The city looked particularly clean and fresh after a solid night of rain. There were a few puddles around, but the usual dust and dirt on the sidewalks, cars and streets had been washed away. Even the grass poking out from the cracks in the sidewalk seemed greener.
Ian and Kate took their time getting down to the Diner. They stopped and looked in a shop window, over nothing in particular, but Ian did not mind. He was very happy to have people around him see a very pretty woman by his side. If he could have walked like a peacock, he would have. Part of his brain knew that he had no right to feel proud, as it was her choice to be with him, and he had done nothing in particular to make her want to be with him, but he could not help but enjoy the glances from the other people on the street as they passed by. They may not have been casting jealous glances, but he could imagine they were.
They got into the Diner and sat down in a booth. Not the booth they shared last autumn, and the one the gang regularly occupied when discussing the Benefactor, but one right by the door, near the big window. Ian was still in a show-off mode.
The usual morning crowd was there. The workers grabbing their breakfast, the two foreign men talking sports, or economics, or politics, or whatever they talked about, the nurse getting her bagel and coffee to go, everyone.
Jen came over to give them the menu. "Good morning, Ian. Here for coffee or a full breakfast?" Her smile was telling, and perhaps a bit too forced. She had been around when Dave and Ian had talked about Ian's status as player with women, so she probably thought of him as a bit of a womaniser. However, that was all talk and he had never brought a woman to the Diner. She seemingly liked Ian's personality when he was alone or with Dave, but not this womanising characteristic. At one time, she tried to convince him to find a nice girl, which meant a farm girl, and stick with her.
"Hi, Jen. Yes, we will be here for breakfast. Could you get two coffees? Did you need a menu, my dear?" Ian saw her flash an unimpressed look as she gave him his menu. Oh well.
"You know her well?"
"I've been coming here for a couple of years. I know all the staff. Jen, our waitress, is married to Craig who is one of the cooks. Jan is Jen's sister. She tends to work the afternoons and evenings. Her husband, Ryan, works for the city. Their Mom, Marcie, owns this place. I really like it here. The only person who works here outside the family is Whitey. He's a cook in the back."
"You really do know them well."
"I like them. They are good people and they treat me well. Besides, I am a terrible cook."
The door to the restaurant flew open and in walked Dave. He spotted Ian and, like every other time, came over and plopped down on the seat across from Ian. It was almost as if he never even saw Kate, but he sat down right beside her.
"Hey, Ian. I saw you through the window, and I thought to myself that a good breakfast would be a great way for me to start my day. And who better to share that time with it than with my best friend." He turned to Kate, "Hi, I'm Dave."
Without skipping a beat, "Hi Dave, I'm Kate. I believe we talked on the phone last night."
Ian had to smile. Both of these people were just being themselves, a bit goofy, but not anything special. He knew them in two different ways. He always thought it was neat when people from two different circles of his life met.
"Uh, Dave," Ian interrupted, "You have to be aware that Kate is a psychological researcher, she tested me last autumn at UGP because I'm a great guy. I would not say too much if I were you."
Dave cracked back almost immediately "Well, with a psycho nut job like you, she would need recurring appointments to crack that personality." Ian started to get embarrassed, but Kate started laughing. That only encouraged Dave. "So, I take it by a breakfast during a time when this guy is usually still toes up in bed that you two are an item. Very interesting. Isn't that against medical ethical standards? Dating your lab specimens?" She laughed even harder. "Seriously, it is probably not against medical ethical standards. After all, you guys met last year, but, dating Ian is against human ethical standards."
Ian blushed again. Kate continued to laugh hard.
Ian had known Dave for years, and Dave had met most of his girlfriends. However, Ian noted, that Dave was far more animated this morning. Whether it was because he and Ian were working together, likely not, or the sheer beauty of Kate, something was energising his batteries.
Whitey came out of the back to take the order. Ian rarely knew the cook to leave his greasy, sweaty cave in the back. This was especially true considering Whitey worked most afternoons. But, Craig probably needed a day or two off too. Ian suspected that Jen told Whitey that Kate was with Ian and Whitey needed to come check out the new, pretty face. Now he was here, taking orders. He smiled at Kate and asked her what she wanted. Ian surely knew the reason why. She was sitting across the table from him.
Whitey had a reputation of mowing other people's grass. In other words, if Ian was not looking, Whitey would move in and put the moves on Kate. He had not exactly witnessed it, but when you know the staff of the Diner as well as Ian and Dave did, you get told the legends and stories from the days off.
