They walked into the diner without speaking, were seated cordially by the hostess at a small table near the window. Outside, the rain pelted the sidewalk and street, causing small eruptions in the already accumulated puddles scattered everywhere. They sat, still silent, looking over the menu without seeing. The man shifted, then spoke first.

"Do you want coffee?", he asked.

" I'm not sure I should...", replied the woman.

The man looked outside at the falling rain, unable to return her stare. It was nearly eight o'clock, and he was famished, though ashamed of the selfish rumbling in his stomach. Just beginning, the day already seemed long.

"Maybe some juice, then."

He signaled the waitress, who smiled and walked over to the table with an urn of coffee. She was young, the man thought, to be working so early on a weekday. Her auburn hair was tousled, and she brushed it expertly out of her face, revealing bright green almond shaped eyes. She raised the pot of coffee in offering, looking only at the man, barely noticing the woman sitting across from him.

"Not today, thank you. Actually, could we just have a carafe of orange juice, please?"

"Water, please.", the woman whispered, and for the first time the waitress looked down at the other side of the table, feeling sheepish for not having addressed both of them when she first approached the table.

"Sure, I'll bring it right over."

"Thank you.", smiled the man, watching her walk away and into the kitchen. When he turned back, the woman was watching him, and her gaze held for a moment before she looked down at the frilly placemat in front of her. Neither spoke until the waitress returned.

"Here you go.", she said, placing the decanter and two glasses on the table, along with a large glass of water with too much ice in it by the woman's plate. "You guys ready to order?"

"A few more minutes, please.", the man said, realizing he had barely looked at the menu. The young girl smiled and nodded, walking over to a table in the corner where an elderly couple had just been seated. The man scoured the menu in frigid silence, the woman did not move. Outside, wind threw rain drops noisily against the window panes, drumming a savage beat that reflected the mood around the table. Moments passed before anything else was said.

"Are you mad at me?", the woman asked, her eyes now diverted toward the carpeted floor just behind the man's elbow. Her voice was shaky with trepidation.

"What? No, of course not, why would I be?"

She just shook her head and looked up as the waitress again approached the table, ready to take their order. She seemed timid now, as if she were intruding, but smiled and asked if they had decided yet.

" I think we're ready. I'll have the steak and eggs, rare and scrambled, with white toast well buttered, no jam. And maybe I will take that coffee, after all. Hon?"

He looked up, handing his menu to the girl, who was put at ease by his toothy smile.

"I'll just have some toast, rye, please, with strawberry jelly."

"You need to eat more than that, you should be starving. She'll have the two egg breakfast, with rye toast and bacon. Thanks."

He grabbed the second menu and handed it over.

"How do you want the eggs, ma'am?"

"Scrambled."

"Sunny-side up, please.", the woman interjected. She looked up apologetically over the rims of her glasses at the girl, who was writing down the order on a small pad she had produced from her black apron. "I'd like the eggs sunny side up."

"I'll put that in right away, and I'll be right back with the coffee."

"Thank you.", they both answered. An awkward silence settled between them as she walked away to check if the couple in the corner needed more time to order. Again, the only sound to be heard was the whipping wind and rain outside the window, the occasional splash and engine roar of a passing car.

"What time do you have to be there?"

She hesitated, only slightly, but noticeable, before answering.

"Nine-fifteen."

He nodded his understanding, then poured two glasses of orange juice, sliding one across the table so it rested next to her untouched water. A few minutes passed before the waitress returned with the coffee..

"Here's your coffee. Two cups?"

"None for me, thank you.", she answered before the man could speak.

He raised his eyebrows in a show of indifference before smiling and raising his index finger, signaling that it would be just one.

The girl filled his cup before setting down the pot of steaming liquid and walking back to the server's station, where two other, much older women were saying something about the recent run of miserable weather. The man took his spoon and dumped two heaping scoopfuls of sugar into the cup, resting the wet spoon on the saucer beneath it. The woman did not speak, but instead stared sullenly at the swirling black liquid, her face void of all emotion. The man sipped at his coffee while taking in the rest of the diner and it's patrons. It went on this way until the girl brought their meals to the table.

