Sunset Beach Condos

It had been several weeks since Lia had accidentally set the old apartment building on fire. While it had been a complete and total accident, it did result in Lia, Sadie, and Rowdy having to flee from the apartments rather quickly. Sadie had been discussing a bar a bit further South that she wanted to buy, and at the time, it had seemed the most logical way to go. Once again, the website had looked great. And once more, it had been a lie.

It was an illusion of an upgrade, until one actually broke down the building to what lied inside. Terrified, and almost ready to give up, she simply asked Rowdy if she could officially live with him, instead of just crashing in his apartment all the time, which he graciously had said ‘Yes.’ Now they shared the incredibly small space, and quite often to their delight, Sadie was there too.

After a few days of cleaning,…well Rowdy cleaning while Lia pretended she was helping, it was time for a job. As she had never fully learned the waitressing thing, she had the bright idea to try that once again as she discovered the 59 Diner, in the smaller building next to the condo. One could tell that this used to definitely hold more businesses, but these days, the diner was barely hanging on by a thread. Yet, hanging on it was, and Lia managed to charm her way into the job.

It was proving just as disastrous as her first attempt, as she was currently standing infront of the counter where the broken coffee pot was in pieces while the dark, beany liquid spread quickly over the counter and was headed fast to the floor. She had a towel in both hands trying to catch the glass and liquid before it spilled everywhere, and mostly managed to direct the glass into the open garbage can she had sitting much too close to the counter.

Once she had it cleaned, or as cleaned as she knew how, meaning there was definitely still beans on the food counter, she tried to make another pot with the second coffee pot, and stood waiting with baited breath for either the coffee to break, or the door to signal there was a customer.

He has been working in his shop all day. Today was spent sanding down the chunk of wood that was to become a new board. As he worked his stomach growled loudly. He checked the time and decided it was definitely time for lunch. He shook out his shoulder length light brown hair in an attempt to get the thick dusting of sanded down wood out of his hair. After shaking out his hair the best he could he pulled the locks into a messy ponytail. He then patted his pants to get the dust off. When his stomach growled again he stepped into some boat shoes and pulled on a white v-necked t-shirt. He locked up his shop, slipped on his sunglasses, and headed to the 59 Diner for some lunch.

On his walk he brushed the dust from his short beard for the first block or two before he started whistling. Victor, over all, was a happy guy. He was just in a slump. It's a harsh reality to think you found your forever only to lose it to fate. But his past was the past and he was looking to the future.

He pushed open the door to the 59 Diner and stepped in as he pulled his sunglasses off. He looked around for the usual server but didn't see anyone he knew. "Hello?" he said curiously in his thick Australian accent. "Hey," he said politely as he took a seat at the counter. "May I get a fizzy from ya, please?"

Lia had been improperly, but very carefully refilling the sugar and salt dishes, as the second coffee pot had not yet exploded. And it even smelt pretty good. She hummed lightly to herself along with the quiet radio that played throughout the place as she did so, when she heard the door open. She set the containers down as she turned herself around to face the new customer.

When she saw him, she couldn’t help but be just a touch captivated. He looked quite literally like he had stepped off a movie set, golden and tan like the sun had come down to lightly kiss his skin. He was also huge, with what looked like muscles for days, and the sound of Australia flowed from his mouth. The entire combination of him made her cheeks blush lightly as she looked at him causing her to utterly missed the first words out of his mouth.

When they ran through her mind again, she blinked those light brown eyes, and lightly shook her head as she tried to understand. “I’m sorry, but….what is a ‘fizzy’?

He set his sunglasses down on the counter in front of him and clasped his hands, interlocking his fingers together, as he bent his elbows and used his forearms as leverage to get comfortable on the high seat. When she didn’t understand his order, he chuckled softly and lowered his eyes for a brief moment. When he looked up at her he had a friendly smile on his face that touched his grey-blue eyes, “Ah, sorry ‘bout that. I let me Aussie slip.” He was a laid-back, easy-going guy that was slow to anger but fast for fun. “Ya got a Coca Cola back there? Big glass, half ice, ya? And a straw. Ya gotta have a good straw.” He didn’t know how he could get much clearer with his order, and he watched her for a minute to make sure she understood him.

