“It was. All I said was Yvette was recording the game for me tonight so I can watch it when I get home, and he offered to work it for me so I can go watch it live tonight.”
“He’s considerate,” Cristie said.
“Yeah, he is. He’s a good male.”
“You mind if I hang around for a little while?”
“Not a problem. Want something to eat?”
“I ate breakfast, but I smell your potato and beef burritos.”
“And you want just the potatoes, don’t you?”
Cristie laughed. “You know me too well.”
Richie picked up a bowl and used his spatula to scrape a large serving of caramelized cubed potatoes, bell peppers, and onions off the grill and fill the bowl for her, added a fork and handed it to her. “There you go.”
“I love these potatoes.”
“I know you do. Always have,” Richie said, grinning at her.
She walked over to a stool that sat out of the way and made herself comfortable while she finished off her potatoes.
“There he is!” Richie said a little while later, when he caught a glimpse of Remi’s car pulling into the parking lot.
“Oh, good! I’m running out of time.”
“He’ll be here in a second or two,” Richie said.
But instead of coming into the restaurant, he got out of his car and went the other way, toward the store.
“Maybe not,” Richie said, as he watched him head toward the store.
Cristie sat, waiting, while she finished her potatoes, giving him time to finish whatever he needed to do, but something was needling at the back of her mind. After close to ten minutes had passed, she couldn’t take it anymore and decided to go after him. “I’m going to go see what’s keeping him. The delivery is supposed to be any time from 9:00 to 11:00. It’s about 9:00,” she said.
“Probably just grabbing some more of those apple drinks he likes.”
“Thank you for the potatoes, Richie,” she said, as she left the kitchen and made her way out of the restaurant. When she got to the back of the store, she quietly opened the door and stepped inside, listening for anything out of the ordinary. And sure enough, along with the sound of customers talking, paying at the cash register and the scent of Remi’s Dragon, there was also the sound of the feminine, flirtatious voice speaking to him.
“You should, though! You spend so much time working you deserve to get out and have a good time. Cut loose a little. I could take you. I have lots of friends and we’re always out looking to have a good time,” Casey said.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good sitting on my porch and watching the stars at night,” Remi answered.
“Oh. Well, I could come watch them with you. Give you a little company,” Casey said.
“I prefer the quiet, but thank you anyway,” Remi said.
Cristie heard his footsteps across the tiled floor in the store’s front, then heard Casey speaking again.
“Oh, that’s sweet! A key chain with a bright red heart on it! It’ll be easy to spot in… oh, well, I was going to say your purse but you don’t have one, so never mind.”
Remi laughed. “No, I don’t have a purse to need to find it in. But then it’s not for me either.”
“Ohhh, I see, you already have a girl. What a thoughtful little gift.”
Cristie heard the cash register, then change being counted out. She chose that moment to walk into the store from its back entrance.
Both Remi and Casey looked up at her as she stepped through the arched entrance and into the front of the store.
