Page 43 of Catching the Kot'oll Driver

The waitress takes out a notepad. “So, you’re having the usual, right? And your friend? The same as yours?”

I nod. “Sounds good.”

She scribbles something on the paper and walks off.

Grihul stares at her back for another moment. “So... Is this how you order things here? Sounds like you’ve been here a lot.”

“Yes. There’s a wide variety of food.” I point at the table. There’s a piece of glass covering the whole surface of the table, and the menu is under it.

“Oh, I see.” He reads the menu. “What did you order?”

I wink. “You’ll know when the food arrives.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “You love to be a mystery.”

“Is that working?”

He gives a dumb smile, which sends my heart pumping. I like that smile. It feels like...

Two plates slap their way onto the table, sliding until they reach both of us. I shudder, pulling my gaze back to myself. He also blinks, seemingly yanked out of his thoughts.

He stares at the bread. “What’s this? I’ve never seen this before.”

“It’s pineapple bun.”

He pokes the bread. “So... Where’s the pineapple?”

I roll my eyes at him. “It’s the look of it, there’s no pineapple inside.”

He scowls. “Sounds like a scam.”

“Geez, don’t be silly. Look at how the golden yellow crispy top has cracks that make it look like a pineapple.”

He studies it, a bit too seriously, but looking funny. “I suppose...” He pokes the top of the bun. “What’s in the middle?”

“A thick slab of butter.” I pick up my bun. “Better enjoy while hot.”

I love this a bit too much, even though too much butter isn’t good for my health. When the cold butter, warm bread, and sweet topping melt together in my mouth, that’s perfection.

He picks up the bun and takes a bite. A few shreds of the topping fall off onto the plate. He chews and blinks. I wonder what’s in his mind. He has to like this, right?

I take another bite, enjoying the taste of it. This is more commonly eaten as breakfast or snack, but I don’t care. I want it now, for dinner, and that’s what I’m going to have. The ones working here know me, I always order the same thing. Well, when I don’t, I’d order something else, but that doesn’t happen a lot.

I lift my brows at him, waiting for his response to the food.

He chuckles. “I like it. It’s not exactly like pineapple, but it tastes great.”

“The name is just a metaphor.”

Speaking of which, plates of scrambled egg and bacon slide to us. Grihul watches the back of the waitress who served our food and is gone before we can see her face.

Grihul asks, “Is she in a hurry?”

“It’s how this place works. Feels like it’s bustling with life all the time.”

He tilts his head to the side. “This is interesting. She just… threw the plates at us.”

“I suppose this way of serving patrons has become an attraction on its own.” I pick up my fork and fork up the bacon. “So... This is more like a breakfast set, but I hope you don’t mind. I love this, so I’d order regardless of the time of the day.”

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