A panicked looking man enters the establishment, a deep frown on his face. He’s holding a phone near his face, putting whoever is on the other end on speaker.
“Hi, I’m so sorry for the disturbance, but I’ve been told here’s where I can get huge portions of food?”
“NATHAN!!! ASK IF THEY HAVE VEGAN OPTIONS!”
He glances in a panic at his phone, hissing into the device — “Yes—I’m getting there…give me a minute, please, Headmaster…” He glances up, looking incredibly apologetic. “I’m hanging up, I’m looking for dietary options—“
“DESSERTS! NON MELTABLE DESSERTS! PLEASE HURRY!—“
“—I’m getting there!” He hangs up, running a distressed hand through his hair. Pocketing his phone, he casts a glance at the menu. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be a bother—I work at the school a few blocks away? There was supposed to be, like, a Children’s Day celebration, or something? Um, so, something happened, and the vendors can’t come, and now I have primary school kids gnawing at my ankles because they’re hungry as hell…”
He looks up, inhaling sharply, “Um, so, I was wondering, could i get an order of a hundred veggie burgers, but without the buns, a whole pancake tower, a bunch of your classic cheeseburgers — no, scratch that, change the cheeseburgers for The Big One, and, uhhh, Onion Rings, Sweet Potato Mash, Cornbread, and, like…do you have gluten free options? There are like, two kids with celiac…and, if you could, some Diet Soda, along with those buckets of soda?” He pauses, inhaling. “Oh, also, Churros and Doughnuts. A-and, it’s fine if you don’t have gluten free stuff — I’ll figure something out…”
He stares at his shoes guiltily. “The traffic disturbance was my fault, anyway.” He whispers to himself.
Maureen is behind the counter when the door opens, going over the menus while Babette lingers nearby, bored by how quiet the diner has been.
When Nathan comes in with his phone still in hand, Maureen looks up first. Her attention goes to his face, then to the phone, and then back to him as he starts explaining what happened.
Babette listens from where she is, not looking especially interested at first.
Then he starts listing the order.
The more he says, the more Babette’s expression changes. By the time he gets to a hundred veggie burgers and the pancake tower, she is already stepping closer, her eyes bright with excitement.
"One hundred veggie burgers?" she repeats, leaning in with a wide smile. "And the Big One?"
Maureen smiles at Babette’s reaction before looking back to Nathan. "We can do vegan, yes. Gluten-free as well. The celiac meals will be prepared separately."
Babette is still focused on the order. "Onion rings, sweet potato mash, cornbread, buckets of soda, churros, doughnuts…" Her grin is wider than it's ever been "Oh, you wonderful man."
Maureen reaches for a notepad, still smiling. "Go make the food, love."
Babette turns toward the kitchen at once.
Maureen watches Babette before turning to gesture toward one of the booths. "Please, have a seat. I’ll write everything down properly and make sure we have the dietary restrictions right."