As he watched her, he had a sneaking suspicion he knew her. Well, not knew her as like a friend or anything. but knew her face. Something about the eyes. He had seen those eyes before. He just wasn’t sure where.

When she returned with his drink, he tore the paper wrapping off the straw and plunked it into the drink. He took a long pull of the Coke, the bubbles of the carbonation mixed with the cold rush were seer heaven. He swallowed and pushed the glass aside as he clasped his large hands together again and looked at the new server. “What’s today’s special? I’m a bit torn between a sandwich and a full meal. If the special sparks an interest it will be easier to decide.”

Lia was grateful for the explanation of what he wanted, and breathed a sigh of relief when she grasped the concept. She smiled brightly at him. “Of course. Thank you for explaining.” She meant this genuinely, then turned, and since this was an order she could not possibly fuck up, she had it in her hands in just a few moments.

Carefully, she set it on the counter, proud of herself that it wasn’t currently dripping down into this man’s lap. His food though, may yet still be another matter. She pulled out the little pad from her apron, and grabbed her pen as she heard his question. Her eyes looked up into his as she smiled softly. “We have a rather lovely lunchtime BLT, with a side of fries and gravy. Or if you have a bigger appetite, I heard rumour of a chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, with a side of mixed green, and a slice of garlic bread.” Her voice was warm, and soft as she spoke.

There was, of course, the regular menu as well, which was in a little pile just beside him, and easily accessible. When she was finished, Lia would then stand and wait to take his order, or answer any other question he may have.

Victor listened to the specials for the day and considered. He wasn't in the mood for a BLT and the chicken fried steak sounded way too heavy. He lifted one of his hands to his chin and scratched his short beard as he thought. It took him a minute or two before he came to the conclusion of what he wanted for lunch. He looked at the new server, "May I get a jaffle?" As the words left his mouth he realized that if she didn't know what a fizzy was she probably wouldn't understand jaffle either. He thought for a moment and then corrected himself. "I mean a grilled cheese sanger." He offered her a slightly embarrassed smile but then realized he needed to tell her the side he wanted with the sandwich. "With a side salad, please. Hold the dressing. I'll take it rabbit like." That completed his order and Vic sat patiently while the server went to put in the order.

When she came back he was ready to chat with her. Victor was a very friendly guy and would talk to just about anyone. But the more he looked at this new girl the more he was sure he knew her face from somewhere. He hoped that by chatting it would click and where he knew her from would come into focus. His grey-blue eyes rested on the server, "I might be in a bit of danger of stating the obvious but, you're new here, aye? I mean, I've not seen ya before so, just figuring you're new."


If she were close enough he would stand so he could lean over the countertop as he offered her a handshake. "Name's Vic. Victor, but Vic works right well. I own the surf shop a ways down right off the sand." If she accepted his hand shake the first thing she would feel was how warm his skin was. His hands, calloused and rough from the wood working but still pleasant when mixed with the warmth. His handshake was firm without being aggressive. When he pulled his hand back from the offered handshake, he sat himself back down and studied the server still trying to place her.

Lia waited patiently as Vic went through the offered choices, but eventually he wound up with something else. Once more though, the order only left Lia blinking at him as she tried to figure out what in the world a ‘jaffle’ was. Before she could open her mouth to ask, however, he was already correcting himself.

There was still a word in his order she did not understand, but she did understand the words ‘grilled cheese.’ And salad, but with no dressing. “Coming right up!” Now, it was important to note that although the sanger should have been fairly obvious, to Lia, it certainly wasn’t. Instead, what she wrote, because she didn’t know the word and didn’t really think to ask for even further clarification, she wrote the words ‘grilled cheese wrap,’….but at least she got the salad entered properly.

She came back to the counter once the ticket was in, and started doing small tasks, but she still gave him her focus. When he asked if she was new, she gave him that award-winning smile and nodded. “Is it that obvious?” She asked him playfully, but dusted off her hands as she saw that he was reaching for hers. A handshake was something she knew well, as it was the first rule of business where she grew up. Hers was solid, and something she had clearly done before.

