Today's Special is the Jerk-Chicken Salad - Chapter 7: Burger and Fries for Breakfast?

"Right this way," said Gio, ushering Betty and Hilda towards the kitchen, "for a breakfast extravaganza!"

"Hilda, do you have a hair clip?" said Betty, gathering her wet hair around her hand.

"No," said Hilda, digging through her purse, "I don't."

"I know where I've got one," said Gio, stepping behind the bar. He flipped a switch turning the music on and they all bopped to the calypso beat while Gio pulled out a drawer under the counter and rummaged among the flashlights, batteries, screwdrivers, can openers, and other odds and ends in it, looking for the hair clip he'd seen there.

"Here it is," said Gio triumphantly, holding up a large hair clip and snapping it.

Bunching up her hair onto the back of her head, Betty turned around so Gio could release the clip onto her hair.

When Betty paused to look at her hair in the mirror behind the bar, Gio took a sprig of hibiscus blossoms from a vase and leaned into her, carefully threading the stem into the hair beside her face.

Laughing gaily at her enchanting reflection, Betty felt the sarong loosening. Grabbing her skirt, she asked, "Do you have a belt I can borrow?"

"You're supposed to tie it with a knot," explained Gio. "Like this." Standing behind her, he reached his arms around her waist, took the loose ends of the skirt from her hands and quickly tied them securely.

Surrounded by Gio, his hair brushing her cheek, Betty breathed in deeply, enjoying the fragrance of hibiscus blossoms and him, a heady mixture of tropical flowers, ocean breezes, sand, and salt. Knees suddenly weak, she steadied herself by putting a hand on his arm.

"Now you look like you belong here," said Gio, stepping back to admire her. "Now you're one of us."

"Thank you," squeaked Betty, blushing and giggling giddily. Afraid he might accuse her of flirting, she added, "Gio, are these your wife's clothes?"

"No, these are from my lost and found. Because of the beach, I end up with lots of spare things."

Humming along to the steel drum music, Gio put his hands on Betty's hips and danced her towards the kitchen. "Not wife, Betty, ex-wife."

"What?" Betty stopped dancing and stared sternly at Gio.

"Ex-wife," said Gio, taken aback by Betty's surprise. "I'm divorced."

"You're not married?"

"Not anymore," said Gio, glancing between Betty and Hilda. "You didn't hear?"

"When were you going to tell me this?" demanded Betty.

"How come," demanded Gio right back at her, "ever since you dumped me, you seem to expect me to immediately inform you of my relationship status?"

"But this is terrible!" cried Betty, panicked. "You're single! This will be a public relations disaster. Hilda, why didn't you know?"

"I knew," said Hilda, shrugging her shoulders, "and I was going to tell you, but you never gave me a chance."

Flustered, Betty turned to Gio and yelled, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Indignant, Gio stood in front of Betty, hands on his hips, and thundered, "Sure, I'll tell you! How about this? … Hi Betty, what a surprise to see you in London! By the way, you'll be interested to know, I'm engaged … Hi Betty, what a surprise to see you in the Bahamas! By the way, you'll be interested to know, my wife left me for another man!"

Betty gaped at Gio.

"There," said Gio bitterly, "Happy now?"

"Oh, no," gasped Betty, instantly contrite, "of course not! I'm sorry. When did it happen?"

"Shortly after we arrived in the Bahamas. I should have been suspicious when our realtor took her to see every last restaurant on every last beach on every last one of the islands. She left me for him, and then they took me to the cleaners. This little place was the best I could get after it was all over."

"Why didn't you come back to New York?" asked Betty. "You should have come back!"

"There was nothing for me there," said Gio, glaring intently at Betty. "Was there?"

"Oh," said Betty.

"And, in any case, my money was gone."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Gio picked up a couple of chairs, "Come on, let's eat in the kitchen."

Leading the way, Gio carried the chairs from the dining room into the kitchen. A small table, a fridge, a stove, and a low cabinet were crammed into the small space. Gleaming pots and pans hung from hooks on the walls, sparkling in the morning sunlight streaming through the large windows, which overlooked several fragrant hibiscus shrubs.

Gio set the chairs at the table, gallantly pushing them under Betty and Hilda as they sat down. Then he went and stood behind it at the stove, taking an apron off a hook on the wall, slinging it over his neck, and tying it behind his back.

Gio saw Betty staring at him and gestured at his apron-clad body. "Is there something wrong? Aren't you glad I'm covering up?"

Paradoxically, because the apron was now fully covering his shorts, Gio appeared more naked than before, disconcerting Betty.

"Um, I guess so," sputtered Betty, blinking, still reeling from his unexpected news. He wasn't married! Not only was he more handsome than ever, he was single! How was it possible that his wife had left him? It was inconceivable!

