by Naomi Niles
Danny disappeared into the kitchen to start some of the regulars’ breakfast orders. We had three regulars who showed up every single day without fail. Then there were the weekend regulars and the day regulars who showed up on one specific day of the week. Today was Monday, so we had Garry, Ray, and Murr, who were our everyday regulars, and then we had Monica, who was our Monday regular.
At fifteen past seven, they started coming in one by one. Monica took her usual place at the front booth, while Garry, Ray, and Murr opted for seats at the counter. I knew them all pretty well at this stage. Monica was a sixty-year-old retiree with snow-white fluff for hair and light blue eyes behind massively thick frames. She had one ex-husband, one dead husband, and two children she didn’t seem too fond of.
Garry, Ray, and Murr were all middle-aged men with similar jobs who looked like they shared the same wardrobe. In the beginning, I had continually gotten them mixed up because they all just looked like different versions of the same man. The only real difference between them was that Murr was single, while Garry and Ray had unhappy wives at home.
Within ten minutes, everyone was busy devouring hot breakfasts, and light conversation buzzed through the diner.
“Hi Monica,” I greeted as I walked up to her table. “How are those poached eggs working out for you?”
She gave me a grandmotherly smile. “Fucking good,” she said. “As always.”
“Good to know,” I laughed. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Any new pies Daniel cooked up this morning?”
“Of course,” I nodded. “We have our traditional banana cream pie and we also have a cherry pie today, hot from the oven.”
“Hmm…hard to decide,” Monica said, looking at me with concentration. “What would you recommend?”
“Both?” I suggested.
She smiled. “I’ve always like you,” she said. “Both it is.”
I nodded and stepped behind the counter to cut out two pieces of pie, just as another customer headed into the diner. I recognized the man instantly. His name was Joseph; he was in his late thirties or early forties and had only recently moved to Quebec. He had started to come into the diner in the last couple of weeks and seemed to have a vested interest in me.
I caught Lacey’s eye, and she winked at me suggestively. I ignored that and placed two pieces of pie on two separate plates for Monica.
“That cherry pie smells amazing,” Murr sighed. “Cut me a piece, will you, Brit?”
I put my hand on my hip and gave him a glare. “You’re not supposed to be eating pie,” I reprimanded him. “You’re diabetic.”
“Well, you’ve got to die of something.”
I suppressed my smile. “Do you have your insulin with you?”
“Of course,” he nodded. “Now be a doll and cut me a piece.”
Conceding, I popped another piece of cherry pie on a plate and slid it towards Murr, just as Lacey joined me behind the counter.
“He asked if you could serve him,” she said, giving me a pointed smile.
I sighed. “Did you tell him I was busy?”
“Nope.” Lacey smiled happily.
Groaning in frustration, I headed towards Joseph’s table. He set down his menu the moment he saw me. “Hello,” he said.
“Morning,” I replied. “What can I get you?”
“It’s cold today, isn’t it?” he said, ignoring my question.
I raised my eyebrows politely. “Umm… I suppose. I don’t feel the cold so much anymore.”
“Have you always lived in Canada?”
“Always.”
“And, you like it here?”
“I never really had the option of leaving,” I replied honestly.
“Oh.”
And just like that, he seemed to run out of things to say. It was almost as though he had practised the questions he wanted to ask me on the way over, but he could never think of any on the spot, once he had run out.
I gave him a smile. “What can I get you?” I repeated my first question.
“I… Uh…”
“The spinach and cheese pancakes are pretty good,” I suggested. “And they come with a side of bacon or chicken, your choice.”
“Uh…sure,” Joseph nodded. “That then.”
“Chicken or bacon?” I asked.
“Uh…bacon?”
“Sure thing,” I nodded. “Anything to drink with that?”
“Just water.”
I nodded and headed back to the counter. Lacey gave me a wink as I approached. “You should give him a chance,” she whispered to me. “He could be a freak in bed.”
I rolled my eyes at her without even dignifying that comment with a response. I heard Lacey’s laughter follow me into the kitchen. The day ahead was uneventful and busy. I managed to get a twenty-minute lunch break, but I was on my feet for the rest of the day. It was ten o’clock before I finally got home to my tiny studio apartment. You could see the bed, the couch, and the kitchen from the front door.
I removed my boots and plopped myself down on my creaking sofa. “Oh, shut up,” I said as the springs moaned underneath me. I hitched up my feet and rubbed them down, trying to relieve the aching soreness pulsing through them. When I was done, I got out the piece of pie Danny had packed for me and ate it straight out of the container.
When I was done, I leaned back against the sofa, still tired and still a little hungry. I knew I had some old fruit in the fridge, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted it enough to get up off the sofa. I stared straight ahead at the empty wall where my television used to be. I had sold it last year in order to pay for some community college courses that I’d thought would be a stepping stone to better things.
In the end, I’d been forced to drop out because I couldn’t balance studying with my crazy diner shifts. So now, I had no television. Just my own thoughts to keep me company at night – and that was never a very good thing.
