Page 59 of Small Town Beast

"Mind, I want every bite to be hot like you just took it off the grill. Got that? If it ain't to our liking, you'll have to make it all over again until you get it right."

When Tanya took the menus his fat dirty fingers brushed hers. “Come out back with me after, chocolate, and I can give you more than just a tip,” breathed Hiram. His eyes were small and cruel and he stank of sweat.Chocolate.

“Ass like that should be bent over my backseat, right?” he goaded.

“Wrong,” said Tanya.

As she was walking to the kitchens she heard him say, “No tip, then.” And his buddies all laughed.

Ha ha ha.

Rory had returnedto his post, looking like he’d just been dining in the garbage bin with a family of raccoons. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the ticket Tanya handed him. “Shit,” he said. “That’s a lot.”

“Get started, ‘cause they’re giving me hell.”

Rory sighed. "I didn't sleep at all last night, Tanya. I kept dreaming of fire. I think I have a real phobia now."

“Just cook the damn eggs, Rory.”

Gwen hurried past them with a full plate, tears running down her cheeks. Tanya caught her arm. "Hey! What's going on?" Her protective instinct reared. Gwen might be silly as a bat but Tanya looked out for her.

"Kyle!" said Gwen bitterly, scrubbing at her cheeks. “He keeps grabbing on me! I can’t get him to stop.”

“Oh shit,” said Rory.

Gwen rounded on him. “You need to go beat his ass, Rory! Now!”

“Gwen, honey, I need this job.”

“What kind of man are you anyway? I thought we was together! Well, you can just forget it! I need a man who can protect me!”

"I'll talk to him," Tanya promised Gwen quickly. “Just stay here with Rory and don’t think on it.” She whisked a clean tray of icy water from the station and went to her second table as Gwen and Rory started bickering.

This next table was full of old ladies. They wasted no time to unburden themselves of their concerns.

"I ordered wheat toast, not white."

"I saw a mouse in the parking lot on the way in here. What do you have to say about that?"

"This grape jelly jiggles too much. I want some grape jelly with less jiggle in it."

By the time Tanya found a moment to talk to Kyle it was nearly noon. She glanced quickly at the Redneck Table and found they were finished with the meal. They could hold on for a few more minutes; she was in no hurry to get sexually harassed by those creatures.

"Where's Kyle?" she asked Rory, rushing back to the kitchen. Kyle was always missing until someone else tried to sneak off for a break. Then he appeared like the Kool-aid man busting through the damn wall.

"He just stepped out," Rory told her. “Tanya, tell Gwen not to break up with me. I think it’s mighty unfair because all I ever do is support her.”

“Tell her yourself, Rory!” Tanya snapped. She hustled back into the alley and sure enough found Kyle, smoking with a big happy smile on his face. Today his rat-tail was slicked back with maybe a half pound of grease.

“Kyle. I need to talk to you.”

The manager blew a smoke ring. “Yes, Tanya?”

“Leave Gwen alone. That’s the first thing.”

“And why would I do that? Because you told me to?” He laughed. “You must be out of your cotton-picking mind, Tanya Weaver. I swear you’re beggin’ me to fire you."

“I’m telling you to leave that girl alone or you’ll regret it.”

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