She smiled at him as she grasped his hand, but she did notice that wave of warmth that rolled off of him. It was familiar to her, but in ways she wasn’t sure she understood. Her roommate was warm like that too, and she was almost over thinking he was just running an exceptional fever, but now she worried that people were just running around that hot and not realizing it. But because it was none of her business, Lia only smiled. “I’m Lia, and yes, I am new. I only just started.” Her eyebrows raised in curiosity when he said he owned the surf shop, and those eyes brightened in her thoughts of it. “Really? I can’t say I’ve ever been surfing. It seems….dangerous.”

A slight blush and a low friendly chuckle escaped him when she asked if her being new was obvious. "Not obvious in the sense that you don't act the part of a local. More like, you're a new face for these parts. A breath of fresh air." He hadn't yet figured out the server was an a-list movie star. He knew her face was familiar. And he knew he knew it from a TV show or movie, but he didn't actually think this was the same woman. She probably just looked a lot like the actress. Doppelgangers popped up all the time. And Vic knew better than to point out the likeness; it was probably something she heard all the time.

But when she gave her name 'Lia' the wheels in his head started turning. The actress's name was Amelia. Lia was a derivative of Amelia. He watched the woman a little closer as his curiosity peeked. He grabbed his Coke and took a long pull on the straw, giving himself a moment to compose himself. Could she really be? Nah. No way.

Then surfing was brought up. "Well, yeah it's dangerous. Just like any sport." He put his drink down on the counter. He placed his forearms on the counter and repositioned himself. When he talked his hands were animated and helped him describe his thoughts. "Believe me, you can crack your head just as easy in football as surfing. But, like anything, if ya know what you're doin' you can take precautions."

Lia seemed nice. She was new to the area. She might need a friend. He had always thought of himself as a good friend. "If you ever get curious about surfing, come by the shop. I'll introduce you to a few boards. See if one talks to ya."

But he was curious about her, too. He didn't want to seem too nosy. "So, what brought ya here? It's not the best area of Florida."

A beautiful smile touched Lia’s lips when he told her she was a breath of fresh air. A light blush touched her cheeks at that. “Then I will take it as a compliment.” Although Lia couldn’t help but notice how Vic was watching her, like he was trying to figure it out. She kept herself calm, because she had known for weeks that someone might figure it out.

Luckily, he went back to the subject of surfing, and although Lia did small tasks behind the counter while she talked to him, her attention was focused on him in that moment. She supposed she could understand how surfing could be dangerous, and needed precautions. It was a similar theory as when, on set, she would be strapped to cables and thrown around set for a scene without anyway to save herself if something went wrong. “I can imagine one would not want to go into surfing blind, so precautions would definitely be necessary.” She chuckled softly as she thought about it.

At his offer to come check out the shop, she grinned brightly. “I’d like that, but I’ve never done it, so I may be terrible at it.” She warned playfully, but the smile dimmed just a touch when he asked what brought her here, and that near-nervousness came back. “Oh. Uh. Well, short version, I was working out here but it got….really bad, so I decided it was time to move on. So far, it’s the better choice.” She smiled even though she wasn’t sure yet if the words were true. “But as for the area, it was more spontaneous than intended, because…I was apparently the only person who didn’t know foil doesn’t belong in the microwave.” She looked so innocent, and so adorable when she said this that without realizing it, it may give away more than she realized, because no one except the extreme pampered wouldn’t know that. This entire journey was really hard for Lia, but she was doing her best, and in that spirit, turned that smile back towards him. “What about you? Have you been here for a long time?”

A kind smile stayed on his face as she predicted she might be terrible at surfing. “Ahhh, everyone’s bad at things when they first start. If ya could just pick up a bat and hit a homerun, there would be no need for baseball playas.” Vic was the perpetual cheerleader and didn’t want anyone to think that they couldn’t do something just because they hadn’t tried it.

