3

As I shut the screen door to the cafe, the noise made all the brightly clothed men turn to me and now they stare.

'I apologize, I didn't mean to slam it,' I put on my sweetest smile. The man who is the obvious leader of the four stands to, presumably, address me. He's dressed in a well-tailored red and black pinstriped suit, finer than any suit I've seen in the many fashion magazines I look through. His shoes are so shiny that they're reflective and I can see my face staring back up at me. He toys with his silver pocket-watch dangling from his vest as he speaks.

'Ah well, that's alright there darlin'. Ain't you just the prettiest dame I've seen in days? You look like a porcelain doll. I bet your the finest looking thing 'round these parts,' he gives a sideways glance at Ms. Carlyle as she glares at me. 'For miles and miles I'd say,' he finishes. He flashes me a smile that reminds me of a cat in a book I read by Lewis Carroll, called Alice in Wonderland. That was it, he has that grin of the Cheshire Cat. While he continues talking, the men just sit behind watching the conversation, apparently not planning on participating unless they get a cue. I can see Ms. Carlyle is just waiting for a time to interrupt. She doesn't like me getting attention but doesn't dare mistreat me in front of them either, and I use this to my advantage.

'What's your name there dollface?'

I clutch the flour in my hands and say my name slowly while batting my eyes. I say it slowly with the intention of hoping he'll understand how to say it back, but I get the same look from him that I always get when I pronounce my name. Alas, he has no idea what I've just said.

'Well, that's a mouthful ain't it, dollface?' He steps forward, ' So you're used to mouthfuls then aren't ya?' he implies while licking his lips and winks. It's crude but I am well used to crude, so I smile and force a blush.

'I'll just have to stick with dollface then darlin, won't I? A fella could get lost in a name like that, and those long legs that come with it. A fella could get lost in them too.'

'I'll take that as a compliment, sir.'

'It's Sam Carolla, better known these days as Silver Dolla Sam. This bruno behind me is my associate Bill Bailey. Please dollface you can just call me Sam,' he reaches out to take my hand just as Ms. Carlyle decides to finally interrupt and stop leering.

'Girl,' she yells. Her screech makes us both jump and I drop the flour.

'Now looks what you've done. Clean it up and takes what you haven't managed to ruin on back to Isaiah in the kitchen. I already started soaking them chicken in buttermilk but he's a waitin' to start the breadin' and the fryin'. Then get on back to the house with ya.'

'Yes ma'am,' I reply and grab the broom.

'Well I'll be,' grins Sam, ' yous got a man back there cooking us our meal, ain't that a woman's job fellas?' All the men nod and chuckle.

'How's about you there dollface? You cook?' He looks at me and his brown eyes sparkle, he really is a handsome brute. I almost drop the broom too, but respond in time for Ms. Carlyle not to notice.

'Um, yessir. That banana bread y'all are eating on the table there, I made that this very morning.'

'Dids ya now? No malarkey?! And here we though Ms. Corla made it. It's simply divine dollface. Why don't you stay awhile and go make that fried chicken instead of the poor fella she's got back there?'

He asks as if it's a question but I know he's telling me, not asking. I look over at Ms. Carlyle who still has a face of shock on her from when he mispronounced her name. Now she knows how it feels for someone to say your name wrong. She nods at me and I know she doesn't dare correct him, nor has the authority to argue with him about my placement or duties during the meeting. The Beast will just have to deal with it when he gets back and sees me cooking in the cafe, especially if he wants their business. I put the broom back and gather the rest of the flour, not forgetting to smile big at Sam as I pass him on the way to the kitchen. I'm finally going to be able to cook in my mother's cafe. I can hardly contain my excitement. It's turning out to be a just swell day, a swell day indeed.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A entertaining chapter. I like the new characters. I like how she handle the compliments. She held her own with the men. I'm glad she is in the kitchen. Sort of a reward. Thank you for sharing the outstanding chapter.
Coyote