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At this point all she wanted to do was go home, take a shower and slip into the cool, crisp sheets she grew up with. It was nice being home for a change, sleeping in her old room, waking up in her old bed. There was something to be said for coming home.
Then Tyler walked over and, with an abundance of unnecessary attitude, dropped a basket of fries on the counter in front of her. Before Ant could ask him where they went, Nikki scooped them up and delivered them free of charge to Patrick who had taken a seat at the window nearby.
“These are from me. On the house.”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm,” she said, smiling and putting some sway in her stride and some dip in her hip as she strutted away.
“Hi,” Patrick said to Ant, trying to get her attention.
She didn’t hear him.
“Hi,” he said again, a little louder.
“Oh, um, hi,” she said back, glancing up from the weeds.
“Busy night? ”
“Uh, yeah…”
Patrick nodded in agreement. “Well, you make it look easy.”
Ant didn’t quite know what to make of that, or of him, so she went back to taking orders and serving food. Nikki, who had caught most of their short exchange, shook her head in disbelief.
“Really?”
“What?”
“You said you weren’t into him.”
“I’m not.”
r /> “Then how about you stop flirting with him.”
“Flirting?”
“Uh… Yeah.”
“You’re mental,” said Ant as she handed twin twelve year olds their two orders of fries.
“Whatever…” said Nikki waving her off in disgust. “It’s all just so easy for you isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?”
Nikki wouldn’t look at her. “Nevermind.”
Ant handed a barbecue chicken cheesesteak to a twenty-something dude with a man bun and a shaggy beard, then felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned she found her dad standing behind her with a tray.
Cap pointed behind her and out the window. “See those guys there? That couple with the two boys? This is for them.”
Ant looked down at the tray. On it was a cheesesteak with the works - cheese, mushrooms, onions and peppers. A plate of fried chicken fingers and two orders of fries. Everything, including the chicken, was covered in a thick, neon orange, blanket of cheese. Or, more accurately, Cheez Whiz. Which technically isn’t cheese at all.
It’s milk, whey, oil and a whole slew of scientifically engineered, processed food products, specifically designed to tantalize your taste buds. It’s convenient, abundant, inexpensive and easy to work with. And, it’s oddly, strangely, mysteriously, unbelievably delicious. At least some people think so.
Some people think Cheez Whiz is a silky, sensuous, umami packed, flavor enhanced miracle that makes everything it touches taste better. Nachos, burgers, pasta, eggs… everything. That’s one of the reasons Cap’s steaks had done so well for long. Some people just loved the Whiz. But Ant wasn’t one of those people.
It might have been tasty, but it went against everything she believed in food wise. Sure, ok, there was always room for a little cheat, a little junk food, but this… This unabashed amalgam of chemical compounds. This was not cheese.