Hilda smiled to see the pair exchange awkward glances.

Betty blurted out, "Uh, what should we eat?"

"Anything."

"You'll have to give me a minute to think," said Betty. "I want everything so I'm having trouble deciding."

"Take your time," said Gio, turning to go into the pantry. "I'll get some fruit."

When Gio turned around, Betty's eyes were drawn to his posterior, unable to resist the urge to check that he still had something on, under the apron.

Returning with bananas, mangoes, melons, and a pineapple, Gio pulled out a large knife and checked its razor sharp edge, then gazed at Betty, wondering what she wanted.

"Gio, why don't you come back to New York?" said Betty. "What about your dreams?"

"I have everything I need here," said Gio firmly.

"Except a wife," said Betty.

"Someone will turn up," said Gio, eyeing Betty.

"But you were going to open a huge deli with the longest condiment bar in the city."

"What's wrong with this?" retorted Gio defiantly.

"I want a burger," said Hilda, amused by the sparring between Betty and Gio.

"For breakfast?" said Gio.

"You said anything!" said Hilda.

"No problem," said Gio, reaching around and turning on the grill.

"It's too small," said Betty. "You wanted something more!"

Gio stretched out his arms, pointing around the tiny room, "What makes you think I'm not exactly where I want to be?" Gio asked Hilda, "Do you want fries with that?"

Amused, Hilda chuckled, "No."

"French fries!" said Betty, her eyes gleaming. "That's what I want! I want fries! I haven't had fries in years! Oh, please, please, please, can I have some fries?"

"This early?" said Gio. "No one wants eggs?"

"It's not the morning in Vienna. French fries are what I want!"

"Okay, you got it." Gio clapped his hands and spun around to turn on the fryer.

Feeding Betty was always a delight for Gio, but today she looked so scrawny it made him ecstatic to prepare her breakfast.

"Have you given up on your five year plan?" asked Betty.

"I like it here fine," said Gio. "This little place is fine."

"What happened to your ambitions?"

"I'm happy!" exclaimed Gio, hands on his hips.

"Don't settle for this," pushed Betty. "Don't forget your goals."

"I'm not," said Gio defensively.

"Gio," cried Betty, "is this all you want?"

Eyes flashing, Gio said, "You've haven't seen me in years and yet you think you know what I want?"

"Ha!" said Betty, pleased she had hit a nerve. "Just like you, in London! How come it's alright for you to remind me of my goals but I can't remind you of yours?"

Unwilling to admit she had a point, Gio glared at Betty then stepped out to fetch the ingredients.

The standoff between them was soon forgotten as he prepared the food and the room filled up with appetizing aromas.

They ate the delicious breakfast together in the sunny kitchen, listening to Gio's upbeat Caribbean music, talking, joking, laughing, and reminiscing. After breakfast, Betty and Hilda helped Gio at the sink washing up the dishes.

When the kitchen was tidied up, Gio stripped off his apron and they trooped back to the dining room. Betty dug her wallet out of her purse to pay Gio.

"It's on the house," said Gio cheerfully. "There's no need for you to pay me."

"But Gio," said Betty. "I insist! You're running a business and you need the money. How much would it be?"

"Nothing," said Gio. "Less than twenty dollars. Don't worry about it."

"Do you take euros?" said Betty, riffling through her wallet. "Sorry, I came straight from Austria."

"No, I don't take euros," said Gio. "Please, put your wallet away."

Betty pulled out a credit card. "Do you take this kind?"

"Yes, of course." Taking the card, Gio stepped behind the bar and swiped it through the machine.

"Oh," said Gio, staring at the machine. "That's strange."

"What?" said Betty, walking behind the bar to look over Gio's shoulder. "What does it say?"

"Rejected."

"What!" exclaimed Betty. "That's ridiculous. Give it to me."

Gio handed it back to Betty and she examined it.

"Oh, my mistake," said Betty. "I canceled this one. Usurious interest rates! I'm going to teach them a lesson. Throw it out."

Betty pulled out another card from her wallet and handed it to Gio. "This is the right one."

"You don't have to pay," said Gio, taking the card from Betty and holding it.

"Yes I do. Do it."

Gio swiped the card through the machine. "That's strange."

"What?" said Betty, pushing Gio out of the way and peering at the machine.

"It's rejected too," said Gio, handing it back to Betty.

"But that one should work," said Betty, looking at the card intently. "This is the one I was going to buy my clothes with."

Pulling her phone out of her purse, Betty turned the card over and dialed the help number.

"Hello, my name is Betty Meade and I have a problem with my card."

