Saving Della Ray

I knew exactly where I’d find her. I’d heard her tell the cashier where she worked. In less than half an hour, I was back in town. I stopped across from Good Eats, a diner downtown I’d never been in before, on account of its wholesome family vibe. Places like that weren’t for me. I’d stick out like a sore thumb, but that was okay, since I wasn’t planning on going in.

I brushed my hair, matted from the wind, out of my eyes and looked through the windows into the bright red decor. A corny sign on the wall said, ‘Pie fixes everything.’ My eyes swept around looking for her. When I spotted her I felt like a lost, condemned man whose heart is accidentally touched by the tip of an angel’s wing. Something inside me burst open and flooded with brilliant color.

She was wearing a canary yellow uniform. Her hair was tied back, and she was wiping down a recently vacated table. Her movements were quick and fluid. It was as if she had cleaned a thousand tables in her young life.

Someone must have called out to her, because she lifted her head, then started to make her way towards the kitchen. I watched her walk away and Jesus, the girl was so fucking thin I wanted to take her back to my place and feed her for a week.

As she disappeared out of sight, my boots landed on the ground. The soft thud reverberating in my head. I didn’t question my actions as I disembarked. Chasing after trouble was what I was doing, but I told myself all I wanted was a bit of pie. After that, I would leave. Maybe pie would fix what ailed me. I walked through the door, I found myself walking towards the table she had cleaned.

It was no big deal. A bit of pie, then I was walking away.

Della Ray

“Della-Ray! Della-Ray!”

I was sitting on the corner stool of the kitchen, my mouth filled with a less than graceful bite of buckeye pie.

“Hmm,” I sounded out, but it was more than enough for Gloria to locate me.

She bounced over, her eyes enormous in her heart shaped face, and almost crashed into me.

I blinked in surprise and waited for her to catch her breath with a hand over her full chest. I somehow managed to chew fast enough and swallow before she could get herself together. “What’s wrong?”

“One of your tables,” she began.

“Are they leaving?” I asked, immediately putting my plate aside and started to hurry of.

She grabbed my arm and stopped me.

I couldn’t understand what had gotten into her. “What’s up, Gloria?”

“Here’s the thing. There’s a new customer in,” she explained in a rush, “but I want to take him.”

Gloria wanted one of my customers? I stared at her curiously. “Why?”

“Consider this a favor,” she said. “He’s … let’s just say he’s what I need right now.”

Confused, I headed over to the kitchen door to peep out through the round glass cut out, but I could see no one. She pulled me forward for a better view and then I saw him.

Everything stilled.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I stared, dumbfounded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and began to browse through it. Almost in a shocked daze, my eyes drifted towards the window. Through it, I spotted his big black bike. The devilish machine and its devastatingly sexy owner hadn’t left my mind since I had become the object of his charity yesterday.

“Let me take the table, please?” Gloria pleaded, pulling on my arm.

I snapped out of my daze and focused on her.

“After my break-up with Al, this is exactly the kind of man I need right now. All that leather and … tattoos … and big, rippling muscles. Damn, I usually don’t fancy bikers, but he is the good kind … all dark and tormented … aaand he’s looking over here. Shit, move!”

She pulled me backwards so hard we almost stumbled and landed on the floor.

I moved away from her. “Actually, I know him.”

Her expression turned hostile. “You do? How?”

“Uh … we’ve met at the grocery store … so I need to take his table. Sorry.”

She scoffed in disbelief.

“Sorry,” I said again.

“Whatever,” she muttered sarcastically and flounced off.

Quickly, I wiped whatever traces of peanut butter and chocolate was left around my lips. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself out of hiding and headed over to the man who looked like a dark overlord in our small friendly diner. “Hello! May I take your order?” I asked brightly.

A whiff of his dangerous scent assaulted my senses, as he lifted his intensely blue gaze to mine. I found myself holding my breath for absolutely no reason. It was plain silly, but it just didn’t seem logical to breathe in that moment. I waited for recognition to flash through those incredible eyes, but he only regarded me coldly for a few seconds before looking down at the menu again.