Hi everyone, long time no see. Life's gotten pretty busy as I finish up my last few college classes. Here's hoping you don't mind an AU. :) Enjoy!
It was a little, out of the way place, barely seeming to get enough business to scrape by. But they had some of the best meatloaf Rose Cassidy had ever tasted, and she was determined to keep them in business singlehandedly if it came down to it.
It hadn't always been easy to find good food while on the road, and there wasn't always room to pull her eighteen-wheeler off the highway and stop at a McDonalds. Cass hadn't had a real home for going on fifteen years (her apartment didn't really count since she was never there), but returning to the Lucky Six Diner eased her loneliness and almost felt like coming home.
The wait staff only added to the diner's charm: every time Cass walked in, a tall blond man would greet her with a smile and lead her to a table. He was easy on the eyes, though Cass had a sneaking suspicion he was gay. It didn't make it a crime to look.
A new face had been behind the counter the last few times Cass had visited. A woman about her age with short dark hair and a warm smile. She was never terribly busy and always seemed to have her nose buried in a book. Cass had yet to get a glimpse of the woman's name tag, but she didn't need her name to exchange polite smiles.
It was nearly dark after a long drive from Las Vegas back toward Pasadena when Cass pulled up outside the Lucky Six. She slid out of her truck and stretched, cracking her stiff joints as she ambled toward the diner.
Cass pulled off her worn cowboy hat as she stepped into the building, and was mildly surprised to see no sign of the blond man. Instead, the brunette looked up from her book at the counter and flashed her a smile, then marked her place and grabbed a menu.
"Go ahead and have a seat wherever you'd like!"
Cass nodded her thanks and walked toward a booth at the window. She settled in and dropped her hat on the table, looking up as the woman walked over to her.
"I think I recognize you," the woman said as she offered Cass a menu. "You're one of our sort-of-regulars. I'm Veronica. Nice to finally meet you."
Cass smiled politely and waved the menu away. "I've got a craving for a big ol' helping of meatloaf."
Veronica grinned and asked about her side dishes, then disappeared to the back to place the order.
Cass drummed a rhythm on the table as she waited, glancing over when the waitress walked back into the diner proper and settled at the counter once more. The trucker took a moment to study her, unable to stop a smile from tugging at the corner of her mouth. Whoever was hiring the wait staff had an eye for good looking people.
The traffic going past on the highway caught her attention soon enough, and Cass gazed out at the road and let herself get absorbed by her thoughts.
Veronica returned after a while, carefully setting down the plate in front of the trucker. "Here we are, one chef surprise. Also known as meatloaf." She laughed and handed Cass some silverware, then told her to enjoy her food and walked back to the counter. Rather than read, she started cleaning tables and humming to herself.
Cass had been starved for socialization on her last run, so she allowed herself a smile at the sound and continued eating. The food was just as good as she remembered, and Cass savored every bite.
"How's everything taste tonight?"
Cass inwardly cursed the waitress' timing; she'd just taken another large bite of the mashed potatoes. She grabbed her glass for cover and swallowed as quickly as she could. "Great. It's always great."
The woman smiled and set down another glass of sarsaparilla. "Glad to hear it. Can I get you anything else?"
Cass glanced out at the dusk. She had another two hours' drive to make her delivery, and she didn't like the idea of getting back on the road drowsy and with a full belly. "A cup of coffee?"
"Coming right up." Veronica returned a moment later with a steaming mug of coffee and some creamer. "Where're you headed next?"
Cass raised her eyebrows and took the cup from the waitress.
"I'm assuming that's your truck," Veronica clarified, nodding at the large vehicle in the parking lot. "I always wanted to travel, but I never got the chance. C'mon, let me live vicariously through you."
The redhead laughed and gave her truck a fond glance. "Pasadena, then probably off to Texas. Got a few long rides to make."
"Texas, huh? Is everything bigger like they always say?"
"Only their egos," Cass retorted with a grin.
Veronica laughed and set the ticket on the end of the table. "Feel free to hang around a while, but I'll be at the register whenever you're ready."
The waitress took her empty plate and disappeared into the back once again. Cass could hear her joking with the cooks, though she couldn't quite understand what was being said. A few minutes later, Veronica returned and offered Cass a smile, then settled back at the counter and opened her book.
Cass lingered, savoring her coffee as she watched the sun set. When the only cold dregs remained, she sighed and got up to pay. As much as she enjoyed being on the road, the diner was quiet and peaceful. The prospect of leaving her little safe haven was always a bit of a downer.
Veronica met her at the register and punched in a few numbers as she rang up the total. "Time to hit the road again?"
Cass nodded, accepting her change. She handed the waitress a few bills to cover her tip and tucked her wallet away.
"Thanks!" Veronica smiled as she tucked the money into the pocket of her apron, then passed the trucker her receipt. "Hey, drive carefully and enjoy your cross country trip. Don't forget us little people."
Cass chuckled and tugged her hat on. "I'll do my best." She made a quick stop at the restroom, then headed back to her truck. It started with a healthy growl, and Cass grinned to herself and pulled back onto the highway.
=====:=====
The next time Cass passed through the diner, almost six weeks had passed. She'd made a series of long trips, going up and down the West Coast and occasionally heading as far east as Memphis.
She had a week's worth of vacation to look forward to, and Cass decided she was going to reward herself with some pie after her dinner. A weary smile crossed her face as she pulled into the diner's parking lot, and she trudged inside.
