Chapter 9
"Did you enjoy your cold shower, Luis?" Sheridan smirked at him across the booth. Luis rolled his eyes at her and buried his nose in the menu. After several minutes…he threw it down on the counter. "Bit of a staring problem you have there, Miss." Sheridan laughed. Picking up the ketchup bottle beside her and aiming it at Luis. "I don't think you want to mess with me, Mister," she arched a golden brow. Luis couldn't help the wide smile that dominated his face. "Put that down." "No," Sheridan refused. Holding the ketchup bottle way in the air. Over her head. "Make me," she challenged. Luis's hands reached out. Grabbing at nothing but air. "Ahem."
Sheridan straightened up and set the ketchup bottle down at the waitress's icy glare. "Hi," she said in a monotone voice. "My name is Susan, and I'm your waitress for this morning. What can I get you?" Sheridan raised a hand to her mouth and turned her head away. She didn't mean to laugh. Really, she didn't. "Ha, ha," Susan rolled her eyes. "Your order?" Luis shot a warning look Sheridan's way. "Good morning, Susan," he said diplomatically. She stared back at him without expression. "Uh…I'd like…let's see," he said. Studying the menu. "I'd like #3. What about you, Sh…Sherry?" The look on Sheridan's face was priceless. Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned back at him after a moment. "Hmm…no eggs and bacon for me this morning, Luigi." Luis choked on his coffee. "I'll have the French toast," she smiled up at Susan. "Will that be all?" "Yes," Sheridan said brightly.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she said in a low voice. "Luigi? What the hell kind of name is that? Come on," Luis grimaced. "Surely, you can do better than that. And what's wrong with Sherry anyway? It's cute." "Cute? Cute, Luis?" Sheridan threw up her hands. "Gee. You don't know me that well, huh? I HATE cute." "Oh really?" Luis teased. Leaning in closer to her. "Well, you look pretty CUTE when you're mad." Sheridan crossed her arms around her chest and glared at him. Who wanted to look cute anyway? That just proved it. Luis thought she was a kid. She'd rather look sexy. "Uh oh," she grumbled. "Here comes Eeyore again." Luis barely contained his laughter as he took his plate from Susan's hands.
"Okay! That's it! I'm through with this damn place! I quit!" she yelled. Yanking her apron over her head and tossing it over her shoulder. Sheridan's blue eyes were wide. "I never meant for THAT to happen." A pudgy little man with the longest mustache Sheridan had ever seen waddled over and started arguing heatedly with Susan. Luis ducked his head and nibbled on a piece of bacon. Sheridan cowered in the corner of the booth when she heard her name mentioned. Finally Susan stomped out, and the diner door bounced back open she slammed it so hard. "What am I going to do?" the little man worried as he trudged back into the kitchen.
"Luis," Sheridan hissed. "I feel so bad." Luis slid a hand across the table and squeezed hers. "Don't worry about it. At least she wasn't fired." "But…" "It wasn't your fault. She obviously wasn't happy here." Sheridan stabbed at her syrup-drenched French toast distractedly. "If you're not going to eat that I will," Luis declared. Pulling her plate away from her playfully. "Luis," she cried. Blue eyes sparkling. "I said I was hungry. I'll eat it," she laughed. "Give it back." Luis picked up a dripping piece and closed his lips around the fork. "Mmm. Mmm. Good," he moaned. For her benefit, of course. Before he could blink an eye, Sheridan was crammed into the tiny seat beside him. Fighting him for the fork. "Luis," she pouted. He picked up the fork again and brought it to her lips. "Luis," Sheridan giggled. "I can feed myself." She laughed helplessly as he slipped the fork past her lips. "Good?" he smiled at her. Taking his napkin and wiping the sticky syrup from the corner of her mouth. "Very good," she whispered.