While Betty talked on the phone, Hilda and Gio walked around the restaurant's dining room and Gio told Hilda the adventure behind each of the broken surf boards that decorated the walls.

"Surfing is incredible," said Gio, enthusiastically demonstrating for Hilda how he'd dig his hands into the waves, leap up on the board, and balance there, his powerful legs bent and arms outstretched. "I forget all my problems and it's just me loving that monster wave. I'm flying. It may be only a few moments, but time stops and it feels like an eternity. When I'm riding a wave, I'm in heaven."

As soon as Betty hung up the phone Hilda and Gio went back to the bar.

Hilda looked at Betty expectantly. "What happened?"

"It turns out that Daniel made a rather large purchase on it this morning!"

"I thought you said this card can't be maxed out," said Hilda.

"Turns out it can be if the purchase is big enough. He made it at a jewelry store in Italy."

"Italy!" said Hilda, flabbergasted. "What's he doing there?"

"Shopping! This store is a place we went to together, on our honeymoon. It's one of the jewelry shops on Pont Vecchio. You know that bridge, Gio?"

"Of course," said Gio. "Been there, didn't do it. Way too expensive. Window-shopped."

Betty held out her arm and showed off the chunky gold chain bracelet. "Daniel bought me this there. I wanted the charm bracelet but he said that was for kids, so he bought me this instead."

"It's nice," said Gio. "Classy."

"I don't think so. I wanted charms and he bought me a chain. Symbolic, don't you think?"

"I think you're over-thinking it," said Hilda. "It's a lovely bracelet. So, you found out he bought jewelry this morning? Expensive jewelry? You know what that means."

"What does it mean?" asked Betty. "Something for the bimbo?"

"No! For you!" said Hilda. "A Kobe special! He's going to give you an expensive ring to make up for the, uh, situation."

Betty cried out in frustration, "The dumbass maxed out my card to buy me a make-up gift? He maxed out my card without telling me?"

"In fairness, he did try to call you," said Hilda. "But you deleted all his messages without listening to them."

"Oh, I forgot about those," said Betty, calming down. "That must be it! He must have bought me that charm bracelet I wanted, and at least a dozen of the charms. The charms are very expensive. Each one is decorated with diamonds and other precious gems. They're meant to be purchased one at a time."

"Look what happened," said Hilda. "You chewed him out on the plane and he paid attention. He figured out he needs to give you the gift you wanted, not the one he wanted to give you."

"Oh," said Betty, tapping her lip with a finger. "And, he remembered! It's sweet he went all the way to Pont Vecchio to get me the charm bracelet I picked out."

"He's trying to get you back" said Hilda, noticing Gio pained expression. "Are you going to forgive him?"

"I don't know yet," said Betty. "I don't know. I need some time to think."

"How about I take you on a tour?" said Gio. "I know all the places tourists don't know about, things that are off the beaten track."

"I can't go out," cried Betty. "I don't want to be seen with you!"

"Me?" said Gio, indignantly. "What's wrong with me?"

"My ex-boyfriend!" exclaimed Betty. "Just think how that would look!"

"Would you stop calling me that!" retorted Gio, red-faced. "I was never your boyfriend. I think I would know if I was."

"Whatever," said Betty, flustered and annoyed. "Unfortunately, that particular fact doesn't matter to anyone!"

"Hey," shouted Gio. "It matters to me!"

"Uh, excuse me," said Hilda. "But I'm feeling a little tired. You two can do whatever you want. I'm going to go back to the Lodge to lie down. Betty, what happened about the scooters?"

"Nothing happened," said Betty. "She put me on hold so I hung up."

"I have a bed," said Gio, pointing behind the bar. "Behind there is my bedroom. You're welcome to use it if you'd like."

Startled, Betty turned and stared where Gio pointed. His bedroom was right there.

Gio glanced from Hilda to Betty.

"No, thank you," said Hilda, noticing the direction of Betty's gaze too. "It was delicious but the hamburger's not sitting well. I want to go to the Lodge. I'll just hop on my scooter and I'll be there in five minutes."

"Well, if that's what you want to do," said Gio, heading towards the kitchen, "at least let me give you a ride. I'll meet you at the front door."

Hilda waited under the green and white awning while Betty watched through the window, and they soon heard the noisy revving of a powerful engine. Emerging from around the hedge on his sleek motorcycle, Gio skidded to a stop in front of Hilda. Thrilled, Hilda hopped on behind him. Flashing a huge smile and a thumbs-up to Betty, she wrapped her arms tightly around Gio's bare muscular chest.

Betty watched through the restaurant's front window as Gio and Hilda, hair flying, roared off down the gravel lane and around the corner, leaving a cloud of dust hanging in the air.

Then, trembling with anticipation, Betty sat at the bar to await Gio's return.