12.05.2015
They both plopped down on the vinyl-upholstered seats, the benches in their booth. The waitress sat down a pair of menus and told them, “My name’s Judy and I’ll be taking care of you this morning. I’ll give you a minute.” Before she walked off with her thick, frizzy hair bobbing behind her.
Tern and Christy both flipped through the menu, but Tern already knew what he wanted.
“I’m a creature of habit,” he said as he set the menu down.
“Just with breakfast?” Christy laughed.
“Especially at breakfast.”
“They have a new smothered burrito, with green chili, that I think I’ll try.”
“That does sound good.”
The waitress came back over with two glasses of ice water. “Would you care for anything else to drink?”
“Coffee, please,” Christy answered.
“Cream or sugar?”
“One of each.”
“And for you,” the waitress turned to Tern.
“Coffee as well. Black.” “Great, I’ll bring those right out for you two.”
“Could we also ordere now,” Christy asked as Judy had turned around.
“Sure,” Judy replied. “What can I get you?”
“I’ll have the smothered burrito, with the green chili.”
“Okay, and how about you?” She turned to Tern again.
“Two eggs, over easy, a side of bacon,and also sausage links.”
“You got it. I’ll have it out shortly.”
Judy turned and made her way back toward the kitchen, her hair bobbing after her again.
“I meant to toss this right when I left the office.” Tern sat the BEI pin on the tabletop, which he had pulled from his pocket.
“I hadn’t even picked it up,” Christy said. “I’m not even sure why they bothered with that junk.” A strand of curly hair fell across her face, and she brushed it away.
The waitress came back with the two mugs of coffee and set them down.
Christy’s was a lighter grown, and Tern’s was original dark.
“Me either,” Tern continued after Judy walked off again. He took a sip from his mug and instantly burned his tongue. “Give it a minute,” he warned. “Really hot.”
Christy picked up a spoon and stirred at her mug. Lines of steam lifted up and twisted with her motions.
“I’m sure,” Tern mused, “that someone at the BEI thought those pins would be a good way to get us to think positively about them.”
“Probably,” Christy said, “but they shouldn’t have used them right after a half hour bit about how they’d take money and time from our already-contracted days and paychecks.”
“What have you done for work?” he asked.