The plates were adorned with bright yellow sunflowers of all sizes, with a light blue border wrapping around the edges, and the girl carefully placed them in front of the man and woman.

"Toast will be right up. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, I think we're good."

"'k, just let me know.", she smiled again, and went on to the corner table once more, where the old woman was scolding her husband playfully for putting too much cream in his decaf.

"Steak looks good."

She ignored him and started poking at the bacon on her plate with the tines of her fork. He didn't seem to be bothered by her apathy, stabbing greedily into his steak. After a few minutes, the waitress brought their toast, this time setting it wordlessly on the edge of the table before drifting away.

"You gonna stay until it's all done?", she asked.

"Sure, if that's what you want."

"It really doesn't matter to me."

"Well, I can stay, or you can call me when it's finished, or whatever you want. "

"I can call my sister, she doesn't work today, she can pick me up."

"Fine. That's fine. Call me when you get out though, ok?"

She didn't answer, just picked up a slice of toast she had slathered with jelly and stuck it in her mouth. Her gaze was now fixed on the shaker of salt perched on the edge of the table which was propping up a list of daily specials opposite a shining metal napkin holder. The torrid rain continued to splatter against the window, and she looked out to see a young mother rushing into a waiting cab with her small bundle of child. She set the toast down and lifted the glass of water to her lips, wrinkling her nose at the faint smell of detergent and allowing the scent to bring back memories of her grade school cafeteria and her now lost youth. She bit her lip in despondency and tasted blood.

"Your food is getting cold."

"I'm not hungry."

"Still, you should eat, you know you should. Just have a few bites."

She picked up the abandoned fork and pierced the yolk of an egg, letting the yellow liquid flood the plate and conceal the sunflowers beneath it. She raised her eyes to meet his and he looked back down at his plate, satisfied with her compliance. He finished his meal without looking up again.

The waitress returned and asked if they needed anything else. The man glanced at his watch and said no, just to bring the check over. It was eight-thirty five.

"Sure, I'll be right back.", she smiled broadly now, showing crooked but white teeth. Her hair fell back across her eyes as she turned to walk away, and she tucked it behind her ear absently. A vicious gust of wind threw another sheet of rain against the window.

When the check came, the man picked it up and scanned it quickly, laying it back down with a twenty dollar bill taken from his wallet. He got up and shrugged his heavy pea coat on, looking back at his wrist watch and then outside into the damp morning awaiting them.

"You ready?"

She nodded her head slowly and rose, waiting for just an instant to see if he would help her with her own coat. Not surprisingly, he didn't, and she slipped it over her shoulders and buttoned it to the top button. They began walking toward the front door, the waitress and hostess both wishing them a good day. He put his arm around the small of the woman's back and guided her toward the street. As he opened the door they were met with the expected downpour and stuck close to the side of the building as they made their way up the street in the direction of his car. The woman stopped suddenly and looked through the window at the table they had just abandoned. She could see the plate with the cheery sunflowers and light blue border right where she had left it. Then her eyes brought her own reflection into her line of vision, and she saw her face, and it looked sadder than she could ever remember it, and the rain drops sliding down the glass provided the illusion of tears rolling down her cheek. More tears than she could ever shed, more tears than anyone would ever be able to cry. Then she closed her eyes and walked away.

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Comments (3)

Posted by lorislittlesecret 2008-02-21 10:12:33 .... So what's happening here behind the scenes...I wanna know who they are and why they are this way! + Report this comment
Posted by R.E.Potter 2008-02-21 17:15:43 ,,, Seems just like a story with no meaning, just a typical day at the resturarant. Curious myself at what is really going on, if anything...nicely written by the way and easy to read. + Report this comment
Posted by shinobi9182 2008-02-22 20:15:04 .... I dont see much plot development here...there is an allusion to the woman's sickness or problem that is never really full explored. I am also confused by your use of the term 'white elephant". Where does it fit in? Your descriptiveness is very good, as is the setting of the story. Nicely written but needs more clarity. + Report this comment

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