He pushed her plate back over to her, and they finished their breakfast in comfortable silence. Well…Luis was sure it was comfortable for her. He was having a dandy time keeping his hands to himself. "Luis," Sheridan mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I thought they taught you better manners at boarding school," he teased. Sheridan rolled her eyes at him. This was getting to be a common occurrence between them, he realized with a grin. "Seriously, Luis. What do we do now? You know…money. A place to stay." "I talked to the manager about doing some odd jobs for him while you were in the shower. That'll help a little. And he said we could rent out the room." Sheridan sighed. At least it was clean. But it was SO different from what she was used to. "What about me? What'll I do?"
Luis shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know yet. I can take care of you." "Lo-Fitz! I'm not this child you have to pamper." "Who said anything about pampering?" Luis grinned. Like a true smartass, Sheridan thought. Huffing in pure irritation. "I mean it, Luis," she growled. "I can't just sit around doing NOTHING all day." Isn't that what you did at the Crane Mansion back in Harmony, Luis thought. But didn't dare say. It'd be off with his head then. "Don't worry," he told her. "We'll find you a job. Although…what exactly you're qualified for…I don't know," he said slyly. "Ouch!" he yelped when she socked him in the shoulder. "If you'll excuse me," she announced. "I have to use the ladies' room." Luis slid out behind her. "I'll wait for you outside."
He waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when he was on the brink of giving up and going back inside, she burst through the diner's door. "Luis!" she exclaimed. "Guess what?" To borrow a phrase from his mother…Dios Mio! This couldn't be good. "What, Princess?" Her blue eyes twinkled at him. "I got a job! I got a job!" she said excitedly. Luis blinked twice. Three times. "They…he…hired YOU," he stammered. Sheridan tilted her head to the side and studied him. "So? Are you saying I can't do it?" He burst into laughter. "You? The Crane Princess? A waitress?" Sheridan's eyes flashed at him. Angrily. "What's so unbelievable about that?" He just shook his head. "A lot of things," he muttered under his breath. "I'll prove you wrong, Luis. Just wait and see," she shot over her shoulder as she left him in the dust. Crossing the street to their hotel. "Stubborn," he shook his head with a smile. Mama always told him he was stubborn. It looked like he had finally met his match. He jogged across the street after her. Might as well enjoy their last day of freedom. Their brand-new life officially started tomorrow.
"Did you enjoy your cold shower, Luis?" Sheridan smirked at him across the booth. Luis rolled his eyes at her and buried his nose in the menu. After several minutes…he threw it down on the counter. "Bit of a staring problem you have there, Miss." Sheridan laughed. Picking up the ketchup bottle beside her and aiming it at Luis. "I don't think you want to mess with me, Mister," she arched a golden brow. Luis couldn't help the wide smile that dominated his face. "Put that down." "No," Sheridan refused. Holding the ketchup bottle way in the air. Over her head. "Make me," she challenged. Luis's hands reached out. Grabbing at nothing but air. "Ahem."
Sheridan straightened up and set the ketchup bottle down at the waitress's icy glare. "Hi," she said in a monotone voice. "My name is Susan, and I'm your waitress for this morning. What can I get you?" Sheridan raised a hand to her mouth and turned her head away. She didn't mean to laugh. Really, she didn't. "Ha, ha," Susan rolled her eyes. "Your order?" Luis shot a warning look Sheridan's way. "Good morning, Susan," he said diplomatically. She stared back at him without expression. "Uh…I'd like…let's see," he said. Studying the menu. "I'd like #3. What about you, Sh…Sherry?" The look on Sheridan's face was priceless. Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned back at him after a moment. "Hmm…no eggs and bacon for me this morning, Luigi." Luis choked on his coffee. "I'll have the French toast," she smiled up at Susan. "Will that be all?" "Yes," Sheridan said brightly.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she said in a low voice. "Luigi? What the hell kind of name is that? Come on," Luis grimaced. "Surely, you can do better than that. And what's wrong with Sherry anyway? It's cute." "Cute? Cute, Luis?" Sheridan threw up her hands. "Gee. You don't know me that well, huh? I HATE cute." "Oh really?" Luis teased. Leaning in closer to her. "Well, you look pretty CUTE when you're mad." Sheridan crossed her arms around her chest and glared at him. Who wanted to look cute anyway? That just proved it. Luis thought she was a kid. She'd rather look sexy. "Uh oh," she grumbled. "Here comes Eeyore again." Luis barely contained his laughter as he took his plate from Susan's hands.
