Chapter Sixty-Four
“Well, it’s about time,” Joesph said, his hands on his hips. He watched as Jamie got out of his car. “Oh. I see.” He observed Mike roll into the back parking lot of the diner. “Oh, I do see.” He crossed his arms over his chest, grinning.
“Morning,” Jamie said, walking towards Joesph. “How’s it going in there?”
“I would ask how you are doing, but”—he tilted his head slightly, one eyebrow raised—“I don’t have to. I can see that your date was a success.”
Jamie rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”
“Good morning, handsome,” Joesph greeted Mike. “You’re looking particularly handsome today.”
“Good morning,” Mike said, jovially.
“I do love a man in uniform,” Joesph commented as he looked Mike up and down.
“Thanks.” Mike grinned like an idiot. “I’ve heard that this morning already.”
“Oh? Do tell,” Joesph purred.
“Ignore him,” Jamie said. “Who’s in there?” Jamie walked to the back door of the diner.
“Two men. They said they are preparing for the cabinet installation, which should be here anytime now. I hope they hurry. The new signs are coming soon, and they’ll need space for their truck.”
“Wow, a big day,” Mike said as he looked over Jamie’s shoulder.
“It is. The tables, chairs, and barstools are due tomorrow.” Joesph picked up a mug of coffee from the outside table. “After that, it’s just moving all the equipment back in and setting up.”
Jamie turned towards Joesph, bumping into Mike’s big chest. “Oops. Excuse me.” He pushed Mike out of the way. “That’s it? Then it’s all done?”
“Yes.” Joesph smiled over the lip of the mug in his hand. “Fin.”
“Holy shit,” Jamie gasped. “I didn’t think... Well, I didn’t know what to think, I suppose. It’s been like a whirlwind around here.”
“Morning, all,” Salzy said as he descended the stairs of Jamie’s apartment, holding a mug in his hand. “Looking good, eh? Almost there.”
“Good morning,” Mike said.
“Morning,” Jamie added.
“Joesph said I could start moving the kitchen stuff in today. I’ll need you to tell me where to put everything.”
Mike looked at his watch. “I need to run. I’ve got meetings today and need to look over next week’s big project.” He leaned over and kissed Jamie. “I’ll see you later.” He kissed Jamie again, heating it up this time.
Jamie looked at Mike, a dazed look on his face. “Yeah. Later.”
“I’ll bring food,” Mike said, before turning towards his truck. “Have a good day, guys,” he called over his shoulder.
The three men watched as Mike backed his truck out of the parking area. Joesph turned to face Jamie. “Well?”
“Well, what? I need to change.” Jamie turned towards the stairs, Joesph hot on his heels.
“I need the dirt,” Joesph said. “You have to tell all. Do not leave anything out.”
“I am not going to tell you anything other than I had a very good night.”
Salzy laughed. “Even I could see that.” He was following Joesph.
Jamie went directly to his bedroom and closed the door to change.
“I’m not going to let you off, you know,” Joesph said through the door. “I want details.”
“You’re not going to get any,” came Jamie’s muffled response.
“And you know I will get it out of you. One way or another, so you might as well just spill!” Joesph’s nose was but a fraction of an inch from the door when Jamie opened it.
“You think so, huh?” Jamie pushed Joesph out of his way.
“Yes, I do. You always tell... eventually. So, might as well make it less painful for both of us and just tell me.”
Salzy was sitting at the table, smiling like he was watching the best show on TV. “This is gonna be good.”
Jamie shot him a disparaging look. “Look, I, we had a very pleasant evening. Mike made us omelettes with asparagus. It was good. Then we had hot fudge sundaes.”
“And?” Joesph stood there, his arms crossed over his chest again, a knowing gleam in his eyes.
“And what?” Jamie asked as he poured himself a coffee.
“You obviously had sex.”
“What makes you say that?” Jamie blew on his coffee.
“I can smell it on you. You reek of it,” Joesph said, coyly. “I can always tell when you’ve been properly laid.”
“Can not,” Jamie quipped, passing by Joesph. “I did have a shower this morning.”
“I can still smell it.” Joesph leaned into Jamie. “And I’d say there was a whole lot of it too!”
“Can’t you just be happy that I had a good evening?” Jamie sat at the table next to Salzy. “How was last night with Terry?” he asked.
“It was good,” Salzy answered. “We had barbecue, sat outside, and talked, and she left just before nine.”
“Very nice.” Jamie opened up his laptop. “Okay then, the crew will be back the day after tomorrow.” He looked at Joesph. “That gives me plenty of time to get the new menus printed, orders placed and be ready to reopen. I’m thinking Saturday morning.”
“Did you hire those ladies for the dining room?” Salzy asked.