“When is life going to get good?” I sighed. “Actually, fuck that. When is life going to get easy?”
I waited patiently, but no answer came.
Chapter Three
Talen
“Am I late?” Sam asked, skidding to a stop in front of me.
The airport was busy, but I liked that kind of chaotic scramble because no one was really paying attention to everybody else. People were just worried about catching their flights, getting their luggage, and finding their loves ones.
“I thought you might be,” I replied. “So I gave you an earlier flight time.”
“Asshole,” he laughed, punching me in the arm. “Not that I can blame you. I just came off a shift.”
“You didn’t have to come at all,” I reminded him.
Sam rolled his eyes at me. “Of course, I had to come,” he said. “You’re my brother, and you’ve finally landed an MMA contract. This is big, man! I can’t believe how chilled out you look right now.”
I gave Sam a small smile. “You know that I rarely get over excited.”
“That’s an understatement,” he said. “I wish you’d given us more notice, though. We would have thrown you a going away party, or a congratulations party…or something.”
“Which is exactly why I didn’t tell you,” I said. “You know I don’t like shit like that – especially when it revolves around me.”
Sam sighed noisily. “You are a tough person to be happy for, Talen.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“Did you get a chance to talk to Mom?”
I nodded. “We spent a couple of minutes on the phone this morning.”
“And, Pete?” Sam’s tone was slightly cautious, and I knew why.
Peter and I had always had a complicated relationship. It was leaps and bounds better than what it had been a couple of years ago, but it was still a point of contention sometimes.
“I called,” I said slowly. “He didn’t pick up.”
“Maybe you should try again?” Sam suggested. “Want me to dial for you?”
I shot him a glare, but I knew he was right. I should say goodbye to Peter before I left, so I nodded once. “Okay.”
Sam dialled in Peter’s number and handed the phone to me without saying a word. “Hello?” I said, taking the phone from Sam’s hand.
“Hi, Talen,” Peter replied. I didn’t bother asking him how he knew who it was, given that it was Sam’s phone. “You heading out today?”
“I am,” I agreed.
“I never really congratulated you properly.”
“You didn’t really have to.”
“No, I did,” Peter insisted in that big brother voice of his. I wondered if it was just my imagination or if he only used that tone when he spoke to me. “I know you like to downplay your own accomplishments, but this is a big deal, Talen. You should be proud of yourself – I know I am.”
He sounded like Dad for a moment, and I felt the tattoo on my back sting a little. “Umm…thanks.”
I probably should have said more, but I had never been good with that sort of thing. It amazed me how patient Peter could be sometimes. There were moments when I could see what a reclusive shit I was being and I was still powerless to do anything about it.
“I… I guess I’ll talk to you later, then,” Peter said awkwardly.
“Yeah… Okay. Bye.”
“Bye,” he replied. “And, good luck in Quebec.”
I hung up and passed the phone back to Sam. “I have to get going soon,” I warned him.
“You nervous?” Sam asked. “Excited?”
“I’m ready,” I replied simply. I had been waiting for this for what seemed like an eternity. This MMA training facility may not have been extremely well known, but it was good enough for me. I wasn’t the type to be picky. The point was that I had been recruited, and now I was going to be trained. Once I got into that ring, I would prove myself. Because it wasn’t about your past outside the ring, it was all about your performance inside it.
“It’s odd,” Sam said.
“What is?”
“I never actually thought about the MMA,” he said. “But it’s kind of perfect for you, huh? I mean, think about it. You’ve always been a fighter, and this way, you actually get paid for it.”
“We all have stuff we’re good at,” I said.
Sam smiled. “And, you honed your talents on the streets.”
“Much to Peter’s disappointment.”
“He just didn’t want you to end up in jail,” Sam said. He stalled a little as he realized that Peter was the one who put me there in the first place. It had been a pre-emptive decision on Peter’s part, an attempt to remove me from the bad crowd I’d been travelling in at the time. I had come to understand his choice, even though I hadn’t always. “Uh… I mean… You know.”
I smiled. “I know,” I nodded. “Anyway, thanks for coming Sam, but I think I need to head off now. My flight’s going to be taking off soon.”
“Yeah, of course,” he nodded. He came forward and gave me a hug. Sam was the one brother who made me feel more comfortable, and he was the one person I felt I could talk to. He had that completely non-judgemental air that put you at ease immediately.
“Thanks for coming down here to see me off, Sam,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
“Of course, dude,” he nodded. “I wouldn’t miss seeing you off.”
“You know… I think I might actually miss having you pop in every so often,” I admitted.
He laughed. “You’ll definitely miss me, buddy. But don’t worry, I’ll send you pictures.”
I rolled my eyes at him and started walking away.
“I love you, buddy,” Sam yelled out after me, and I quickened my pace.
I could hear him laughing even after I had turned the corner. Shaking my head, I made my way to the terminal just as an announcement went out that stated boarding was about to begin soon. Half an hour later, I took my seat at the back of the aircraft. I was wedged into an uncomfortable economy seat by the toilet, but I had expected as much. Budget airlines were not known for the comfort.
