As they walked out of the bar, they headed towards the parking lot which was located across the street. Alexa approached a black car that made Johnny whistle.
"A Shelby 67… nice."
"Thanks. It's been with the family even before I was born."
That reminded Johnny of another question he had been wondering since he met Alexa.
"Wait, how old are you?"
As she opened the driver's door, her left eyebrow raised a few inches. "Why?"
He raised his hands before responding. "Don't take it the wrong way. I'm simply curious."
She hopped in and waited for him. As Johnny closed his door, his ears got the answer. "I'm 35."
Once she ignited the mustang, the engine roared like a wild animal, a sound that woke up old memories inside Johnny's head. The flashbacks took him back to those moments when he used to be happy: Hanging out with his old pals, taking Ali on a ride to watch the stars, going to his karate classes at Cobra Kai…
And that's when the dreams turned into nightmares. He was now seeing his Firebird getting burned by Larusso's cousin, receiving a Challenger in which he listened to AC/DC with Miguel and in which he took Robby to his first day of school without knowing that later on he would lose everything, making him leave his car by the beach.
He got so immersed with his demons that he never noticed when they pulled over in front of their destination. Johnny was startled by someone tapping on his window.
"Are you coming or would you prefer to stay here and be left daydreaming?"
He looked to his right side to find Alexa already outside. The banished cobra didn't reply and simply got out of the mustang.
.
.
.
When they entered the diner, the smell of fresh pancakes welcomed them while a joyful voice echoed through the room.
"Lexa, honey! You've arrived a bit late. I was worrying that you wouldn't come."
"And miss out one of your glorious creations? No way, Tina! Besides," she nodded towards Johnny, "I brought someone who might be in desperate need of some good meal."
The elder woman laughed while noticing the tall man next to her friend. "Alright, have a seat".
They went for a table that was close to the window. Tina poured some fresh coffee and handed the menu.
"So Tina, how's your business going?"
"Oh, it's been the same darling. I've had a quiet morning with the same old customers. Speaking of which, I've heard what happened last night. Is it true?"
"If what you're saying is whether Sal behaved as a jerk, then yes. He even tried to assault our new guest over here."
The elder woman glanced towards Johnny.
"So, you must be the guy that tried to defend Jimmy and my Lexa, what a nice gentleman."
"Oh, ehm… yeah, no problem," said Johnny.
"That Sal is always trying to make some trouble around town."
At that moment, the sound of the doorbell announced the arrival of another client.
"And speaking of the devil…". Both Johnny and Alexa turned to see the grizzly man walking into the restaurant. Once he spotted them, he grumbled and pulled down his cap as he sat as far away as possible.
"Okay, let me take your order before I leave to attend our fellow over there. I bet you'll get the usual, Lexa?"
The woman with the chestnut mane flashed a grin. "You're an angel, Tina."
The waitress rolled her eyes joyfully. "And for your friend?"
"Just some eggs and bacon."
"Alright, I'll be back with your plates in a few minutes. Meanwhile, make yourself at home."
"Thanks, Tina."
"No problem, honey."
As she took off, Alexa was the first to speak.
"You seemed a bit distant…"
"What?"
"Back when I was driving."
"Oh…"
"A penny for your thoughts?"
Johnny scratched his chin. "No, you can keep it."
"Alright."
They kept quiet for a while. He didn't know why, but Johnny had a feeling that someone was watching them. He looked around to see that everyone was concentrated on eating or engaged on a conversation. Even the giant asshole was busy reading a newspaper. Perhaps he just needed some food, a wish which was granted because their breakfast had suddenly materialized at their table.
"Okay, here are some eggs and bacon. And for my girl, her special meal. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."
They were both left alone. The atmosphere of the diner was cozy and calm where disturbance didn't exist, a thing that Johnny appreciated. As his eyes wandered towards his companions dish, his lips twitched into a sad smile once he noticed some hash browns. Alexa seemed to noticed his mood change.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's just that I remembered something that happened where I used to live."
"Would you like to share it with me?"
He took a bite of his eggs and gulped down his beverage. "Not a chance."
"Well, can I at least know where you're from?"
He hesitated for a bit. "California."
"Wow! You sure are far away from your home."
"So?"
"Nothing, I just wondered what made you come up north to this peaceful town."
"I… just wondered wanted to leave everything behind."
It was the first time that Johnny said that out loud and shared it with someone else. Why was he suddenly being so open to a gal he didn't know at all? The last time he let himself be vulnerable with a chick didn't end well. He started to feel uncomfortable with the situation.
"Look, thanks for bringing me here, but I should probably go."
He pulled out some cash from his wallet and placed it on the table despite Alexa's protest of at least letting her pay her share.
Without another word, the Californian man walked away.