“Yeah, they were good. The one with blonde hair is Hazel’s niece.” Jamie tapped some keys on his computer. “I still need to hire two cooks. I’ll do some interviews this afternoon. I’ve got several who look good.”
“And what about Mike?” Joesph asked, sitting across from Jamie.
“What about him?”
“Okay, play it cool if you want to, but I’ll get it out of you soon enough.”
Jamie looked at Joesph over his computer. “Don’t you need to be downstairs overseeing those installations?”
Joesph rose from his chair, slowly. “We are not done with this.” He sauntered towards the door. “Not by a long shot.” He opened the screen door, letting it slam behind him.
“Drama much,” Jamie husked, shaking his head.
Salzy busted out laughing. “I love you guys.”
* * * * *
“Atten-Hut!” Corporal Thomas Jenkins, called out as Mike entered the room.
“At ease,” Mike said as he approached his squadron. “How we looking?”
“Looking good, Sergeant,” Jenkins answered. “We have all the blueprints, everything has been approved, and all the supplies needed are mostly here. The rest will come first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Excellent. What I like to hear.” Mike said, enthusiastically, smiling. “So, we will be able to get a head start on this project. Music to my ears.”
“Yes, sir.” Jenkins was looking more intently at his sergeant as he normally would. “Hasha has everything he needs, so he’s planning on starting this morning.”
“Well done, Jenkins. Well done to all of you. The top brass is going to be impressed by the progress we’ve made. That makes all of our lives easier. Proceed.”
“Sarg, I need your signature on these orders,” Jenkins said, producing a clipboard.
Mike took it and looked at the papers. “Looks good.” He signed several pages.
“Um, Sarg, you okay?” Jenkins was smiling broadly. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you got you some.”
Mike scowled. “You can tell?”
Jenkins laughed. “Yeah, you’re... like... beaming.”
Mike smiled. “Yeah. I had a good night.”
Jenkins stepped closer. “Anyone I know?”
“Uh, yes, I think so.” Mike leaned back a little. “Jamie Puckett, um...Jamie Throneaux.”
“Do what?” Jenkins’s eyes got wide. “The chef?”
Mike smiled. “The one and only.” He squinted at his corporal. “Got a problem with that?”
“No, not at all.” Jenkins shrugged his shoulders. “I just didn’t see that one coming, is all.” He smiled. “You’re one lucky dog. You’ll be able to have biscuits and gravy anytime you want.”
“Yeah, that could be a problem,” he patted his stomach. “I can’t get fat.”
Jenkins laughed. “I’m happy for ya, Sarge.” Jenkins slapped Mike on the shoulder. “Being alone all the time isn’t good for a man.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
“Is it serious?”
Mike grinned. “I’ve been asking him to marry me.”
“Asking? As in more than once?” Jenkins asked, looking surprised.
“Oh yeah, but I’m wearing him down, I think.”
Jenkins laughed. “I have no doubt you’ll win out.”
“That’s the plan!”
* * * * *
Jamie was sweating as he placed all the sheet pans on the rack. “Damn, it’s hot.” He looked at Salzy, who was also sweating as he dropped another box on the floor next to Jamie. “How many more?”
“About ten.” Salzy lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe his eyes. He looked around the room. “You’ve about got it all done.”
“Yeah. As soon as you bring in those last boxes, I’ll turn on the AC.”
“What about the front door?”
Jamie looked out at the dining room. “All the cabinets are in. They’ll not need to keep the door propped open now. They’re just finishing up in there. Joesph has been cracking the whip.”
“That’s good. The sign guys have just pulled in.” Salzy pointed to the parking lot out front.
Jamie craned his neck to see the big semitruck that had pulled up out front. “Holy, hell?”
Joesph came running in through the back door. “Jamie, come look. Salzy, you too. The big sign is here, and it is amaaa-zing!”
Jamie and Salzy followed Joesph to the front of the diner, just as a big crane pulled up in front of the semi.
“It... it looks so good,” Jamie said, his eyes wide.
“Just wait till it is installed.” Joesph grabbed Jamie’s forearm, jumping up and down. “It came out better than I expected.”
“It looks a lot like the old diner signs out on Route 66,” Salzy said.
“That’s exactly what I was going for,” Joesph commented.
Jamie turned to look at the front of the diner. “Wow.”
The three men turned around to face the diner. “Yep,” Joesph said. “It looks great. It will look even better at night. The neon will really show up then.”
Salzy patted Joesph on the back. “Man, you are awesome. You really pulled this off. I had my doubts in the beginning that you could get all this done in just a little over three weeks, but man... You did it!”
Joesph bowed. “Thank you, Salzy. But it is what I do for a living. It’s all in the planning.”
Jamie pulled Joesph into a hug. “I can’t thank you enough. It’s like you took my dream and made it a reality. Thank you.”
Joesph hugged Jamie back. “And... now you’re going to spill all the tea about last night.”