Grey Walker had been driving since sunset with his partner asleep in the back seat. It had been a long day for both of them, but he wasn't worn out. Still, he thought he could use a cup of coffee. He pulled off the highway at the first sign of a place to eat. As he slowed, he could hear Amber stirring in the back seat. "Where are we?" she asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"At Chet's Diner," Grey replied as he drove the SUV into the parking lot. "I need a cup of coffee and you could do with some grub."
"Grub?" Amber replied. "Oh, you mean food." Amber sighed. "Fine," she said while pulling on her white leather walking shoes.
Grey backed the SUV into a space near the door and shut off the engine. A quick glance at the rear view mirror let him know that Amber had already left. "Just once," he muttered to himself, "I'd like her to use a door like a normal human being." But she wasn't one, not anymore than he was. But at least he made the effort to act human, to pass the sniff test so to speak.
Amber was busy playing with the locks on the door when he arrived at the top of the three steps at the diner entrance. "Stop that," he chided. "Let's go inside, and leave the locks how you found them."
"Unlocked, it is," she replied as she pulled open the door. "I hope they have hot apple pie." After following Grey inside, she added, "and raspberry ice cream."
"Behave yourself. No ordering anything that isn't on the menu. And no leering, lusting, or whatever." Grey felt uncomfortable the moment he crossed the threshold. He smiled at the waitress before choosing a booth with a good view of the place. The diner was larger than it looked from the outside. Maybe it was a matter of perspective, but Grey wasn't taking any chances. "Amber, I want you to take a good hard look around us and tell me what you see."
Amber smiled, recognizing his code for using her special sight. She turned her attention toward the other customers. "The two men in the dining room are hunters. They didn't get anything today and are discussing their plans for tomorrow. Their truck is parked to the side of the building. There are several shotguns and rifles locked inside. The couple in the other booth are on their way to a funeral. She's pregnant, as of last night, but doesn't know it yet. They've been trying for years, but couldn't afford the treatments. They are discussing taking in their orphaned relative, wondering how hard it will be for them to get custody of the boy."
"What about the people who work here?"
"They are good souls, but they are worried about us for some reason. We are the odd couple. They know you have a gun on you and are wondering if you are here to rob the place. There's a gun near the register and the cook has a shotgun in the kitchen. I think we should order food when the waitress finally shows up."
Grey never ceased to be amazed by Amber's ability to see things in their entirety, to grasp the whole of a situation. He set down his menu and turned over the coffee cup that had been sitting on the place mat, signaling that he was ready to order. Amber had done the same, adding two packets worth of sugar before the coffee was poured.
Grey settled for the burger platter, which included a side of fries and a pickle. Amber ordered breakfast, scrapple and eggs with a side of pancakes. After coating everything in maple syrup, she quickly devoured the meal. Still hungry, she ordered some apple pie a la mode, settling for vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. She took her time with dessert, savoring every bite. She would have licked the plate when she finished, but a look from Grey was enough to stop her.
Amber followed Grey as he walked to the register to pay for the meal. She stopped at the booth where the couple had been. Their dishes had not been cleared away. When her fingertips touched the tabletop, a sense of foreboding hit her. Dark shadows stalked the couple at the motel where they were staying. She met Grey at the door on the way out. Once outside, she slipped into the front passenger seat. "We need to check into that motel just down the road. People there need our help."
"I see that you are feeling better," Grey remarked as he started the engine. Amber smiled as they pulled out of the restaurant lot and headed down the road to the Wayside Inn.
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