"Ummmm. What is good here?"
Dave piped in, "I usually take an omelette. They are quite good and come with potatoes."
"I'll take that."
Ian jumped in, "Make it two."
Whitey looked at Dave. "Only coffee for me this morning."
Whitey finished writing down on the pad, took one lingering glance at Kate, which she did not seem to notice, then he took off for the kitchen. Ian wondered if she did not notice on purpose, or if she was just so used to others staring at her that it became second nature to not notice their glances.
Ian's attention came back to the table where Kate was still flipping through the menu. Dave was talking to her about some psychological concept he had read about one time. Gone were the jokes, but Dave's animation was not. Ian did not have to worry about Dave's intention to mow Ian's lawn, as Dave was a true, honourable friend.
Whitey came back in five minutes to deliver the meals. "Here you go. And for you. Coffee for you Dave. Can I get you anything, salt, pepper, ketchup?" The last was directed only to Kate.
"Whitey", Ian said in a polite but firm tone. "Why don't you go see what is burning in the kitchen."
Whitey took a look down at Ian, smiled and headed back. Ian noticed Jen laughing behind the counter as Whitey passed her and entered the kitchen. Cheeky group here.
As soon as Whitey left the table Dave announced that he had to go. "I gotta run. Got stuff to do at work. I would love to stay, but duty calls. I'll catch up with you at work this afternoon, Ian." With that Dave stepped out of the booth, said farewell to Whitey and Jen and headed out the door. In the window, only visible to Ian, Dave gave a big smile and a double thumbs up gesture. There was no subtlety in Dave. Then he was gone.
Just the two of them, Ian felt comfortable once again. Dave was welcome, but he wanted time just for Kate. Ian started noticing how she prepared her coffee. One cream, one sugar. It would pay dividends to know these things.
Ian waved to Jen to get more coffee. She came over immediately, giggled a bit, mentioned Whitey and left. Having Dave show up semingly changed her outlook about Ian and Kate. Ian took the first sip, savoured the heat of the liquid going down his throat, and looked at Kate, she was staring back at him. It was not a menacing stare, but it looked like one where she was looking at something trying to solve some question or riddle.
"I guess it is my turn to ask. What's on your mind?"
"I'm trying to figure you out. You are daring and adventurous when riding the streets on your bike, but you live a normal, almost humdrum experience in your apartment, here, probably at school too. Even work. You are an enigma."
"Is that a bad thing?" He started to feel a bit of an unease. Would breakfast in this setting be the reason she dumps him?
"No. Not at all. As I said. You are an enigma. And I need to figure you out."
Ian took another sip of coffee. It was warm, but the taste was slightly different.
Unprompted, she continued. "My brain keeps telling me that I should not go out with you because of what the warnings the Benefactor had given. You, with your adventurous lifestyle are dangerous to my very existence. But, I don't know whether it is pure animal magnetism, or sex appeal, or whatever, something in you has me drawn right into your life. My will seems virtually conquered by your charisma, my conservative values intrigued by your daring and freedom. In other words, you are what I am not. And I like it. But I still can't figure you out."
"I'm just me. Truthfully, I have never been with truly beautiful women. I have been with attractive women, but not beautiful women. But beauty is not what has me hooked with you. I am drawn to your ability to focus your energies to achieve some impressive standards in education. I don't like school. I hated high school, and university is okay for learning, excellent for socialising. I don't think I am getting much out of school. My parents demanded I got to university, so I picked one where they would not likely visit, and I could afford to do it on my own without depending upon them. Although, they are great parents, I needed to be on my own. I know school is the pathway to a great future, so as soon as the business with the Benefactor is done, I will double my efforts at school to achieve success. Does that help in figuring me out?"
She seemed in thought. "A little." That made him feel better. "You know that until this is over, no one can know about us. I mean, from the gang."
"I know that."
"How much does Dave know about the Benefactor and what you've been doing?"
Ian, thankful that he had kept the Benefactor and this experience completely separated from Dave, could honestly state that Dave was clean. "Dave knows nothing. He thought the day of the heist I was off on another bike race. My meetings with the gang here were during times where he was at work. His knowledge of Dean is just as a guy I knew. Dave knows nothing." Ian bit his lip. The Courier did not know about Dean working with Dave, a job Ian set up. Ian needed to keep a tighter grip on the narrative.
"Good. I am worried about some loose end tying us up." Kate did not seem to notice anything.
"You won't be compromised by me."
She then interjected, "Hey! How can you double your efforts at university if you are flying to Fiji with me?"