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“Are you both in it?”
Eli scowled more and more between each picture. But he managed a smile while the cameras were pointed at us.
“Who’s she?”
“Can we take a picture with you?”
Kandace faded further back into the throngs of people.
“Is that really Elijah?”
“How come you don’t act anymore?”
This wasn’t what I was here for, and I needed to shut it down now.
“Did the two of you really used to f—”
“Come on, guys.” A booming voice cut over the noise, and the glut of people seemed to part like Charlton Heston with the Red Sea. “They’re here for burgers, just like the rest of you. Give them some room.” The man who approached had dark hair, and the kind of muscles and growly expression that would make him the next new and hot thing in Hollywood action movies.
His used-to-be-whiteKiss the Cookapron would probably make him the next Jean Claude Van Damme. “Break it up. Let them get their food,” he shouted.
The crowd fell back, though most of the eyes were still on us. “We should get this to go,” I said quietly, so only Eli and Kandace should hear me.
And this man. He gave a quick shake of his head. “Wouldn’t hear of it.” He turned to the cashier. “Is this their food?”
“Yes.”
He grabbed two trays, one with burgers and fries and one with shakes, and balanced both as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Come on.” He jerked his head toward the back of the restaurant.
We followed him through a door that led to a half-lit room, and two walls of booths. He set our trays on one of the tables that ran down the middle.
“I’m Gage, and I’m sorry about that.”
Like on the sign. Cool. I shook his hand. “Joystick.” I jerked my thumb at myself. “Kandace, and Elijah.”
“Eli, please.” He corrected me. “Thank you, for out there.”
Gage waved a hand. “Don’t mention it. Feel free to stay back here as long as you want. Knock on the door over there if you need anything, and one of my crew will get it for you.”
“Thank you. Seriously.”
“I do have a favor to ask in return,” Gage said.
Here it came. “What’s that?”
“Are you with the movie crew that’s here?”
Eli stepped forward. “I am.”
“Their caterer is making a series of Southwest dishes that the cast keeps raving about, and I’d love to pick the cook’s brain about what they’re doing.”
“I’ll do whatever I can,” Eli said.
Gage left us to eat, and we settled at the table. It was probably a good thing we didn’t pick a booth, because I would’ve wanted to sit next to both Kandace and Eli, and wouldn’t have been able to pick either.
“What happened to your thumb?” I asked Eli as we started eating. I was certain it hadn’t been in a splint when I picked him up.
Kandace was cutting into her burger with a plastic knife and fork I hadn’t seen her grab. “He saved me from an angry mic.” She managed demure but assertive at the same time. To look neat and tidy while eating one of the messiest hamburgers I’d ever seen.
