The look on the other woman’s face as she tried to place Lara’s own face in her mind got Lara to wondering just how close-knit this town was. Was it that obvious that she was new here? There wasn’t really a problem with it, Lara just found it interesting.
She gave the other woman a smile, encouraged by her enthusiasm for this particular hot dog cart. Her answer had been exactly what Lara was looking for and all the proof she needed. Lara’s stomach gave a loud grumble in that moment. “Awesome, a no regret hot dog sounds like exactly what I need.” she said, sidestepping into the line behind a few other people. As the other woman had said, she stood right there with her own hot dog as Lara waited in line. “A Frank Sinatra dog?” Lara questioned, looking for the item on the carts small side menu. “Alright…” Lara said as she turned to the other woman, “For future reference, what are some of the other good food carts around here?”
Soon enough, Lara was at the front of the line, the werewolf at the stand asked what she’d like. “I’ll take a Frank Sinatra Dog with-” she took a look at the list of toppings again “-monterey jack, avocado slices, and chipotle mustard.” The werewolf rang up her order, she paid, and stood off the side while he was putting everything together.
She was handed the hot dog and offered “Come again” from the other werewolf. “Alright… here goes nothing.” She said as she took a bite of the hot dog. She covered her mouth as she gulfed down the bite of hot dog. “OH…” she started after swallowing her first bite. “Oh my god, you were right. This is…” she pointed at the hot dog, “…oh my god it’s delicious.”
Vanessa sought of followed the newcomer along in the line so she could share her food cart wisdom. “There’s Holy Crepes! that’s if a gourmet vibe is more your thing, their menu is a mix of sweet and savory, plus they also serve paninis.” Pausing in-between explaining she took another bite of her hot dog. “Oh! For the best Caribbean dishes check out Reggae Vibes. Their jerk chicken is so good! It’s like you’re actually in Jamaica.” The naga joked. “Last but not least if you’re looking for something sweet, Captain Cookie and The Milk Man offers fresh baked cookies, ice-cream sandwiches, and you guessed it-- milk, like the name suggests.” As a local, those were really the only food trucks that she endorsed, due to her tastes.
When the werewolf reached the front of the queue, Vanessa stepped aside so that she could order. The naga was more excited than her companion, and kept bouncing lightly, awaiting the moment of truth. "Told you!” Vanessa’s grin was triumphant, and a tad smug. Honestly, she was proud of herself for introducing a fresh face to one of her favorite eats in town. “If you’re not careful you may end up being here more often than not. Pace yourself.”
“Seeing as you love the food and won’t be going around town blaming me for the worst taste experience ever, I can share who I am now.” The naga stuck out a free hand towards the other for a shake. “I’m Nessa Bennett, your unofficial guide to all things Soapberry-- welcome!”
