Fresh Meat

Faced with no competition on seats the four would decide on a booth. Bo would approach their table, setting down menus and cups of water likely filled from the faucet. Jon nervously gathered his menu, clearing his throat as Pa-kun and Nikki offered each other a confused look. Nathan sighed and laid down the menu, already knowing what he wanted.

"Lovely day, huh Bo..?" Jon tried to make small talk.

The behemoth of a man stared down at the younger man with his dark eyes. "You are strange youth." He bade in a thick accent. "Make choice. I will come back." He gave a pause. "Thank you." He added, quite unused to the modern delicacies as a server before returning to the kitchen.

"I think he saw me." Jon retorted once the man was gone.

Nathan was taken aback by the comical reprieve before looking to Pa-kun. "How's the play coming?"

He'd ask as he took a sip of the tepid water. Not even ice could save the beverage from the sinking sprinkle of heavy metals on the tongue as the local water table was more full of minerals than a mouthful of dirt.The young theater enthusiast shook their hands, his menu dropping before it slid across the table's surface. Nikki, who was still looking hers over, placed her hand down to stop the sliding, laminated sheet.

"Great! We actually have period specific designs this year for all the costumes! When they tore down City Hall they had found a lower level and an archive containing some of the town's historical documents thought lost!" He was quite the history buff so it was a given that such news excited him to no end.

Nikki looked up, scrunching her brows, which caused one of the piercings on it to shift and glint against the humming, fluorescent lights above.

"You mean the ones they thought got lost in that big fire when we were younger?" She'd question.

Jon looked up, having been chugging down the cup of water. "Fire?" He sputtered a bit, using the back of his arm to wipe any wayward spillage. "There was a fire?" He wasn't aware of that.

Nathan pushed his cup of drink away from his person. "You hadn't moved in yet, it was just a month before. By then the repairs were underway and they added that stupid hedge maze." He never liked it.

Nikki nodded. “And those creepy gargoyle. They were trying to do something or another?” She vaguely recalled.

Pa-kun winced at the memory. “It was Miss Morrison.” He affirmed. “She had been given special permission to bring the arts to the town using the year’s budget they set aside for it, but wasted it on turning the City Hall into that monstrosity.” He sighed. “Now we don’t get funding for arts projects anymore, they all go to the sports teams. If we had a bit more this year we could have repaired the stage.” He lamented, Nikki patting his back as she recalled the hazard.

“That big hole still there from the time I tried to perform that stunt with the cheer squad?” He nodded to her question. “That’s rough buddy... the team should have repaired it since it was our fault.” Pa-kun shook his head.

“It’s okay, it wasn’t like they would have let you. Mister Stone is real cheap.” Jon fanned himself with the menu, the heat getting to him as the kitchen really started to rev up, Bo at the grills and oven.

“The college administrator, right?” He tried confirming, only for the others to nod.

“Bo!” The sound of Misha’s voice ringing from the back room echoed out all the way to the front of the shop. “Where are you!?” Her accent was thicker than that of her son’s, but it was warm, motherly as one expected from the woman who always welcomed customers to sit and eat as if they were family. Bo looked up from his work over the borscht pot.

“In the kitchen, mama!” The patter of the woman’s heels clicking against the brick floor was quite audible.

She was not an overweight individual, but she was quite hearty in her size and shape. She quickly appeared in the kitchen, turning her head toward the dining hall. “Oh!” She sang. “It is the young children, welcome! Welcome!” She sang, looking around and greeting others aside from Jon and company.

“Bo we just got a delivery, go get will you? I will stir the borscht.” She bade her adult child.

“Yes mama.” He would turn to leave for the back of the building, as requested of him.

Jon sunk a bit in his seat, pulling the menu up to his face. “I wonder whatever happened to Mister Misha.”

Nathan slowly turned to face Jon, an incredulous stare, or what could be assumed one with his face partially covered by his bangs and bandana. Nathan would raise his hand, stammering a bit, but he ultimately felt it was not worth putting Jon’s morbid curiosity back on track.

“You can ask her yourself.” He looked back ahead, hands crossing on the table. Jon slowly lowered the menu from his face, Misha standing over him with a writing pad in hand, ready to take orders. She would laugh boisterously.

“Sorry to say, boy, I'm not in market for a new husband, but when I am, you will be considered. How can I serve you children?” Pa-kun mumbled something about being an adult but looked to his menu.

“A chicken sandwich and fries. No tomatoes, ketchup, onions or anything. Just plain.” He requested. Nikki took his menu, which was still next to her, and placed it on top of hers.

“A cookies and creme shake, loaded fries, a shredded chicken burrito and a small salad.” She ordered, only for Misha to laugh:

“Ho! Hungry girl, I like. And you?” She looked to Nathan who handed Nikki his menu. He raised his hand.

“Just some loaded fries.” He passed.

Jon felt a little sweaty under Misha’s gaze. “Um,” He muttered. “A double cheeseburger --”

“No” Misha asserted.

“N-no?” Jon muttered.

“No,” Misha repeated. “Bo is bringing in meat, not ready. Takes a day to prepare. We give you best meat, no leftover garbage ha?” She reached down to pinch his cheek.

“O-okay. Then a chicken sandwich and some borscht?” He nervously asked.

“Good boy. I bring out soon as ready, yes?” She would depart to the kitchen.

As Misha prepared their orders the quiet hum of chatter duly filled the dining hall. There were a few people about for lunch, with many more slowly pouring in to order from the counter. They had picked a good time to arrive as with Misha and Bo being the only ones working in the kitchen: it sometimes took a while to get big orders out. As Jon and company talked the door opened with the chime of the bell which hung over its frame. It was an alert to the cook of more mouths to feed. Jon looked up with a habit come by with one who worked in retail was driven to feed. Jon worked as a clerk in a clothing shop so the bell rang rather infrequently. It was a call to action. But he hadn’t expected him to walk through the door. From under the table he would reach his foot to tap at Nikki’s, the young woman looking up at him, only to catch the look of surprise on his features before she looked back to the door. Nikki, less subtly, reached her hand up to tap at Nathan’s head, the man looking down at his music player. He reached up to bat her hand away before he too spotted him.