Several days had passed since Logan arrived in town. He spent the majority of his time in his room, only leaving to stock up on junk food from the market. His only interaction was with Jimmy, the concierge, occasionally exchanging a hello or good afternoon as he passed the front desk.
Logan felt lost. His life had always been controlled by someone else. First his mother and her unrealistic expectations, then the army. He was never able to make decisions for himself.
Except, now he could.
The feeling was freeing, but terrifying. He didn't have a plan, he didn't even know why he came back to a town that had nothing to offer him. He had no intention of reconnecting with Cynthia, his father had moved out of state and he had no friends waiting for him.
Another nightmare came and went. Logan stepped out to his balcony, lighting his usual three AM cigarette. He had become accustomed to the sounds of the ocean and the salty night breeze. He stood by the railing of the balcony, closing his eyes. Waiting. A familiar hum inched closer to the hotel. He watched the lime green Yamaha pass by the hotel for the sixth night in a row. He almost looked forward to the bike passing by. He found comfort in knowing he wasn't the only lone soul on Ocean Avenue awake in the middle of the night.
Waiting for the town to wake up, seemed to be the longest stretch of his day. Tired of his usual routine of binge-watching reality shows, Logan decided to take a morning walk. He strolled down the street, taking time to admire what the strip had become. Things had turned around, tourists seemed excited to be there. Parents and children ran through the streets, even in the morning hours.
Logan circled the street twice before stopping for a cigarette. He leaned against a light pole, watching people pass by him. When he looked up, he realized where he was. The crimson letters of Bob's Burgers lit up his eyes. Before a thought could cross his mind, he heard a door slam to his left. A tall woman with thick black-framed glasses, long straight black hair and bangs, stepped out. She wore a blue strapless dress that flowed to the ground. She drifted by him, floating into the burger place. Before he knew what he was doing, he threw his cigarette to the ground, grinding it into the pavement and followed the woman inside.
He watched her make her way to the back of the restaurant and disappear into the kitchen. The sight of the interior took him back to his high school days. Memories of tormenting the youngest Belcher flooded in. The red booths had been reupholstered and stools had been replaced with exact replicas. The counter and tables remained yellow, while the same vintage blue lights dangled over the patrons at the bar. The blue trim lined the ceiling and the red interior doors. Even the chalkboard with the burger of the day still hung behind the counter. The only noticeable difference was the pictures on the walls. Black and white photos of the Belchers with their family and friends hung throughout the restaurant.
"Hey man, are you gonna sit down?" A voice rang out from behind the counter, pulling Logan out of his daze.
A burly, brown-haired man in his late twenties, stood behind the grill in the back. Logan slid onto the first stool next to the entrance.
"We'll be right with you," the cook bellowed, over the sound of sizzling meat.
He looked around the restaurant for a second time. Every booth was filled with locals and tourists. Even the bar stools were all taken. Three people in the restaurant at any given time was considered a good day for the small business ten years ago. Now, people were practically breaking down the door to get in, and it was only breakfast time.
The woman with the glasses appeared in the order window. As she passed by the cook, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back for the lunch rush," she told him.
She grabbed a brown paper bag and headed for the door. Before she exited the building, the burly cook said, "Hey Tina, I love ya!"
The woman looked over her shoulder, smiled, blew him a kiss and left. Of course, the oldest Belcher has a stake in this place, Logan thought. She always seemed most likely to follow in her father's footsteps.
Seconds later, the door behind him flew open. Before he could turn around to see who was walking in, a small woman, no more the five foot four, flew past him. For a split second, he felt the air being sucked from his lungs. Time almost stood still as he watched her walk towards the kitchen. With her arms full of egg cartons, she kicked the kitchen door open.
"Holy moly girl!" The cook exclaimed, "Did you fly to the store?"
The woman just smirked and said, "I told you I would be back before the coffee pot finished. You owe me twenty bucks." She grabbed a white apron and tied it around her waist.
As she came through the kitchen door, walking towards Logan, he could feel that moment of suffocation again. Her skin was bronzed by the sun. Her face was fresh, wearing only mascara and lip gloss. Her green tank top and cut-off shorts hugged her body in all the right places. The high-top Converse she wore seemed to fit her style perfectly. Her hair was tied into a messy bun on the top of her head with stands of wavy black locks framing her face. She wrapped a pink bandana around her head, tying it at the top, before grabbing the coffee pot.
She moved closer to Logan, and their eyes met.
"Coffee?" she asked.
He could only nod. Her eyes were rich and soft, like chocolate and her rosy cheeks dimpled when she smiled.
"Are you ready to order?" She asked.
"What?" Logan managed to spit out.
"Food," she said, clearly annoyed. The smile left her face and she raised an eyebrow. "You know you're in a restaurant right?"
Her sassy attitude reminded him of someone, but before he could respond, an older gentleman sitting three stools over, called out,Louise.
For the third time in his short visit to the restaurant, the air left his lungs. Louise Belcher was the woman standing in front of him.
"Give me a minute, Uncle Teddy" she shouted behind her.
She turned back to Logan. "I have a restaurant to run," she said. "When you decide what you want, just give me a wave." She rolled her eyes and moved towards the next customer.
As she walked away, Logan couldn't help but notice how her hips swayed when she walked. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly came out of his trance, finished the coffee and threw some money on the counter.
Lighting a cigarette, seconds after leaving the restaurant, he walked towards the hotel. What the fuck, he thought.
Baffled by the interaction, his mind took him back to the first time he met Louise. She was nine, he was fifteen. He remembered stealing her pink bunny ears and tormenting her for days. The problem was, Louise wasn't your average nine-year-old. Her hunger for revenge was strong and over the years he came to realize if you messed with her or someone she loved, you would pay the price.
Louise somehow managed to befriend a biker gang called the One-Eyed Snakes. She cashed in a favour and had them threaten to cut off Logan's ears. Her words echoed in his head, "You took my ears and now these guys are going to take your ears."
Logan couldn't help but smile at the humiliating memory. Looking back on it now, he knew he deserved it. She was ruthless, and from the brief interaction in the restaurant, he knew she hadn't changed. The question was, had he?