"So, Ozzy. What… um… do you like to do when you're not working?"
"This and that," said Ozzy vaguely, not looking up from the stack of napkins she was neatening.
Bill rolled her eyes and went on slicing potatoes. She was so curious to find out more about Ozzy. Who was she? What did she get up to in that back room? And did she have a boyfriend – or a girlfriend? Ozzy was so flipping cagey though – not giving anything away.
The door jingled, and Bill's heart skipped a beat. Entering the diner was a tall man with fluffy grey hair. He wore dark hooded jumper. Oh god! It was the Doctor! He'd come back for her. She could practically hear the words he was about to speak: "Bill! Found you at last! Knew you'd be ok. The Tardis is outside – where do you want to go?"
Then the man stepped closer, into the light, and Bill saw that his nose was too small, and his eyes were too dark. And when he sat at the counter and ordered a coffee, it was not with the Doctor's rich Scottish burr, but a rather high pitched West Country accent.
Stupid bloody idiot. Of course it wasn't the Doctor. Just some random guy with a superficial resemblance.
She turned away to make the coffee, fists clenched in disappointment… and happened to glance at Ozzy.
Ok, that was weird.
Ozzy was staring at the man with a mingled look of intense longing and disappointment. It was like a reflection of Bill's own feelings, only magnified.
"Ozzy? You ok?"
"What? Yeah. Sure." Ozzy shook her head, and hurried down the other end of the counter, still darting glances at the man.
Great. Looked like Ozzy was as straight as an arrow, with Daddy Issues to boot. Bill couldn't think of any other explanation.
She'd just served the Not-Doctor bloke his coffee, when the bill jingled again. A young guy approached the counter and called her over.
"Excuse me! Hey. Sorry to bother you. But I was wondering if you'd seen this dog?"
Bill looked at the man. His eyes were as brown and mournful as those of the Basset hound in the photo he was holding.
"No, I'm sorry."
The young man's expression turned glummer. "He's been missing for three days. I live two streets over, and thought perhaps someone around here had seen him. At first I thought Forty-Nine had run away, but then-"
"Wait," said Bill. "Your dog's name is Forty-Nine?"
"Yeah."
"Who calls their dog 'Forty-Nine'"?
"He was a rescue dog," explained the young man. "Got him from the pound. They told me he was seven years old. Well, when you think of one human year being seven dog years, he was forty-nine in dog years the day we met."
"Hence the name," said Bill, drily.
"Can you put this in your window?" The young man pushed across the counter a poster, with the word "Missing" across the top. Below was the photo of Forty-Nine, with an address and telephone number beneath.
Bill hesitated. She didn't see it as a problem, but who knew whether control-freak Ozzy would want her precious windows being sullied by posters?
"Let me check with my boss," she said.
Ozzy was over at the booths, topping up the salt shakers. "Hey," said Bill. "This bloke wants to put a poster in the window. That ok?"
"Is he advertising something?"
"No, he's lost his dog, and-"
Ozzy's head snapped up. "Lost his dog? Which one is he?"
Bill pointed. "That one. Young guy. Red hair."
To her astonishment, Ozzy bustled over to the young man, smiling sympathetically. "Hi there! I hear you've lost your dog. So sorry to hear that."
The young man blinked and smiled back, quite clearly taken with this attractive young waitress who was showing so much interest. Bill's stomach knotted. He wasn't bad looking himself. She might have even fancied him herself if she was straight. Did Ozzy fancy him?
"Um, yeah. My dog. Went missing three days ago."
"You know what?" said Ozzy. "I would like to hear all about your dog." She turned to Bill, and unexpectedly reached up and put her hands on Bill's shoulders.
"Bill, I am going to take a break and have a chat with-" she nodded at the young man.
"Jason."
"With Jason. Can you hold down the shop while I do that?"
"But," said Bill (acutely aware of Ozzy's hands resting on her shoulders) "You never take a break to socialize with customers."
"I'm making an exception this time," said Ozzy, dropping her hands back down to her sides.
