Chapter 20 Geneva
Geneva
“What would you like?” I asked the three white men who were sipping coffee and gawking across the room at Darlene’s ass as she bent over to pick up a box of stirrers she’d dropped.
“Her,” one of them mumbled, and the other two broke out in laughter.
“She’s not on the menu, sir,” I said in a dry tone.
The men realized that I wasn’t going to join in their chauvinistic amusement and hurriedly cleared their throats and gave me their orders.
“Thank you,” I snapped as I snatched up their menus.
“Assholes,” I murmured under my breath as I made my way behind the counter and shoved my order at Arthur. “Make sure you spit in this,” I said loud enough for the men to hear.
Arthur threw them a look and shook his head. “She’s just kidding!” he yelled at them, and then to me, “Are you trying to get this place shut down?”
“Men are shit,” I growled, spinning around and almost colliding with Darlene.
“That one with the yellow tie is so cute,” she said, giving Yellow-Tie Man bedroom eyes.
“Yeah, if you think mules are cute.”
“What’s with the bad attitude, girl?”
“Nothing,” I snorted, and walked over to a table filled with teenage girls.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked as I set down four glasses of water.
“Um,” one girl with a neat blond ponytail, flawless skin, and striking blue eyes began, “yeah, can I get a bagel, lightly toasted with cream cheese, and a cup of black coffee?”
My eyebrows climbed at the “black coffee” part of her order.
“You sure you don’t want hot chocolate?” I suggested in my best motherly voice.
“Uh, miss, if I wanted hot chocolate I would have asked for it,” she reeled off in perfect Valley Girl vernacular.
I clutched the order pad tightly, willing myself not to bring it upside her head. “And you?” I asked, turning my attention to the biracial girl who had a curly Afro and light brown eyes. “The same,” she tossed without looking up at me.
“Okay,” I muttered, and swung my eyes in the direction of the mousy-looking girl. She adjusted her oval-shaped eyeglasses and said, “Can I have two scrambled eggs, grits, and a side order of bacon?”
I scribbled it down. “Something to drink?”
“A chocolate shake with whipped cream.”
I didn’t know where she was going to put it all—she was as thin as a rail—but I kept my comments to myself and turned to walk away, almost walking right into Deeka.
“Oh!” I yelped as he caught hold of my shoulders.
“Sorry.”
I looked quickly across the restaurant at Darlene. Her back was turned as she flirted scandalously with Yellow-Tie Man.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered as I grabbed him by the elbow and ushered him toward the counter.
Deeka positioned himself on a stool and reached for a menu. “I’ve come in for a cup of coffee.”
“Just coffee?” I moved behind the counter, passed my order to Arthur, and reached for the coffeepot with the red handle.
“Is that decaf?”
“No.”
“Decaf, please.”
“Oh, can’t take the real stuff?” I teased, and wondered why it was I was allowing myself to play a word game with this little boy.
Deeka’s face contorted a bit, and his eyes narrowed. “Oh, I can take it.”
And we both knew he wasn’t talking about the coffee.
I placed a blue cup down in front of him and began pouring the steaming black liquid. “Cream?”
“Just a bit.”
I obliged and tilted the small glass carafe until the cream spilled into his coffee. The whole time I could feel his eyes on me.
“Sugar?” I asked, trying hard not to grin.
“Are you offering to dip your finger in it?” he said with a sly smile.
I thought this must be another dream. So I reached up and pinched my cheek.
“What are you doing?” Deeka laughed.
“What are you trying to do to me?” I retorted as I rubbed the pained skin of my cheek.
“Trying to get you to go out with me.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s something about you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“I think you’re going through some pubescent crisis,” I laughed.
His face suddenly turned serious. “I’m a man, Geneva. Don’t let the date on my birth certificate fool you.”
I was stunned mute by his statement.
“Think about it,” he said, before dropping five dollars down beside the coffee cup, getting up, and strolling out.