Page 19 of The Lamb and the Llama
“Great! We will follow you and Harriet.”
9
They all met up in the parking area of The Joint and headed in.
“Let’s grab a table rather than sit at the bar. I don’t want our backs facing the door,” Amira said as she strode over to an open table facing the entrance.
Once she sat down, she noticed some of the same staff members who’d worked last night were here in the afternoon. She thought it odd but dismissed it since they may have all been full-time employees. The bartender, who had his back to them when they came in, let them know he’d be right over.
“Well, I know I want a fish sandwich,” Gregor said.
“I’m going for the salad,” the hare shifter announced.
“You and your vegan diet, Harriet!” Stan laughed.
“Stan, you know I only eat fruits and veggies.”
“Yeah, I know, but this bear can’t survive on that alone. I’m going for the burger.”
Amira shook her head. “That’s a heart attack waiting to happen with all that grease, cheese, and bacon. Do they have anything healthy for a meat eater to consume?”
“Amira, we’re at a bar. No bar food is healthy—not even the salad,” said Richard.
“Well, there goes my calorie count for the day. I guess I’ll opt for the nachos. They seem to have the fewest calories at a whopping 1200—yikes!”
“How about I share them with you? Calories shared don’t count—at least that’s what my grandma used to say,” Richard whispered into her ear, followed by a smile and a wink.
Heat rushed through Amira’s cheeks. “My, is it hot in here? I think I’ll order a glass of water.”
The waiter, someone new, smiled and took all of their orders. Only Stan and Gregor ordered beers.
When the server came back, Amira practically downed her water as the server handed every other beverage out. Only after the server went back to the kitchen, did she take her last swallow and notice the water tasted funny. It was sweet.
“Excuse me, but could I get another glass?” she called out to the bartender, who still had his back turned to them. “I don’t think this one was properly washed. My water tastes sugary.”
The server, who was now coming from the kitchen, gave Amira a thousand-watt smile and went to the bar to retrieve another glass of water for her. Once he returned with the glass, Amira thanked him and smiled after she took a sip. This time, the water seemed normal.
“You know, Stan, we don’t all have to sit with you. We can sit at another table to give you and Gregor some private time to catch up,” said Richard.
“With Zagan on the loose, I’d rather be safe than sorry. We’ll stick together,” Stan said. After taking a sip of his beer, he made a sour face. “That beer tastes funny. They must not have tapped the keg properly. I may order a blonde for the next round if yours tastes fine, Gregor.”
“Yeah, mine seems fine.”
Stan gave Gregor a nod and then looked over at Richard and Harriet.
“Are your drinks okay? It seems weird that Amira and I are both having issues.”
Harriet nodded, but Richard winced after sipping his coffee.
“I never put sugar in my coffee.”
“We definitely should stay close to one another,” Amira mused. “Something seems off. Richard, did you notice it’s almost all the same waitstaff as yesterday? And why aren’t there any other patrons here?”
“Now that you mention it, Amira, they are a lot of the same people.”
Stan pressed a hand to his forehead, as Gregor did.
“Guys, my head is fuzzy,” said Stan as his face turned a few shades of green.
