Idiosyncrasies (Closed)

[Lupo55]

There are triggers for all of us. Little quirks that when agitated, bloom into an expression and then fade away. Might come out as a smile or a peaceful pause, might be frustrating or unsettling, but either way the wind blows and it usually passes to naught. Sometimes though, there is a chain reaction. One trigger sets off another, gets a reaction and then the moment becomes something that lasts, at least to make a story or a memory. And then there are other times when something or someone finds that one little latch, hidden away that changes everything.

Jeremiah wiped the side of his mouth and chin with the folded paper napkin. He rocked the cup gently on the saucer, eying the last sip of coffee gathered and making an orbit of the bottom of the cup. It was getting late, the autumn air was cool and with all the rain recently it'd surely cut to the bone. The coffee was still warm in the cup. He wanted her to come fill it rather than taking that last sip. Rather walk away form a half full cup, still steaming, the hot satisfying draught painted down your throat. It's about getting the last sip being the last one you want rather than the last one there is. He smiled and looked up to see if she was coming to answer the rattling saucer.

Someone came in, held the door for an extra second. Might as well as had leaves trailing in at their feet. That chill was out tonight.

His cup was still idling on the saucer. He watched the waitress and wondered how they do it. He would pull on his jacket and between that, the boots and his blue jeans the cold didn't much matter. But this girl would be out there at the end of her shift, waiting for the bus in that skirt with nylons to fend off the cold.

Make no mistake, Jeremiah certainly appreciated all those details peculiar to the fairer sex. Just in this moment it all seemed rather alien. Comfort and ease always seemed to trump style or impressions for him.

 

[Angeleyz]

Jenna Jones, or JJ as her friends called her, strolled down the street, lost in bittersweet memories. It had been more than five years since she had been here last. Five years, and yet it looked like nothing had changed. Well, except that Nana, her anchor during her tumultuous childhood and teenage years, was buried in the town cemetery. Nana had been the reason she had come here every summer from the time she was four until five years ago when she went off to college, and it was because of Nana that she was back.

Hands shoved deep within her thin jacket, shoulders forward to brace against the cold, JJ wished for what was probably the tenth time that she had remembered to pack a heavier jacket. Of course, since she had usually been gone by this time, she hadn't realized that her jacket which was oh so serviceable in Virginia would be so lacking here. After her visit to the cemetery to pay her respects at Nana's gravesite, JJ was thankful she at least had on her sweater and hiking boots even if her well worn jeans that so lovingly molded to her bottom might be a little too worn.

Spotting the diner up ahead, JJ quickened her pace, determined to pop in if only to get something warm to drink. Flinging open the door, she walked in, the heat a welcome contrast to the outside air. Pulling off her baseball hat, her long black hair spilling down like a dark waterfall, she looked around and spotted some semi-familiar faces and some not so.

"Jenna Jones, as I live and breathe... Is that really you? Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," called out one of the waitresses as she bustled towards the kitchen, "Grab a seat anywhere and don't you go away."

Grinning, JJ snagged one of the chairs at the counter, unsurprised that Miss Mary, as the kids had always called her, had recognized her. She had to be pushing 70 but it looked like she was still going strong. Peeling off her jacket, she threw it on the back of the seat next to her, and watched the other patrons through the mirror behind the counter. Her lips twitched as she watched a couple look at her and then whisper, no doubtedly trying to place her. She observed the other waitress as she stood chatting with a table of young men, as Miss Mary made two trips back and forth to the kitchen. There was one gentleman over in the corner who kept looking at the other waitress with an expectant expression on his face.

Long hours of bussing and waiting tables here had JJ jumping to her feet, and grabbing both of the coffee pots from the work counter, she sauntered over to the gentleman. Holding the pots before her, she flashed him an impish grin and said, "You look like you need a refresher, but I'm not sure what your poison is..."

 

[Lupo55]

"leaded. black. please."
His hand withdrew a few inches from the cup palm down. As he cocked his head up to meet her question. The streaming coffee splashed into his cup, he caught her smile. "You just came in. Are you taking over for Mary tonight?"

The cup was full. A bit of steam moved over the black water.
"Thanks for the warmup"

Jeremiah Blake started frequenting Mary's Diner after work a few months back. He'd popped in one evening and found the food to be a little more like home than like the greasy spoon he'd expected. The folks that worked there were friendly enough. All the girls, especially the older woman that ran the place, always had a warm smile and were handy with a steaming cup. A few other regulars had started to recognize his face as well. Still he kept pretty much to himself having dinner with his newspaper in one of the tables in the back.

As a technician for an alarm company there wasn't a regular route home. Always a different client site somewhere around town. So when he noticed that Mary's had become a regular stop, it was kind of like noticing a friendship unfolding. He'd find himself wondering what the special was, or if she'd have one of those peach or berry pies in the counter if he made it by that night as he pulled cable hand over hand counting the yards, feeling for tension on the line.

Jeremiah moved his hand back to take the cup. Hooked his thumb in the handle and let his finger tips touch the wall of the cup. The cup was warming to the scalding temperature of the coffee. He let his fingertips idle at the slightest burn.

"Is it getting cold out there yet?"

 

[Angeleyz]

leaded. black. please. ​

JJ tried and failed to place the deep voice, so she figured he wasn't someone who she had served in the past. She was pleasantly surprised to see that she hadn't lost her touch in the coffee refill department since it had been over five years. Her eyes twinkled as she remembered the number of times Ms Mary had to fuss at her for spilling - thankfully never on a patron though.

You just came in. Are you taking over for Mary tonight?​

"Nope, first time back in a bit and some habits are hard to break," she replied, her warm laugh inviting him to join in. "Glad to pitch in..."

Is it getting cold out there yet? ​

Wrinkling her nose ever so slightly, JJ said, "I would say so, but I've been down south for so long I've forgotten what real cold feels like." Turning to head back towards the counter to replace the coffee pots, she smiled over her shoulder and said, "Just make sure to finish up your coffee while it's still hot and it should keep you warm enough." She was just returning the coffee pots when the other waitress looked at her, giving her the stink eye for daring to help. Snagging a glass of water, she retreated back to her spot at the counter, not wanting to ruffle the other woman's feathers any more than she had.