“Wow,” joe laughed at his weary friend. “Twice in one night. This is unusual for you, man. What's the rumpus?”
“Hey, can't a guy catch a break here and there?”
“oh sure, sure. It's just that you're normally...”
Jenkis shook his head with a grin. Joe inched closer with excitement, hoping he understood the gesture.
“You mean...?”
“Yep,” Jenkis filled in with a smile. “We caught him!”
“Well, huzzah! Cheers, my friend! So, what now?”
“um...”
“I mean, you've got him locked up. So, where do things go from here?”
“um...” Jenkis' eyes shifted anywhere but towards Joe.
“Court? Life? The chair? Hey, it's gotta just feel good to have him detained!”
“yeah...” sighed Jenkis. “sure...”
Joe slouched with realization.
“you let him go...”
Jenkis leaned over the table and pressed his palms into his eye-sockets.
"I don't know,” he mumbled in response. “I guess I just had to."
"Really?" came a sweet voice from the thick air of depression that clouded the detective's mind. "No other choice?"
The dark haired waitress appeared at his side, refilling his coffee. Jenkis was startled and somewhat ashamed that he had been thinking out loud. She winked at him and patted his shoulder gently as she turned to leave. She... spoke to him. More than just Do you want eggs with that? or Have a good night! These were real, personal words.
"It's now or never, my friend," stoked joe.
Jenkis shoved away the porcelain mug and turned to stop the waitress. His stomach leapt to his chest, and his heart to his throat. But it was now or never. Good thing he'd read her name tag a thousand times.
"Kimmy!" he called after her. His voice cracked and he shrunk a bit into the booth. But she turned, visibly recovering from a giggle, and made her way back to his table. “I-uh,” he began roughly. “I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was talking to myself out loud.”
She smiled sympathetically. “It's okay. You do it every night.”
This was news to him and it showed on his face. Kimmy laughed at his shock.
“I mean, I always thought it was kind of cute,” she admitted. “Talking to inanimate objects and all. It takes imagination.”
“or just a screw-loose,” he interjected shyly. She laughed again and then began to walk back toward the kitchen. Jenkis stood to his feet and called again after her. “Hey, Kimmy!” She turned again, but stayed by the kitchen door this time, leaning casually against it's frame. A twinkle of orneriness was in her eye.
“I need to get this coffee back there before it's cold.”
“It tastes terrible either way,” he said before giving himself time to wuss out. “Trust me, that's not why I come here.”
“Really?” she fumbled.
“I was wondering if you'd wanna go out sometime,” he offered with a quivering stammer. “Maybe in the morning?”
Kimmy blushed. “I'd like that,” she said with a thoughtful nod.
Suddenly, the moment of bliss was shattered. The rookie rushed in through the front door and scanned the room for his mentor. “Boss,” he shouted without regard to the company or the vibe of the mostly-empty room. “We just got a call in, they need you on the scene stat.”
Jenkis' heartburn welled up as he formed his response with a forced smile. “Stat is a hospital term, wrong field. And what's the situation?”
“Really, in front of everybody like this?”
“Yes.”
There was a moment's hesitation from the rookie before he began. “Some guinea kids trashed the bank wherefrom we just came, frickin' putzes. One of 'em's cold and there's a cop down too. The whole place is a mess.”
Jenkis sighed and looked at Kimmy, who just shrugged and smiled.
“Hey,” she suggested with ease as she sloshed the black brine around inside its pot. “I still need to take care of this coffee.”
Her smile could calm a raging sea.
“I'll see you later then,” he said affectionately. Then turning to his side-kick, “Let's move, all-star. I've got a date to get back in time for.”
Traffic had died down in the streets while he was inside the diner. And upon stepping out onto the damp sidewalk, Jenkis considered the cool mist of the night air. A young girl selling pastries was at the corner and the smell of her artistry lingered along the whole block. Jenkis breathed it in deep.
Fishward City – maybe not such a bad place after all.
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