Then Lia started explaining about how she arrived in Sunset Beach. Her explanation was choppy at best. Purposefully nondescript? Something got really bad, so she moved on…but not to here, he guessed. No, it seemed like she moved somewhere else first and then landed here by chance. He was trying to read between the lines she so thoroughly seemed to have redacted of any real information. Her lack of information made his intuitive senses tingle and now he was starting to wonder if Lia could actually be Amelia Grace. Victor burst out in laughter. It wasn’t something he could help. The foil comment was just so unexpected and yet he could totally see it. He wasn’t laughing at her, just at the situation, but he felt he needed to clarify that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh like that,” he said, still chuckling as he couldn’t help it. “I hope you learned a valuable lesson about metal and microwaves.”

She put him on the spot then and, though the chuckles ebbed his smile remained. “Uhhh…hmmm. Haven’t really thought about that in a while.” He scratched at the short beard on his chin as he thought. “More than a year, less than five, I guess. I let time get away from me on purpose.” He wasn’t sure how much more he should share. Chatter about breakups and broken hearts made people either nervous or nosy; he didn’t really want to inspire either emotion. But he couldn’t just leave his statement at that. It would cause more questions than he might want to answer. He left out the broken heart and just focused on the second truth. “My brotha is a ship’s captain and I am the cook,” there was pride in his statement, but also a noted distinction between his brother the captain and him in the gally. “Might I add, he is my little brotha.” He shrugged, “I love my little mate to death, but I need a break every once in a while, ya know?” He hoped that would be an understandable reason for him to leave the life he knew behind. “I was sailing by and spotted a port. So, I pulled in and laid down me roots.”

Now that he had shared some, it was time to turn the spotlight back on her. “So, I gotta ask. How is it that someone who doesn’t know you shouldn’t put foil in a microwave end up in food service?”

At Vic’s encouragement, Lia smiled brightly. “You know, that is a very good point, and oddly, a very comforting thing to say.” And because of it, Lia was actually considering checking out surfing. The conversation moved on, and yes, she was purposely non-descriptive on the situation. Too much information could give away too many clues, and he was already looking at her like he might have guessed what she wasn’t ready for someone to know.

Luckily, her comment of the foil distracted him, and he laughed. His laughter was bright and infectious, and it made her laugh too. “I definitely learned foil makes the microwave go boom, so at the very least one important lesson was learned.” She chuckled to herself as she thought of the incident. “I also feel the need to point out that I was very, very drunk when it happened.” Accidentally drunk, of course, but that did not change the fact.

She listened then as he told her that he had let time slip away. The atmosphere around him very subtly changed as he spoke. That suggested the existence of something underneath, but Lia was not about to pry into this nice man’s business without invitation. Plus, he had quickly moved on and was informing her that his brother was a ship captain, and he the cook. Although she didn’t know for sure, she had to imagine there would be a power difference in those rankings, but the man infront of her didn’t seem much bothered by it. Whether that was because he was used to it or another reason was, again, none of Lia’s business. “I know…pretty much nothing when it comes to sailing or ships, but I do understand needing a break and a change of scene, probably better than I can explain.”

Her look was sympathetic, but still light enough that her words shouldn’t bring down the mood. Another moment passed, and then Vic was asking her another question, one that made her laugh. “Uhh, well. You see.” Before Lia actually got the chance to start explaining, the bell behind her went off, and Lia turned her head towards it. “Oh, it sounds like your food is ready, excuse me.” With this, the former actress turned towards the small counter, where his food, that was grilled and cheesy but definitely not a sandwich, sat on the plate beside the undressed salad.

She was so thankful that he was sitting at the counter, because that was much less risk of her dropping it everywhere. She slowly and gently put it on the counter and slid it towards him, the pride for herself beaming in her eyes. “There you go. And to answer the question, I needed another job, and….I don’t have to be the one who cooks it, so no risk of foil in the microwave.” Nope, she thought. It was just a risk of dropping hot coffee and juice on her friends and unsuspecting customers.