"Okay! That's it! I'm through with this damn place! I quit!" she yelled. Yanking her apron over her head and tossing it over her shoulder. Sheridan's blue eyes were wide. "I never meant for THAT to happen." A pudgy little man with the longest mustache Sheridan had ever seen waddled over and started arguing heatedly with Susan. Luis ducked his head and nibbled on a piece of bacon. Sheridan cowered in the corner of the booth when she heard her name mentioned. Finally Susan stomped out, and the diner door bounced back open she slammed it so hard. "What am I going to do?" the little man worried as he trudged back into the kitchen.
"Luis," Sheridan hissed. "I feel so bad." Luis slid a hand across the table and squeezed hers. "Don't worry about it. At least she wasn't fired." "But…" "It wasn't your fault. She obviously wasn't happy here." Sheridan stabbed at her syrup-drenched French toast distractedly. "If you're not going to eat that I will," Luis declared. Pulling her plate away from her playfully. "Luis," she cried. Blue eyes sparkling. "I said I was hungry. I'll eat it," she laughed. "Give it back." Luis picked up a dripping piece and closed his lips around the fork. "Mmm. Mmm. Good," he moaned. For her benefit, of course. Before he could blink an eye, Sheridan was crammed into the tiny seat beside him. Fighting him for the fork. "Luis," she pouted. He picked up the fork again and brought it to her lips. "Luis," Sheridan giggled. "I can feed myself." She laughed helplessly as he slipped the fork past her lips. "Good?" he smiled at her. Taking his napkin and wiping the sticky syrup from the corner of her mouth. "Very good," she whispered.
He pushed her plate back over to her, and they finished their breakfast in comfortable silence. Well…Luis was sure it was comfortable for her. He was having a dandy time keeping his hands to himself. "Luis," Sheridan mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I thought they taught you better manners at boarding school," he teased. Sheridan rolled her eyes at him. This was getting to be a common occurrence between them, he realized with a grin. "Seriously, Luis. What do we do now? You know…money. A place to stay." "I talked to the manager about doing some odd jobs for him while you were in the shower. That'll help a little. And he said we could rent out the room." Sheridan sighed. At least it was clean. But it was SO different from what she was used to. "What about me? What'll I do?"
Luis shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know yet. I can take care of you." "Lo-Fitz! I'm not this child you have to pamper." "Who said anything about pampering?" Luis grinned. Like a true smartass, Sheridan thought. Huffing in pure irritation. "I mean it, Luis," she growled. "I can't just sit around doing NOTHING all day." Isn't that what you did at the Crane Mansion back in Harmony, Luis thought. But didn't dare say. It'd be off with his head then. "Don't worry," he told her. "We'll find you a job. Although…what exactly you're qualified for…I don't know," he said slyly. "Ouch!" he yelped when she socked him in the shoulder. "If you'll excuse me," she announced. "I have to use the ladies' room." Luis slid out behind her. "I'll wait for you outside."
He waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when he was on the brink of giving up and going back inside, she burst through the diner's door. "Luis!" she exclaimed. "Guess what?" To borrow a phrase from his mother…Dios Mio! This couldn't be good. "What, Princess?" Her blue eyes twinkled at him. "I got a job! I got a job!" she said excitedly. Luis blinked twice. Three times. "They…he…hired YOU," he stammered. Sheridan tilted her head to the side and studied him. "So? Are you saying I can't do it?" He burst into laughter. "You? The Crane Princess? A waitress?" Sheridan's eyes flashed at him. Angrily. "What's so unbelievable about that?" He just shook his head. "A lot of things," he muttered under his breath. "I'll prove you wrong, Luis. Just wait and see," she shot over her shoulder as she left him in the dust. Crossing the street to their hotel. "Stubborn," he shook his head with a smile. Mama always told him he was stubborn. It looked like he had finally met his match. He jogged across the street after her. Might as well enjoy their last day of freedom. Their brand-new life officially started tomorrow.