Free Bobby's Diner by Susan Wingate Page B

only
employees who fight to get a shift in on Mondays.

 

 
 
    CHAPTER   14

 
    He was big—big and mean-looking
and homely as a baboon. He didn’t give a name, why would he. He just appeared like
an apparition in a horror movie. He had pockmarks from acne past.   And, when he talked his tight skin pulled in
odd directions, not like supple soft skin, but like he’d been burnt on a
spinning   wagon wheel. You wanted to feel
sorry for the guy, but he had lava in his veins, hot and raging. So, you felt
scared instead.
    Vanessa seated him back in the
corner like he’d requested. He ate a sandwich and drank one beer after the
other, for two-and-a-half hours till mostly everyone was gone. That’s when he
asked to speak with the owner. Vanessa told him she was the owner.
    “What can I help you with?”
    “This place is sweet.” He sucked
on a pickle when he said it like he was sucking someone’s dick.
    “Thank you sir, we think so.”
Vanessa was taken back a little but remained cool and began to walk away.
    “It’d be a shame if anything were
to happen to it.”
    She stopped suddenly and turned
back to him. “Excuse me?”
    “I don’t think I stuttered ma’am.
You think about what I said, now.” He slid to the edge of the seat to stand.
    “How safe are you here running a
business like this, being a woman and all. You could get hurt. If I was you, I
think I’d sell to the first person who made me an offer.” He got up next to her
slow and so close she could smell his rancid breath. “You have a good day now.”
He wiped his mouth with the napkin that had been on the table and threw it back
onto the seat.
    Vanessa stood speechless as he
pushed by her out of the restaurant and got in his shiny black Yukon. Its
windows   were dark so you couldn’t see
inside. She walked just outside the doors as he was pulling out of the parking
lot. The license plates had been removed from the back.

 
    ***

 
    “Georgette?”
    “Mm hmm?” I was cleaning up in
the kitchen after the lunch rush and didn’t look up.
    “We’ve just been threatened.”
    “Hmm.” I was intent on reordering
the kitchen and didn’t quite catch what Vanessa had said. “I’m sorry Vanessa, I
didn’t catch that. What did you just say?” I stopped wiping and put my hair
behind my ears. “We’ve been threatened—to sell. He said if we didn’t sell, we’d
be hurt.”
    “What?”
    “That’s right. Some big lug-nut
just came in, ate lunch, poured about a keg of beer into his mouth, and then threatened
us if we didn’t sell.” “That’s ridiculous.”
    “I’m telling you, Georgette. It’s
what just happened.”
    “Who waited on him.” “I did.”
    “Why?”
    “He just started ordering after I
sat him in the booth and so I brought it out to him. Easy enough, I thought.”
    “Did anyone else see him?”
    “Oh, I’m sure they all saw him.
He looked like he’d been run down by horses pulling a wagon full o’ ugly!”
    “Vanessa.”
    “Shit, Georgette. This guy was
nasty. All pockmarked and everything.”
    “Vanessa, a person can’t help
something like that!” “Inside, too. That’s not the point. He threatened our business—you
and me—get it?”
    “It’s just so hard to believe.
Why would anyone want to threaten us?”
    “I don’t know. But, something’s
not right.” Vanessa left the kitchen.
    When I’d finished wiping down the
counters I went out to talk to her again. She was standing at the front door
looking out. She had one hand up to her mouth and the other on her hip and
looked like she was in another world.
    I noticed something I hadn’t seen
in her before. From that   position, deep
in thought, she looked smaller somehow. Before, she’d always looked bigger-than-life
to me. I guess because I always felt a little ashamed around her since
Bobby,   and all. But, for this brief
moment, she looked fragile.
    “Has he been back?”
    I’d startled her from her demons.
    “No. Not