It had been a couple of weeks since Sadie and her friends got to Sunset Beach Condos with a few days before the reopening of her bar. She had been almost living in the renovated establishment, making sure everything she was precisely how she wanted it. So, she hadn't seen her friends as of late and sometimes forgot to eat occasionally with only her stomach, making a noise that could make a grown man scared as a reminder. That day she just so happened to be at home and could actually just relax, because The Black Anchor was finally finished with all the remodeling, only waiting on her first shipment of alcohol.

When Sadie woke up late one morning at her condo, she took a long hot shower, got dressed in a tank top, blue jean shorts, and Converse, getting ready for the day. She looked at the time, realizing it was nearly lunchtime, and she should probably get something to eat. She knew she wouldn't have any groceries in her place, so the only option would be to go to The 59 Diner. As she headed out, she threw her long blonde hair into a ponytail, grabbed her phone, keys, and wallet, and headed out of the building. When she got to the diner, she saw a very familiar brunette and smiled, but she didn't want to interrupt Lia, as the latter was talking to a patron. Sadie went and sat at the counter with a stool spaced between her and Lia's current customer. As she waited for a server, Sadie surveyed the surroundings and glanced at the man next to her and briefly looked him over.

Her gaze didn't linger long, though she did take notice of him and his stature. He seemed to be a local and possibly a surfer by the looks of his golden tanned skin and his light brown hair that was pulled into a messy ponytail. She pulled her gaze away from the broad surfer and looked to Lia. If they made eye contact, Lia would see a wink and mischievous smile on her face. Sadie just continued to wait as she reminisced the past month with the turn of events and how she ended up here with her new friends. She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard an Australian accent ask Lia how she ended up in food service because of the foil incident. Sadie snorted with a laugh and covered her mouth with her hand as she kept snickering about that event. She would look anywhere but her friend until someone came to her, although she had a huge amused grin on her face as she heard Lia's response.

Victor was happy Lia didn’t ask questions about the hierarchy of a ship as he didn’t want to discuss how his baby brother out ranked him in every way. Bandit had flown through the ranks from powder monkey (the lowest rank on a pirate ship) to quartermaster (the right hand of the captain and disciplinarian) in less time than a normal sailor would go from deckhand to first mate. Bandit had also found the love of his life while Vic had two relationships that ended with them finding their true loves and leaving him behind. His baby brother’s shadow was a hard thing to live in. But that was depressing, and Vic was anything but. Luckily, Lia was a little ray of sunshine, and he could match her happy. “Unless you are ready to run away from this place and join a pirate crew, it’s not something worth worrying about.” Then he was laughing again as the look on her face when he asked her about being in food service and the loneliness was pushed aside.

Victor wasn’t paying much attention to who came and went from the diner. There was always someone coming in and going out so it wasn’t something that would turn his head. However, when someone sat down near him and started laughing about a conversation where Lia was making herself a little vulnerable to him, that made his head turn. It was obvious the blonde was looking everywhere but at Lia and that just seemed odd. Why sit at a counter and then act like you don’t want attention from the server? Lia stepped away to get his food and he glanced at the blonde. “No need to laugh at the girl. We all blunder on occasion.” Vic had no idea Lia was friends with the blonde or that the blonde had witnessed and been affected by the foil incident. All he knew was a new person started laughing at another. Victor wasn’t rude, he still wore his grin, he just needed to make a point.

Lia brought over something that kind of resembled what he thought he ordered. As she set the plate and salad bowl in front of him, he leaned down to look more closely at the…wrap? What was that? It looked like a grilled cheese wrap and a panini had a bizarre love child on his plate. He smelled the concoction. It smelled like a grilled cheese should. “It smells good,” he said as he shrugged and pulled the salad bowl closer to him and fished around for a fork. He stabbed the lettuce and veggies and started his meal.

Lia laughed lightly as Vic told her that she needn’t worry, unless she was planning on running away and joining a pirate crew. “You know, if I ever get the itch, I’ll be sure to come to you and have you tell me what it’s like before I truly decide.” It was meant to be a joke, since Lia could barely imagine herself inside the condo she lived in, let alone a ship in the middle of the ocean.

