D is for Deacon (Men of ALPHAbet Mountain)

Have a major craving for a stack of pancakes this morning? Carter messaged back.

That has to be it. It can’t possibly have anything to do with a certain waitress who would be there now, Everett messaged, even though we were in the same cabin.

There were a few more exchanges of teasing and increasingly ridiculous innuendo before the guys agreed to breakfast. I had a few errands I needed to run for work that morning, so Everett and I took different trucks. I knew it was wishful thinking considering Rebecca would be right at the beginning of her shift. But I also liked the idea of having my own transportation, so I could possibly whisk her away for a little break.

We met up in front of the diner and walked in together. There was no hostess standing at the door, so I looked around to see if I could find Rebecca. She was just coming out of the kitchen, carrying a couple of plates. She brought them over to a table and set them down in front of a couple, offered them coffee, and flashed a smile before heading over to the beverage station.

As she started back toward the table, I lifted my voice up as if I were talking to someone.

“Excuse me. We’d like a table, please. And it would be really great if you could get me with the pretty waitress who’s carrying the coffee around. She looks like she’s very attentive,” I said.

Rebecca’s head snapped up, and she looked in our direction. The three of us waved at her from the door, and she grinned. Shaking her head slightly, she carried the coffeepot over to the table and topped off the cups for the couple. They reached across the table to hold each other’s hands as they sipped their coffee and talked quietly. It was very sweet, and I could see Rebecca lingering there for just a second as if to watch them.

When she was done, she hurried over to us.

“Hi,” she said, hugging me.

I hugged her back, nuzzling my face in her hair for a second.

“Good morning,” I said. “We came for breakfast.”

“Oh. You really do want a table?”

I stepped a little closer. “Are you offering anything else?”

She gave me a look. “That is not on the menu. I don’t generally offer that up to the public.”

“Maybe I should get a special menu, then,” I said.

“We’ll see about that.”

Picking up menus, she started across the diner, gesturing with a nod of her head for us to follow her. She brought us right to her section and put us at a table toward the back of the place. I noticed it was fairly close to the kitchen, which hopefully would mean I’d get to watch her while she worked.

As we sat down, she headed back to the back and then returned with three mugs. After pouring coffee for all three of us, she left again.

“How did she know I wanted coffee,” Everett asked.

“One look at you tells the whole world,” Carter said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You clearly haven’t been getting the right sleep, soldier,” Carter said. “Looking a bit tubby too. Probably could use some sit-ups.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” I said. “He’s ribbing you, Everett. You look like you already swallowed an entire pot of coffee in one go, and you somehow now have muscles on top of your muscles. It’s getting ridiculous.”

“Blame genetics,” he said. “I got the guns, bro. I can’t help it.”

Carter and I laughed. It was no secret how much Everett worked on his body. He was a fanatic about it, doing push-ups and sit-ups, whatever he could do whenever he was doing nothing else. The only exception to that was when he was eating or partying. He did both of those with as much zeal and dedication as he did work out. It was impressive, but it looked exhausting too. Living with him was an exercise in listening to exercise.

“Alright, boys,” Rebecca said when she came back to the booth, scooting in to sit beside me and across from the other two. “What can I get you for breakfast?”

“I didn’t know you were allowed to sit with the customers,” Carter said. “Lauren was pretty clear about that with me.”

“Well, I’m in charge this shift,” Rebecca said. “I make the rules. Number four again?”

“Yeah, actually,” Carter laughed. “You know me well.”

“Number six for me,” Everett said. “And a stack of pancakes and a side of extra bacon.”

“Also about usual,” Rebecca said. “How about you?”

She turned her face over to me, and her lips were pouty and full. I wanted to kiss her right there, picking her up and carrying her out of the restaurant to my bed. It took a lot of willpower not to.

“Number one,” I said instead.

“Coming up,” she said, smiling.

The rest of the time we were there was peppered by Rebecca coming by and me making a comment to make her blush. It was fun seeing her react and have to go handle customers, her face red from something I had said, which probably put a new thought into her head. Her smile told me she wasn’t angry. Carter and Everett either ignored the comments as they focused on their food or rolled their eyes.