
“How did you know I was a Fed?” he asked.
“Ummm…I don’t know,” she laughed, wondering herself. “I guess I just got good at identifying them.”
“Them?”
“I uh, I used to be a cop, so Feds were always ‘them’,” she finally explained.
“Ah. Used to be? What made you give up fighting crime for filling out paperwork. Oh, well come to think of it, I guess it’s not that different. Cops fill out a lot of paperwork too,” he laughed.
“Yes,” she laughed with him. “It’s a…long story,” was all she said.
“Oh. Okay,” he took the hint and changed the subject. “This is a good turkey sandwich. The stuff they try to pass off as turkey at our cafeteria tastes more like sawdust.”
“Good,” Harley replied. “I mean, I’m glad you like it. Please, have another one,” she teased as he finished off his sandwich with a big mouthful.
“Wish I could, but I have to run. I have a lunch meeting in ten minutes,” he said as he wiped his mouth.
“You have a lunch meeting but you just ate that big sandwich?” Harley asked, amazed.
“Appetizer,” he winked and stood up. “Thanks for sharing your booth…uh…’
“Harley,” she said.
“Harley. Like the bike?” he asked and she nodded. “Don’t tell me your last name is Davidson, that would just be too great.”
“It’s not,” she answered. “It’s my middle name,” she added and Gus laughed out loud.
“You’re funny,” he said through his laughter.
“I’m serious. My name is Harley Davidson Cooper. My dad was a fan,” she shrugged and he slid back into the booth.
“Really? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry for you.”
“You’ve already done your fair share of laughing I think,” she said, laughing herself.
“Sorry, it’s just…wow. Okay, well, it was nice to meet you Harley, uh, Davidson,” he said with as straight a face as possible as he stood up again.
“I hope you have a funny name too,” she teased.
“Gus,” he informed her and she struggled to find something humorous about it.
“Oh, like the mouse in Cinderella?”
“That was Gus Gus, actually but nice try,” he replied.
“Close enough,” she shrugged and he smiled at her for a long moment before he said goodbye.
“Thank you for sharing your booth with this mouse,” he said.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy your lunch, I guess,” she shrugged and he laughed.
“Not as much as I enjoyed this, trust me,” he said with another smile. “See ya,” he added with a wave before he rushed out the door.
Harley took a sip of her iced tea then went back to work, but it wasn’t long before Shannon had slid into the booth across from her.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“Huh?” Harley asked, looking up.
“That guy that you just had lunch with, who is he?”
“I didn’t have lunch with him. He needed somewhere to sit and since I was hogging this whole booth, he sat with me.”
“He was cute! You should ask him out!” Shannon said, excited and Harley rolled her eyes. “Why not, Harley? He was cute, you can obviously converse with him.”
“Shannon, please. Why do you want to set me up with every guy who knows I’m alive?”
“Harley, all the guys know you’re alive, you just won’t see them.”
“I’m not ready, I’ve told you that.”
“You’re a widow, Harley, not a nun. You don’t have to marry the guy!” Shannon added exasperated and Harley ignored her and continued her paperwork. “Well if you’re not going to ask him out, can I?”
“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Harley asked without looking up.
“Today, I do. Who knows about next week. If he comes in here again, I think I will ask him out,” Shannon decided.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to be hitting on customers while you’re working,” Harley replied.
“I’m the boss, I’ll take a ten minute break when he comes back,” Shannon shrugged.
“Whatever you say, boss.”
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