Lia’s ears were kept open, since she had to be aware of other customers too, so she heard the bells as someone else came in. She looked over to the door and saw a familiar blonde, but the bell had momentarily distracted her. She did, however, hear Vic. She couldn’t have explained how much she appreciated that he was willing to stand up for her, a complete stranger he had just met. She hadn’t met many people that would do that out of the blue and it would stick with her. However, Sadie was also her friend, so as Lia gently slid Vic’s food towards him, she turned her vision towards Sadie. “Hey, Sadie. Haven’t seen you in a minute.” Lia grinned at her as she moved to slide a menu infront of her.

As she waited, her eyes moved back and forth between her two patrons. “How’s it going? What can I get for you?” Lia asked Sadie, then smiled and tried to let Vic know that they were friendly. “Recently, foil free, and less charred than the microwave door.” She smiled at her, but while she waited for the order, turned her attention back to Vic and asked; “How is everything?”

Momentarily stunned by the statement from one of Lia's customers towards her, Sadie looked toward the man that was a seat away from her. He didn't look angry when he said it but looked to be standing up for Lia. Then again, she would have to if the roles were reversed. Quirking a blonde eyebrow with an amused smile on her face, she replied. "I see where you might think I was laughing at her, but in this case, I was there for that incident. One minute, three of us were there enjoying coffee and chatting, and then the door to the microwave flew off. Scaring the shit out of us. I apologize for eavesdropping ; it was not my intention. Sensitive ears, I guess." She chuckled softly as she reminisced about the scene a few weeks ago. "I believe after that, we fled the scene pretty quickly with Lia crying over our other friend's shoulder as we ran to my vehicle." She was giving the stranger more context of why she was laughing, which she hoped she conveyed that she was friends with Lia and not laughing at her.

Sadie smiled sweetly to Vic, showing her sincerity when she heard Lia greeting her. She looked towards her friend with a radiant smile, and her eyes brightened. "Hey, Lia. Yeah, I have almost gotten the bar done. I'm just waiting for the alcohol shipment. I'm excited for you all to see it." She showed pride in her eyes with what she had accomplished and continued. "How have you been? Are we adjusting a little bit better? I hope you know I wasn't making fun of you." As she picked up the menu that was slid to her, she thanked Lia and perused through what could possibly appeal to her. "Can I get a coffee and water while I look over the menu?" She placed her drink order with Lia and continued looking over the diners menu.

She waited until her beverages arrived before she placed her order. "I would like the 'Spanky's Clubhouse' with onion rings instead of the chips, please." She sat the menu down and pushed it towards Lia, hoping she placed the order correctly. Wanting to make it as simple as possible for her friend. Sadie soon glanced over at the man and introduced herself to him. "My name is Sadie. And you are right. We all blunder occasionally. I do it regularly." She showed him a genuine smile that reached her bright eyes. She would respond if he said anything more to her but left him to enjoy his meal.

As he ate his salad the blonde explained why she was laughing, and Lia seemed to confirm the familiarity between the two. The salad was fairly small. It only took a few stabbed to get all the lettuce and veggies in the bowl. Like most men, and especially werewolves, he ate really quickly. Victor then picked up the grilled cheese thing on his plate and tried to figure out the best way to eat it. Eventually, he just picked a spot and bit. The cheese was gooey and warm and the…pita bread, maybe? It was a bit thicker and tougher than he was used to, but it was still good. It took a bit more effort to chew but he was going to get it down.

He waited to join the conversation, giving his concentration to not choking on the sandwich as Lia talked with Sadie. Once Sadie had ordered her food, she introduced herself to Vic. He swallowed the bite he was working on and grabbed his Coke to take a drink. He then turned to Sadie and offered his hand, “I’m Vic. You another new face ‘round here?” It was another obvious question but it was a solid way to start the interaction.

When Lia came back over to him, he was taking the last bite of his sandwich, trying not to make it seem like he was struggling with the thickness of the bread. He swallowed hard and nodded, “Good. Ahhh…not sure what I just ate, but it hit the spot.” He pulled the last of his Coke through his straw, a slurping sound coming from the glass. “May I get some more, please?”