The blond, Archie, was back at work, though Cass spotted Veronica tending to a small family in a booth across the diner. She smiled and greeted the blond waiter with a nod, allowing him to lead her to a table near the kitchen doors.
"Long time no see," he said with a grin. "This okay?"
"Yeah, that's great. As long as I get to eat, I'm happy." Cass sat down and took the menu Archie offered her, thumbing through it and looking at her choices. Archie brought her a sarsaparilla and let her have a few minutes to peruse the menu.
"Well, if it isn't our esteemed traveler."
Cass looked up and saw Veronica grinning at her. "Hey. Been a while, I'm surprised you remember me."
Veronica scoffed. "Like I'd forget a pretty face."
The trucker blinked. A glance at Veronica earned the redhead a wink, and Cass felt a smile grow at the corner of her mouth. It'd been a long time since she'd been flirted with, and even longer since it had come from a pretty woman.
"Go harass your own table, Vee," Archie teased as he walked back over, effectively interrupting the women.
Veronica swatted him with her notepad and rolled her eyes, and the pair laughed before she walked away to check on her own customers.
Archie pushed his glasses up his nose and grinned at the redhead. "So how's the road been treating you, Miss Cassidy?"
Cass gazed after the waitress for a moment, then shook herself and shrugged up at the blond. "Fine. No problems. Did wonder if my brakes were gonna lock up last time I headed over the Rockies, but I made it through without a hitch. How've you been? You weren't in the last time I came through."
Archie shrugged. "Same old, same old. Not a whole lot happens around here." He nodded at the menu in her hands. "You ready, or do you need a few minutes?"
Cass settled on a large hamburger and killed the time until her food came by ripping a napkin into long strips and braiding them together. Archie stopped by and teased her about making a mess, then walked off to show new customers to their seats.
Veronica came by with a precariously balanced tray of dirty dishes, and she nearly made it to the kitchen door when her foot came down on a wet spot. She slipped and the dishes fell to the floor with an explosive crash.
The diner went silent and everyone looked at the waitress, who offered up a sheepish smile. "Sorry." She set about cleaning it up almost immediately, gathering the unbroken plates onto her tray and carting them into the back of the store.
Cass watched with mild interest as Veronica returned with a broom and dustpan, and the brunette caught her eye and shrugged.
"Not my most graceful moment," she admitted. "Sorry if I startled you."
Cass smiled and waved the apology away. "No harm done. Nice to have a little excitement after a long day of watching the miles go by."
The waitress brightened at that and bowed dramatically. "Well then I'm happy to be of service." Veronica began to pick through the shattered dishes on the floor, gathering up the larger pieces. She paused and glanced up at the trucker, raising an eyebrow. "So long as I'm over here, you feel like regaling me with tales of your adventures? Otherwise this could get awkward."
Cass grinned. "It's not all that thrilling. But I think I can manage a story or two," she added when the waitress pouted. She started talking and sharing stories from her travels, though she glossed over the more frustrating days she'd had. She described driving over mountains and navigating big cities in her big truck. "Managed to go right past Graceland once. Saw Elvis' plane and everything."
The waitress looked up from the last shards of a coffee cup, awe in her eyes. "No way. I thought they sold that."
Cass shrugged. "Looked real enough to me."
"Excuse me," Archie said as he stepped over and around Veronica. "Your meal, milady." He set the plate in front of Cass with a flourish, earning a laugh for his efforts. "Let me know if you need anything."
Veronica quickly finished up her task and mopped the floor, then offered the trucker a smile. "I'll get my cleaning products out of your face. Watch your step."
The brunette walked away and went back to her other tables. Cass could hear her apologizing for the delay, and she smiled to herself as she started eating.
Archie checked on her a few times, but when she was finished and ready to leave, he was busy helping a table full of older people he seemed to know. Cass considered waiting, but the brunette spotted her and motioned toward the counter with a smile.
Veronica met her at the register, taking the receipt from the trucker and totalling the numbers. "Everything up to snuff?"
"Always is. Y'all do good food." Cass watched as the waitress finished up the calculation and found herself admiring Veronica. The woman was gorgeous, no doubt about it.
"Sorry again about the mess I made by your table. But thanks for talking to me and telling me those stories." Veronica's smile was small and sincere, and it made something in the trucker's chest grow tight. "I owe you one."
Cass waved the comment away. "Please, I get to see that smile'a yours. That's more than enough."
The waitress blushed and focused on her register for a moment, the smile on her face becoming silly. "I, uh, thanks. Here's your change." She cleared her throat and seemed to have recovered. "Hey, next time, bring me back a postcard or something. It'd be nice to see some of the rest of the world." She gave a long suffering sigh and gestured at the diner windows, but there was a teasing glint in her brown eyes. "I'm kidding. Take care and drive safe, okay?"
Cass grinned and touched the brim of her hat. "I will. Don't go droppin' any more plates."
Veronica laughed and shooed her away. She grabbed a pitcher of water and wiggled her fingers in a wave before going to check on another customer.
Cass was still smiling when she got back into her truck.
=====:=====
Despite the fact that the waitress had been joking, the next time Cass stopped at a convenience store, she couldn't help but look over the rack of postcards near the register. She smiled to herself as she remembered the twinkle in Veronica's eyes, then thumbed through the rack and grabbed a nice one depicting Zion National Park. She set it down with her bottle of root beer and nodded a greeting at the bored-looking clerk.
She clipped the postcard to her visor when she got back into her truck, took a swig of her drink, then started off to Seattle.