fandomtownies | Luke's Diner, 9/13 (Monday)

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Luke's Diner, 9/13 (Monday)

Lacey had been nattering on to the staff for a while now about a hundred little initiatives they could all take to be more environmentally conscious around the diner: CFL lightbulbs, more ecofriendly soaps and cleaning supplies, installing timers on the lighting, being careful about how often they opened the fridge, yadda yadda yadda.

She'd ordered the soaps and cleaning supplies over the weekend, come in this morning with a bag of CFL lightbulbs to tackle the kitchen and supply room lighting installations, and -- discovered that the walls had somehow sprouted wall planters of spinach and broccoli overnight.

"Boy, when I said I wanted to go green, this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Today's Specials
Cobb Salad (with or without bacon)
Spinach and Mushroom Omelette
Penne with Hazelnut Gremolata and Roasted Broccoli

NOW HIRING - SEE MANAGER FOR DETAILS

Luke's is not a greenhouse, but it's open.

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Oh, had Lacey met Dan? Rilla had heard he was terribly judgmental.

"Portal-what?" Rilla replied, blinking. "I took a train, then a steamer."

That could only end in tears, Rilla. Lacey's, to be specific.

"Portalocity," she repeated, a little more slowly as if she thought it would make the concept easier to understand somehow. "It's how people travel to each other's worlds, and get back home sometimes? Not everyone, but a lot of people do."

She waved her hands vaguely. "Through . . . portals. Big, glowing . . . portals."

Lacey Burrows: the antithesis of a rocket scientist.

Oh, the nice lady was trying soooo hard, so Rilla attempted to look like she understood. "Oh, of course!" she said with slightly false brightness. "We took one to Chicago in one of my classes!"

Lacey was totally buying the brightness. This was a woman who thought a televised fireplace log was fascinating. What did you want?

"Yes!" she agreed, nodding with near-bobblehead-level enthusiasm. "One of those! I wonder if they have some kind of weekend getaway package? I could go this weekend!"

"Oh, you'll make me ever so homesick if you do go," Rilla said with a light, slightly melancholy laugh. "I haven't been home in months. The trip is far too dear in price to return whenever I wish."

"Awwwww." Was Lacey's lower lip quivering? Only metaphorically, but the line between metaphor and literal was very, very fine at the moment. "There's got to be some kind of student discount you can work out with someone, right?"

See, and now she was thinking that Rilla's family wasn't all that well to do. Leap to those conclusions, Lacey. Acrobatically.

Rilla's brow furrowed. "I don't know. I've never heard of such a thing."

"It's a promotional thing some businesses do, where they have special cheaper pricing for kids who are away at school. No such thing where you're from?" Lacey guessed. Putting both hands flat on the counter, she declared, "I can look into that for you, if you want?"

"I think it's more a matter of when I'm from," Rilla offered. "It's 1913 at home."

"Ohhhhhh." Lacey spent about two seconds trying to calculate for inflation and gave up. "Well, that doesn't really matter for Portalocity, I don't think! We've got people from different whens, all over, and they go home all the time."

You know, except for when they couldn't.

Rilla's face lit up. "In that case, I shall have to look. I would adore going home again. Mother is terribly lonely. We're all out of the house now."

"We?" echoed Lacey, her own face lighting up out of . . . let's be honest, a sense of accomplishment at possibly cheering Rilla up. "You have siblings?"

"I'm the youngest of six," Rilla said. "My siblings are either teaching or off in school."

"Is it nice?" Lacey -- who was an only child -- had to ask. "Growing up with so many other kids in the house?"

"It's all I've known," Rilla said with a smile, "but it was nice to have guaranteed playmates."

"It must be really lonely for your mom, then," Lacey mused, half wondering about the budgeting involved in taking care of that many kids. "I'll see what I can find about that discount for you."

Rilla beamed at her. "Thank you ever so much, Miss---"

"Burrows," Lacey supplied quickly. "But you can call me Lacey. It's okay."

"Oh, I could never do that," Rilla gaped. "It wouldn't be proper!"

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Luke's Diner, 9/13 (Monday)

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