Although Lia gave no indication, the truth was, she heard the conversation between Vic and Sadie. She may have been a different kind of supernatural, but the fact remained was she still had the super sensitive hearing that the others had. Not to mention, Lia was all about the energy in the room. Sadie instead explained to Vic the reason she found it funny, and Lia had to give this one to her. It had been, in the grand scheme of things.

However, she let them talk for a moment as she sorted out some things behind the counter before she went over to greet her friend. At Sadie’s question, Lia’s smile wasn’t quite as full, since the answer wasn’t quite as true, though she gave a nod of acknowledgment when Sadie confirmed she wasn’t making fun of her. “We’re uh…still working on some things, but slowly catching on.” There was weekly lessons now and specific things she had to do each day, but the routine of it all helped her. “So what can I get you?”

Lia nodded as Sadie ordered a water and a coffee, along with a moment with the menu. She nodded as she turned to the coffee and carefully poured it, as she had been shown by Rowdy every other day. She picked up the little plate it was on, and moved slowly over to the counter. The delivery of the water was just as fine, but the trouble would come when Lia grabbed the sugar shaker….that was not quite full of sugar. Of course, Lia didn’t think twice before she put it down infront of Sadie with a spoon, and went on to take her order. The name of it was something she had studied when she learned the menu like a script, but to hear it aloud made her giggle in that musical way. “You got it, my friend.” She smiled as she wrote it down, then processed it through the kitchen.

Once that was finished, Lia checked in Vic, but blinked in slight confusion when he informed her that he wasn’t quite sure what he ate. She thought of his struggle with the breading as confusion and slight worry knit her brows together as she looked from the empty plate to him. “Was…was that not what you ordered?” She asked in a small voice that was full of worry, but while she waited, took the glass back and got him another refill, just as carefully setting it back down and starting to wonder when her luck would run out. Still feeling guilty, she added, “You could have told me, if it wasn’t. I would have fixed it, I swear.”

After she placed her order with Lia, Sadie smiled encouragingly and said, "We all have adjusting that we go through. I know you will get there, and I will help support and root for you all the way through. You got this." She knew Lia was going through an adjustment period and would support her friend in any way she could. She was waiting for Lia to come back with her beverages when she heard the man next to her speak. She turned to look at him as he introduced himself and saw he offered his hand to greet her. She put her soft hand in his and shook it firmly as she smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Vic. And yes, I just got here a few weeks ago. I have been renovating the bar not far from here." She noticed they had similar temperatures and was pretty sure he would notice hers as well, but wouldn't dwell on it. If they got to know each other, things would unravel, and if not, then it was not her business. She knew more than anyone that people had secrets.

She soon saw Lia place the beverages in front of her and looked towards her friend with a thankful smile. She looked back towards Vic and asked, "What about you? Been here long?" She was making small talk as she grabbed the sugar container and started pouring it into her coffee. She used the spoon that was in a wrapped napkin to stir her coffee before she blew on it and took a drink. As soon as Sadie took a drink, she froze in sheer surprise because what was in her mouth was not a coffee with sugar. Not being able to swallow the salty, bitter concoction, she spat all of it out in the opposite direction as where Vic was sitting. She started coughing harshly and grabbed her water to wash the saltiness flavor down, almost choking as she did.

Finally catching her breath and almost having the taste out of her mouth, she looked to Lia. "Ummmm...Lia. Can I ask if you filled the sugar shaker today? And I apologize for that mess. If you give me a sanitized towel, I will clean it up." She smiled sweetly at Lia and showed that she wasn't upset, just shocked about the situation. She looked over at Vic and said, "I guess instant karma is definitely a thing. And told you, it's regularly for me." She chuckled at herself as a blush reached her cheeks from the embarrassing incident, although she should already be used to situations like these by now.

To Sadie’s question about how long he had been around he offered her a polite smile. “I don’t really remember. Like I told your girl earlier, more than a year, less than five, I guess. Dunno exactly.” He wasn’t to elaborate too much more before Lia came over to ask about how he liked his lunch.

