Mike's Diner

[P. Rutland]

Entering the diner I get a sense that something went down here a couple months ago.  Like there was a quarrel of sorts that happened way back in March.  However I can't be fucked to figure out why I am feeling like such a thing happened now.  Right now I am quite pissed off myself to care about stupid feelings of shit that happened with no evidence to back it up.  Walking to the back of the diner I take a seat in the corner booth and look through the menu when the waitress hands me one.  

'Can I start you off with something to drink?'

'Coffee'

'How would you like it?'

'Surprise me'

Watching the waitress leave I am deeply regretting the flowery patterned black sundress I opted to wear on my day off tonight.  Was going to see a movie with some guy who asked me out on a date.  However he was a no show and I didn't figure it out until after the last showtime started playing.  Should have worn a dress with longer skirt or jeans with a long sleeved t-shirt cause the denim jacket did little to keep me warm. Though be left waiting in the cold was the least of my annoyances.  He kept me waiting there for six hours feeling like a fool.

Fucking bastard hasn't even called me to apologize or explain why he fucked off yet either.  He has until tomorrow afternoon to do so before I block his number from my phone.  Better have a good excuse too cause I know he was not arrested or in an accident.  Had to call up one of my bosses and have him check for me to get that info.  That was also slightly embarrassing to have to go through.  

Cold, embarrassed, and annoyed at it all is how my night is going.  So fuck it I'm going to eat like a pig cause I'm hungry, tip the waitress well cause they don't deserve my antics, and probably cry while I'm at it cause I don't think I deserved being stood up either.  Seeing the waitress return with my coffee I try my best to smile even though I would rather not right now.

'Can I get 2 pancakes with blueberry toppings and whipped cream on top.  A side of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, and hash browns as well.  Let me keep the menu, I might order some more later.'

Seeing and hearing the okay from the waitress as she leaves to place the order in I go back to sulking and trying to get warm again.

[Z. Russo]

*I'm the Duty captain tonight so I'm stuck at the station all night in case anything major comes in. Tonight has been dead and after getting a call from Paige that she had been stood up and asking me to run her dates info after running it and not getting any hits back I have to break the news to her somehow. Feeling a bit peckish I jump into 400 and drive up to the diner. I park on the street and walk into the Diner and am not shocked to see Paige dressed nice looking like she's about to cry.in the corner booth. I seat myself across from her.*

'So I got some good news and I got some bad news.'

*She looks up at me.*

'Bad news is from my records he had no contact with any cops in the county. So you may have gotten stood up. Or you know? Maybe he just straight up died and nobody found the body yet. Maybe he had an undiagnosed cardiac condition and just dropped and were going to find him when the neighbor calls for a funny smell in a week or two.'

*I take the menu but already know what I'm going to order.*

'Good news is your not eating alone tonight.'

*The waitress comes from around the bar.*

'Bacon cheeseburger deluxe, Medium rare with fried onions and a Dr. Pepper.'

[P. Rutland]

'So I got some good news and I got some bad news.'

Hearing those words being directed towards me I look up.   A bit surprised to see the Captain sitting across from me giving me info that he had already told me.  Guess he did a little more searching around after we hung up on the phone.  His comments about him being dead and not found yet does not really amuse me though.  However it sort of helps.  Not really.

'Good news is your not eating alone tonight.'

Well that almost puts a smile on my face as I take a sip of my coffee.

'Thanks'

I softly respond to his kind gesture of eating with me as I set my coffee mug down.

[Z. Russo]

'Kinda needed an excuse to get out of the station, Being the Duty captain kind of sucks. Once you hit 30 night shifts are miserable.'

*The waitress places my drink in front of me.*

'So where were you guys going to go?'

[P. Rutland]

'The movies and then maybe a late dinner'

Taking another sip of my coffee.  It's really good.  The waitress surprised me well.

'Was suppose to meet up at 6.'

[Z. Russo]

'And you waited 6 hours?'

*Before I give her a chance to answer*

'Why?'

[P. Rutland]

Taking another sip.

'Yes! And that's one question I've been trying to answer myself'

Setting the mug down I brush some disheveled hair back behind my ear and sigh.

'He was cute, he made me laugh, he was nice when I met him.  That's why I agreed to the date but I'm not sure why I felt he was worth 6 hours of waiting.'

