Senoia, Geogia
I hop off my motorcycle with trepidation. The faded blue and yellow sign reads The Songbird. It looks like a cross between a forgotten bar and a cafe. I fall in behind Merle and push the hair out of my face.
Merle pulls the door open with a grunt and smiles at one of the waitresses walking past us. She flashes us a shy smile.
"You see baby brother, we are making friends already."
You're making friends.
"Yeah." He sends a sharp glare at my non-committal response.
The host's voice is muffled amongst the clang from the kitchen and the buzz of voices throughout the dinning room.
I follow Merle to our assigned table and fall into my seat. This place definitely moonlights as a bar - they've got an empty stage and a small space that I can only assume is a dance floor.
Looks like this is as good as it's going to get in this one-horse town. I feel Merle's eyes on me as I linger on the details of the ceiling.
"Come on now, don't be a poor sport about this."
"You said we ain't going to be doing this no more." I grit out under my breath, scanning the restaurant.
"What? You don't like it here?" His smile is wide, "If you got any better ideas, I'm all ears."
I know there's no sense arguing with him. After a beat of silence, Merele nods.
"That's what I thought. We got a good thing going, Darylina. Just let me do what I got to do."
I nod as our waitress comes to the table.
"Hi! My names Beth. I'll be taking care of you today."
By some miracle, Merle doesn't jump on her poor choice of words.
"What can I grab you gentlemen to drink?" As she speaks again I look up, and feel my jaw tighten.
"We ain't no gentlemen, sweetheart. Just a couple coffee's should do it." She smiles politely at Merle's grin and I hear 'I'll be right back' as I stare at where her face was a moment before.
Merle leans back in his seat, and stretches out.
"Something on your mind, brother?" He asks, picking up the menu.
"Nah." I pick up my menu, although it's a meaningless gesture. My eyes are restless as I read and re-read the same three lines until I'm interrupted by her voice.
"Anything I can get started for you?" She motions to the menu and Merle's face splits into an amused grin.
"Now, what does a pretty girl like you eat at a place like this?"
There it is. I glance at her reddening face but she doesn't miss a beat.
"I can finish off our lumberjack breakfast in a hurry, if that's what you mean." Merle laughs at her response and tosses the menu on the table.
"Then I'll tell you what, darlin' - your lumberjack breakfast sounds delicious." She nods, and with the scribble of a pen she turns to me.
"And for you?"
How does he do it? I take my eyes off of my brothers easy smile and face the notepad in her hands.
"Got any pancakes?" She starts to answer when Merle interrupts.
"What you talking about boy? Ain't getting no pancakes. He'll have what I'm having." She waits a beat, and when I don't argue she breathes in deep.
"Two lumberjack breakfasts it is." I can tell without looking she smiles as she says it, but I don't bother to look.
Merle shakes his head.
"You know what your problem is? You don't know a good thing when you see it." He gestures out the window to our new home and I feel the heat rise into my chest.
"Maybe. But you never know when to quit while you're ahead." I answer without hesitation.
Merle sucks air in between clenched teeth. I can see him weighing his words. He rests his elbows on the table and leans in. Although his posture seems casual, the edge in his voice offers no comfort.
"Then I guess we both have something to work on while we're here, don't we?"