The Wild

-3- Leather Jackets

A gasp came from Amaya; the kind of gasp that only came from a brilliant idea. She suggested we start the morning off right by spending it outside, so we tossed on our coziest sweatshirts and thickest sweatpants before topping them off with fuzzy socks to keep our toes warm. We took our breakfasts outside, an alarm set on Amaya's clock to alert us when we should leave to reach work on time.

Despite the warning from the Rug Of Doom, it felt like it was going to be a great day.

—

"Slow, huh?" Vince commented from in the kitchen doorway, considering there wasn't a single customer in the diner today. He wandered out behind the bar, cleaning his hands off on a cloth draped out of a pocket in his apron.

"Yeah. Does this mean we get cinnamon buns?" Amaya asked excitedly, beaming expectantly at Vince as he offered her a crooked grin.

"There're only five left. Don't think so, pun'kin," he confessed, shrugging apologetically as he looked casually at the menu out of boredom. "One of you could probably head out. Unless there's a rush in the next half hour, of course."

"I don't think that'll be happening," I rationalized, a bit sad about that. As much as I loved having days off, it was exciting talking to everyone. It supplemented the lack of entertainment at my house.

"You should go, since you covered for me yesterday during the rush," Amaya suggested, pushing lightly against my shoulder. I glanced towards the door before sighing in defeat.

"Fine. Call me if you need me to come back in, alright?" She nodded in agreement as I passed her and Vince to grab my coat off the rack. I untied my apron and tossed it onto the counter before swinging my rucksack over my shoulders. Before I left from behind the counter, I snatched a free muffin from inside the kitchen where they sat in plastic wrapping up on a shelf.

I strolled back out to the sound of the bell ringing over the door. There was chatter in the front, and as I approached the end of the bar, Amaya was already greeting the new customers. We'd already had Nellie come in, and she was just about the only visitor. Some days were slow, but not usually on a Saturday morning.

Vince disappeared back into the kitchen while I decided to take a seat at the end of the bar-just as a precaution. Deciding to pull out something to do to pretend like I was a customer. I didn't want these newbies thinking this place was dead all the time.

"Would ya'll like something to drink?" Amaya asked the row of men that just seated themselves at the counter. It didn't seem quite so quiet in here anymore with the music playing in the background of their talking.

"Yeah, a beer would be great. What do ya have on tap?" The one nearest to me by about a gap of five chairs talked first. I spared a glance at them from behind my curtain of dark blonde curls. I almost had to look twice to make sure I wasn't seeing one of Bennet's relatives. They were all so tall, just like Bennet, but he still would have looked oddly out of place among these guys. They had a rugged street edge that he lacked, like they had a reputation that had to uphold that required keeping up their image.

Amaya served the man a tall glass of amber beer foaming at the rim. He sipped the foam right off, leaving a line along his upper lip. He glanced momentarily at me, but it was like he saw right through me at first before he did a double take. By then I was turned away.

"I thought I told you to skidaddle," Amaya said to me as she waltzed across the bar to face me. I pulled back my bangs and smiled.

"What? Sick of me already? I have a muffin to eat," I insisted, holding up my muffin for show.