I was staring out the window, when a woman slid into the seat next to me. She was short, perky, blonde, and attractive in a common sort of way. I tried not to make eye contact, but she didn’t seem to get the hint.
“Nice tats,” she said, giving me a bright smile.
“Thanks,” I nodded.
“They look painful.”
“Not for me.”
“Really?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “They didn’t hurt at all?”
“Depends on where they are,” I replied, trying to keep my answers as short as possible.
“Like?”
“The collarbone for example,” I said.
“Wow, I didn’t see that one,” she said, glancing at my neck. “Is that a symbol?”
“Celtic,” I replied.
“What does it mean?”
I hesitated a little, amazed how much she’d managed to say in such short a span of time. “It’s symbolizes strength.”
“I’ve always wanted a tattoo,” she continued. “But the pain is what stops me from getting one.”
“Then you don’t want one bad enough,” I replied.
I meant to be abrupt, but she seemed to find my blunt manner amusing. She gave me a smile and leaned in a little closer. There was no room for me to move away, so I had no choice but to meet her gaze.
“I’m Kelly, by the way,” she said, sticking her hand out towards me.
“Kelly,” I said, shaking her hand.
She smiled. “Do you have a name?”
“Talen,” I replied, unable to avoid the introductions.
“Interesting name.”
I nodded and looked out the window, hoping that would bring an end to the conversation. She was quiet for all of two minutes before she found something else to talk about.
“So why are you heading to Canada?” she asked. “Business or pleasure?”
“I…uh…both,” I said uncertainly. “Either.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re not sure?”
“I’m entering a training program,” I said. “I’ll be in Canada for a few months while I complete training.”
“Wow, what are you training for?”
“The MMA.”
She frowned. “Should I know what that is?”
“Mixed Martial Arts,” I replied. “I’m hoping to compete professionally.”
“No way,” she said, sounding impressed. “Isn’t that quite…violent?”
“It can be,” I shrugged.
“Well, you are a pretty big guy. I suppose it makes sense now that I think about it. Mixed martial arts… Wow.”
The plane took off and still, she wouldn’t stop talking. All I wanted was a few minutes of silence, just a couple of moments so that I could hear myself think. Between the incessant talking and the roar of the plane’s engine, I felt a headache start to come on. So, I did the one thing I could think of that would make her shut up.
She was asking me something about where the training compound was when I interrupted her. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I’ve always wanted to join the mile high club,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows as though she hadn’t heard me correctly. “What?”
“Let’s fuck in the toilet,” I said bluntly.
My reasoning was simple. Either she would be appalled and insulted and insist that her seat be changed so that she could get away from me, or she would agree to sneak into the bathroom for a quick fuck. Either way, she wouldn’t be able to talk – and that was my main goal.
Her dark eyes widened a little as though she couldn’t quite believe the proposition I had just made. But I could see the desire in her eyes. She was considering it.
“I barely know you,” she said, at last.
I realized she was being coy. She didn’t want to say yes too soon for fear I would brand her as cheap, loose, or slutty. But she wanted a story to tell, too. She wanted to go home to h
er friends and tell them about the tattooed MMA fighter she had fucked on a plane to Canada.
“You don’t have to know someone to fuck them.”
One corner of her mouth went up and then she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Should I go in first or should you?”
“You go ahead,” I said. “I’ll be in there soon.”
I made her wait almost ten minutes. The silence was beautiful, and I almost considered sitting where I was and seeing how long it took her to give up and come back out. But in the end, I couldn’t do that to her. I got out of my seat and slipped into the bathroom she had gone into. There was no room to breathe. The space was tiny and our bodies were pressed up close already. She looked at me in anticipation, and I knew she wanted me to take the lead. I didn’t bother with foreplay, and I didn’t bother to kiss her. I just pulled up her dress, pulled down her panties and shoved myself inside her.
She gasped as her arms gripped my neck. She was wet and ready for me. I held her over the commode and fucked her against the back wall of the tiny bathroom. We were lucky that the plane’s engine was so loud and there was a decent bit of turbulence because it turned out Kelly was a screamer. I had to clamp my hand down over her mouth as I fucked her because she kept letting out prolonged moans of pleasure.
When we were finished, I zipped myself up and told her to wait ten minutes before she came out again. By the time she made it back to her seat, I was pretending to be asleep. I spent the rest of the flight enjoying the relative peace and quiet. She tried to make conversation when the plane landed, but in the bustle of disembarking, I managed to avoid her.
I lost her amongst the crowd by crossing aisles on the plane, and by the time I stepped out of the aircraft, I had completely lost sight of her. I walked out into the massive airport to find a man holding a sign with my name on it.
I couldn’t help but smile. I knew it was premature, but I finally felt as though I had made it.
Chapter Four
Brittany
“Hi,” I said dully as I stepped into the diner and walked over to the counter.