[Z. Russo]

'Yes! And that's one question I've been trying to answer myself'

'He was cute, he made me laugh, he was nice when I met him.  That's why I agreed to the date but I'm not sure why I felt he was worth 6 hours of waiting.'

'Well... Your probably going to have to figure out on your own but you have to remember your own self worth.'

Saying in the same tone I used when Ashley got stood up in high school

[P. Rutland]

'Yeah, I know'

Spoken with a slight sigh as the waitress brings my order out and sets it on the table.  It looks like a lot, did I really order this much?  Guess I did.  Grabbing a piece of bacon off the plate I stare at it as I fiddle with it briefly before popping it my mouth.

'Will admit it took a hit tonight but I do know my self worth.'

[Z. Russo]

'Will admit it took a hit tonight but I do know my self worth.'

*The waitress puts our food on the table. I take a bite out of my burger*

'Happens to the best of us, I hope you blocked his ass'

*I take another bite*

'Please tell me it wasn't a deputy or another first responder.'

[P. Rutland]

'I think he was a barista and I'm going to.'

Moving onto my blueberry and whipped cream topped pancakes I take a bite or two.

'Sorta want to see if he even does call to hear what excuse he might give first.  He has until tomorrow afternoon.'

[Z. Russo]

'A barista? I mean its better than dating a cop but still, He sounds like a fuckin loser making minimum wage.'

*We take a few bites of our food.*

'Sorta want to see if he even does call to hear what excuse he might give first.  He has until tomorrow afternoon.'

'Your being far more generous than I would be'

[P. Rutland]

'Perhaps, yeah.'

Taking a few more bites of my food I try to gather my thoughts.

'Just thinking that maybe I want to hear his excuse for laughs and go off on him.  I don't know.'

With a sigh I take another bite.

'Besides, I wouldn't make the same mistake Pepper did and date a first responder.  She really broke down after the bombings.  Don't think she's quite over Garrett yet either.  Seeing that... yeah, I just would not want that for me.'

[Z. Russo]

'Besides, I wouldn't make the same mistake Pepper did and date a first responder.  She really broke down after the bombings.  Don't think she's quite over Garrett yet either.  Seeing that... yeah, I just would not want that for me.'

'Line of duty deaths are rare. The main reason first responder relationships don't work is this job fucks you up. And when your first starting out the hours are awful. In fact my marriage with steph was really rocky when I was on midnights'

[P. Rutland]

'Well, what you are saying is true.  Rare, yes.  Even rarer was the situation.  Still, it doesn't change Pepper was really broken because of it and that's all I need to know to not want to get in a relationship with a fellow responder.'

[Z. Russo]

'If thats what you need to stay away from a first responder relationship then so be it. I'm lucky my wife is in education. After she graduated college and I got promoted to sergeant it got easier since I was on days. I really don't think things would have worked if we were both going through it.'

[P. Rutland]

'Well it is all I need for a reason but I will take your words of experience as other reasons to take into account'

I respond before eating a sausage link.

[K. Petrovic]

*I'd pull a chair out for Diaz and watch for her to sit down as I admired her in her beautiful black sequin dress, and push the chair in for a bit till she had told me to stop, I'd push the other chair out and sit down, and push myself in* 

'So, tell me about yourself, Amber'

[A. Diaz]

'So I love to read, mostly dystopian stories, and I work as a police officer, I also like to watch movies when I get the chance..'

*She'd go on about what else she liked to do, what type of movies she likes, and what she could think about*

[K. Petrovic]

*I'd listen to her while I admired her beauty, while thinking to himself.*

This bitch is perfect for a 'victim', just gotta be careful with how I act near friends unlike last time nearly getting me into trouble. 

[K. Petrovic]

*I'd sit down in the chair, which I had pulled out for myself. I didn't care to pull it out for Amber, as it had been just a month of us dating, I had already gotten bored of dating her, but I wanted to wait it out till I felt like breaking up*

[A. Diaz]

*I'd sit down in the chair across Kyle, a little upset about him not pulling the chair out for me, hiding the disappointment. I'd hear my phone's notification sound go off, I'd unlock my phone to see what it was*

[K. Petrovic]

*I looked up, noticing Amber on her phone, getting upset over it, hitting the table with my fist, clearly getting upset over nothing, thinking she's talking to other men*

'What the fuck Amber? Are you seriously talking to other men on a date?'

Edited August 3, 2023 by Ghostfire