When Lai’s face was filled with worry, Vic just gave her one of his warm smiles. “Nah. It was close enough to grilled cheese. Just not quite sure what your cook back there wrapped around the cheese.” He lifted his shoulders and cocked his head. “No worries, though.” He patted his belly, “Still hit the spot and filled me up. Could ask for much more.” When Lia came back with his refill and pulled it towards and stuck his straw back into the glass. He took a long drink and then pushed it aside.

He was going to engage Lia in more conversation, but he was completely distracted by the movements of Sadie next to him. He wasn’t sure if she was choking or burned herself or what. But when Sadie turned her head and spit Vic was on his feet. He grabbed the sugar shaker, lifted the little tin flap, and sniffed it. Some of the contents went up his nose and he yanked his head away as he set down the sugar shaker. “Little lady, that there is salt in the suga shaka.” He rubbed his nose, feeling the inside of this nose get a little irritated.

He had been around this diner enough times that he knew where the bucket of sanitized water and clean rags were. He went over to the server’s station and fetched two clean rags – one to mop up the coffee and the other he dunked into the sanitizer water and rung it out. He went back over to Sadie and knelt down on the floor. As he mopped up the coffee he said in a friendly way, “I got this mess. You get ya coffee fixed.” He used the dry towel to soak up as much of the coffee as possible before he did a thorough wipe down on the floor. When he was done, he stood up and carried both the towels back to the server’s station and deposited them into a “Wash” bin.

With that mischief managed, he went back to his seat and got comfortable again. He waited for an opportunity, after the whole situation was handled to ask his next question. “So when do ya get out of here? I was gonna build a bonfire on the beach tonight. See who might turn up. No one can resist a comforting fire.” He wasn’t flirting or asking Lia out on a date. A bonfire was something he did a few times a week in an attempt to bring people together and chat. Even if people were just walking along the beach they would usually stop and say hi. His attention turned to Sadie, “You too. Come watch the fire dance. Bring any of your mates you have. The more merrier.”

Lia listened patiently as Vic began to answer Sadie’s question, much in the same way he had answered her. She was so used to knowing what time it was all the time, and having strict schedules to keep that she could barely imagine not knowing how long someone had been in a place. She smiled to herself as she let herself imagine that for a moment. She supposed the Saturdays that she laid around not doing much was a start, but even then, she always knew what time one of her friends was expected home, and she knew exactly how long they had been in this, and the last, apartment buildings.

When she noticed the food problem, she felt the blush slide up her cheeks, and made a mental note to check out what a ’sanger’ was. Maybe next time, she’d be better prepared. “I’ll make sure to ask them.” She said, still with a light blush as she set down the newly filled glass, and picked up the dirty dishes to carefully attempt to put in the bin to take to the kitchen. She was terrified of moving it, but the thought was distracted as her friend started to choke and spit coffee on the floor.

Horrified, Lia turned to her friend and watched helplessly as coffee came flying out of Sadie’s mouth, and landed all over the counter and floor. Lia’s hands moved to cover her mouth, eyes looking through her fingers as Sadie manages to catch her breath long enough to ask her something. Before she could answer the question, Vic was on his feet, and helping to clean, though first he confirmed that there was salt in the sugar shaker. “Not again!” She yelped quietly. Panic hit her chest, and she floundered a little as she tried to imagine what to do. She did have enough thought to grab Sadie some water, and one of the cloths she had close by. While Vic was effectively cleaning the floor, Lia was….half cleaning the counter. She did get the liquid sopped up, but she was utterly failing on the coffee grounds, partly because she was looking at Sadie and apologizing profusely. “I am so so sorry, Sadie. They look so much alike, and I just….” She didn’t even finish the sentence, because Sadie would know ’just’ what the what was. “What else can I get you? Anything at all?”

With the mess cleaned up, and waiting for an answer, she was able to turn back to Vic, though she looked a little more upset, as she listened to his question. She looked around and eyed the sugar shaker, which she reached out and carefully set behind the counter. “3, assuming I don’t screw anything else up, but I’d love to come.” It was honest, but not depressive. There was even a small smile as she turned towards Sadie as Vic invited her as well, and smiled brightly. “We can drag our friend along too!”