A Taste of Candor

Chapter 13

~Declan.

Buying a white magnolia for Tahlia to put in her hair turned out to be just a quick stop with no complications. The owner of the shop was friendly, as was her purring cat perched on the counter beside her. Tahlia seemed to adore the creature, petting its silky fur and cooing at it as I handled the transaction a couple paces off.

Once in, I could't help but admire the lovely contrast between the white petals of the flower, and Tahlia's own raven-black hair. After thanking the shop owner, we headed out and made our way to Karrie's Diner.

When we arrived, I held the door for Tahlia, and after she'd stepped through, I walked in. Immediately, my nose was hit with a blend of hearty and savory smells, those of delicious soups, seared meats, and steamed vegetables aplenty. The soft, warm lighting certainly set up a cozy mood for the place.

I approached the host's desk while fishing my wallet back out of my pocket. He glanced between me and Tahlia with questioning eyes, but said not a word. He simply took the money I gave him, counted the amount, and nodded once satisfied. Then he snatched up a pair of menus and led us to a table.

Getting to see the dishes on other patrons' tables only made me more eager to taste the food myself. One couple shared a massive oblong bowl of red soup that spanned from one end of their table to the other, with big chunks of bread and potato in the middle that either could spoon over to their side to eat with the broth. At another table, a man gnawed at a hearty sandwich full of meat while his wife twirled creamy noodles around her fork.

Before long, Tahlia and I reached our own table, and I stepped over to pull out a chair for her. She graciously thanked me for the gesture as I headed around to my own seat and slid in. As I unbuttoned my suit jacket to sit more comfortably, the host placed a menu before each of us and said a waiter would be over shortly.

After the host shuffled away, I glanced over our accommodations with momentary confusion. In Candor, whoever hosted a dinner passed out silverware and napkins to those he was treating, but here, the diner had already placed them at our respective spots before we even sat down. Not only that, but the candle in the middle of the table had already been lit, where that also would have been the host's duty in my culture.

Nonetheless, I opened the menu and scanned the selections with a smile. The problem with this place was that they offered such a variety of dishes, and they all seemed equally appealing.

"Anything particular you're eyeing?" I asked Tahlia with a grin.

Her eyes darted up to meet mine over the top of her menu. "I just opened the menu, Mr. Otto!" she said with a giggle, "But so far, the selection does seem promising."

"It does; I feel like you can't go wrong here."

I glanced to my right and realized we'd been seated right by the bandstand, currently unoccupied. The bass lay on its side between the drum set and piano, but no musicians currently attended them, and no there were no horns in sight. At any rate, I was glad to have gotten us to the diner in time before the music started.

A woman's voice snatched my attention back to our table, and I saw a waitress had arrived to ask about drinks and appetizers. Tahlia leaned forward and ordered herself a drink I'd never tried before, an orange cream soda, and then said she'd let me pick an appetizer. After a quick glance at the menu, I said I'd try the same soda and also order some cheesy fries. Tahlia appeared pleased with this choice, so I relaxed a bit and leaned back in my seat.

After the waitress walked off, Tahlia glanced back my way with a mischievous smile. "I see you have chosen to copy me."

"Well, I figured I could trust your refined tastes on this one." I retorted in amusement, "I've never tried cream soda before, but I can't see you as one who'd waste her time on sub-par drinks."