Free Tasteless by India Lee Page B

around for almost forty years.  I know that most people think this place only existed for the television show, but in actual reality, we would have never gotten the show if it weren’t for what this diner means to this town.”
    “That might have been true once,” Sam replied.  “But it’s not the case now.  Now, it’s just some washed up diner that can barely hold onto its glory days.”  He cringed at his own words, realizing how easily it could apply to his own situation.  Surprisingly, Rye didn’t look nearly as affected.  She leaned on the counter across from him, tilting her head as she studied his face.
    “You’re more annoying than usual today,” she finally said.  “Is this about the pop-up at Ripe Acre?” He bit his lip, willing himself not to answer.
    “Before you say anything, know that I don’t want your sympathy,” he replied.
    “I had no intention of giving you any,” Rye shrugged.  “From what I understand, they had good reason to let you go.”
    “Because you have all the information, right?” Sam said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
    “A restaurant’s reputation is important.  If they want to be seen as a serious and elegant establishment, they’re probably going to want a chef that matches their vision.”
    “And just like that, you’ve shown just how little you know about the industry,” Sam laughed.  “I’ve partied with every one of the best chefs in the city.  Some of them are twice my age and work at restaurants so respected that presidents eat there.  And yet those guys can drink me under the table and snort more coke than all their Wall Street patrons.  My reputation had nothing to do with me getting fired.”
    Rye blinked back at him, twirling her shoulder-length hair around a finger as she looked on with genuine remorse.  Still, she apparently decided it wasn’t necessary to apologize.
    “Okay,” she said, quickly recovering and pushing her menu towards Sam again.  “I think maybe we can knock off most of the vegetarian items and just leave one or two.  Most of the people up here are meat-eaters…”
    “You know,” Sam started, rubbing at his stubble as he stared at the peculiar girl before him.  “Most people would maybe take my current state of mind as a cue to back off for a second.”
    “Guess I’m not most people.”
    “I think you should try a little harder to be.”
    “Why should I do that?”
    “So you can give people a chance to like you,” Sam laughed as Rye huffed, crossing her arms.  “I’m sure your friends and family are perfectly used to your quirks, but you’ve got to give the rest of us some time.”
    Rye didn’t answer.  Instead, she lowered her eyes to the menu and walked away from him, settling in the large corner booth diagonal from him.  Sam couldn’t help but think he had said something wrong, even though he wasn’t entirely sure which part of it had bugged her.  She was definitely on the sensitive side, which he had managed to adjust to, but Rye still proved to be too unpredictable for his liking.
    He turned in his stool, watching her as she avoided him, continuing to make marks on the menu.  Had she really just successfully outdone him in the crankiness department? Sam was pretty sure that he was the one who was having the bad day.  He stared at the top of her blondish head as she scribbled on the paper, her face propped up in her hands.  He backtracked through his words – he had said she had quirks, implied people didn’t like her, and said she should be more like other people.  He supposed they were all pretty offensive things to say, but having gotten used to his thick-skinned and resilient friends, didn’t really think to censor.
    In the silence of his pondering, the chime and buzz of Rye and Sam’s phones sounded all the louder.  It was a group text from Warner, with words that would catapult Sam out of thinking about Rye’s problems and right back into his own.
    Sam, Rye - Sandrine pop-up