Jason beamed.
"So make us two coffees, please." To Jason: "Milk and sugar?"
He nodded.
"With milk and sugar," Ozzy told Bill. "Don't forget, coffee first, sugar next, milk last. Stir six times, clockwise." She led Jason to a booth, saying "When exactly did you see your dog last?"
Bill splashed coffee into two mugs, feeling irrationally jealous. What was so great about Jason anyway? Was Ozzy an animal lover? Did she get sucked in by a sad dog story? She dumped in the sugar and poured the milk. Then – because she was feeling rebellious – she stirred both coffees ten times. Anti-clockwise. See how you like that, Ozzy.
She brought the drinks over to their booth (both were too absorbed in each other to utter more then a perfunctory "thanks"), then hovered nearby, pretending to wipe down tables, whilst listening in on their conversation.
She had to admit, Ozzy was kind of a lousy date. Jason kept on trying to ask her 'getting to know you' type questions ("Have you been working here long?", "Have you always lived in Bristol?" "Why do they call you Ozzy?"). Ozzy however, absently stroking the burns on her forearms, countered his questions with ones of her own… all about Forty-Nine. ("How old did you say he was?" "Do you think someone has taken him?" "Did you notice anything strange the day he went missing? Say – any random spot fires in the neighbourhood?")
Spot fires in the neighbourhood? What was that all about? Bill leaned in closer, but to her annoyance, a group of teenagers burst through the door, satchels slung over their shoulders, laughing and jostling. The after school crowd. She sighed, and headed back to the counter.
The kids were rowdy, and there were chips to cook and milkshakes to froth. Bill tried in vain to sneak looks at Ozzy and Jason (did she just touch his arm? What did that smile mean?). One of the lads stuck on 'All Shook Up' on the jukebox, so she couldn't hear what they were saying, either. By the time she'd served all the orders, Jason had exited the diner, and Ozzy was wandering slowly back towards her, rolled up poster in hand.
"So," said Bill, wiping down the counter, and trying to sound casual. "Did you get his number?"
"Hmm? Yeah," said Ozzy, absently.
"Great," said Bill between gritted teeth. "He seemed really nice." She scrubbed hard at a spot of dried milk.
"That's five dogs in the last fortnight."
"Looked like you guys were really into each other."
"All missing from around this area."
"So I suppose you two will be going on a proper date, then?"
"All older dogs. No puppies."
"What?" said Bill, confused.
"What?" said Ozzy, also confused.
"Sorry," said Bill. "Wasn't paying attention. I was just saying… you and Jason…"
"Oh!" said Ozzy. "No way."
"But you said… you got his number."
"Yeah," Ozzy sounded evasive. "Just in case I need to ask him any more questions." She tapped the poster against the counter, thoughtfully. "Jane always used to say: 'time will explain', but sometimes you have to figure these things out for yourself."
"Jane?" asked Bill.
To her surprise, Ozzy actually blushed a little. "Just… someone special. From my past."
"Someone special? Like – were you together?"
The teenagers left, and the diner was empty. Ozzy rubbed her chin.
"Bill," she said. "I'm going to close up early today."
Another surprise. Ozzy never closed early. "Oh, ok. I'll start cleaning up then."
"Nah, leave it," said Ozzy."
"But-"
"I'll take care of it. Take the rest of the afternoon off! It's lovely outside."
Bill glanced out the window. It was drizzling. A wind whipped up leaves and litter in the street.
"Um, ok."
She shrugged into her jeans jacket. Ozzy had disappeared into the back room. Bill stepped into the street, thinking. Something was going on here. Something mysterious. The sort of thing that the Doctor would probably want to investigate. The Doctor had left Earth, but she, Bill Potts, remained. And she was going to check out whatever Ozzy was up to!
Time for a stake out.
As Bill slipped across the road, looking for a vantage point, one other thing crossed her mind. So there was a girl named Jane whom Ozzy had been fond of? She thrust her hands deep into her pockets, and grinned a little. That, at least, was promising.