Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

After spending a month not-quite-obsessively turning a fancy restaurant into a beachy bar, it was a bit strange for Duke to be back at the diner. It was very . . . diner-y in here. And his staff was being weirdly clingy.

"Thank god you're back," Mickey said, glomped onto Duke's waist.

"Wasn't I only gone for a week on your end?"

"He really thought your girl was going to kill us," Greg said. "It was a whole . . . thing."

"Right." Duke tried to extricate himself from Mickey's grip. Mickey seemed to grow extra arms just to thwart him. "Okay. Glad to be back. Ow. Ow. Bruises. Please stop. Okay." He shoved at Mickey's head, sort of resigned to his fate. "Okay. You jackass."

Today's specials
CATCH OF THE DAY:
Classic British fish and chips

Luke's was open and OCD free.

Comments

[weirderthanthou]

"Am I interrupting something...?"

Jesse was just here for fish and chips. But if they're having a moment...

[betterthanaplan]

"Yes," Duke said, firmly shoving Mickey away. "And bless you for doing so. What can I get you?"

[weirderthanthou]

"Uhm," Jesse said, shooting Mickey a dubious look for... five seconds before she reeled in. "You had a special that looked pretty good? I think that's the first time I've seen seafood up on the menu on this... island..."

Should've stopped at the special.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, I was out of town for awhile. No one else seems to understand that living by the water means you get to use the water." Duke offered her his hand. "Duke Crocker. Local boat guy."

[weirderthanthou]

"Jesse Faden," Jesse said, vaguely relieved, and shook his hand. "New mayor. Big boat or small boat?"

There were two. She'd checked.

[betterthanaplan]

"Big boat. Little one is my girlfriend's." Duke laughed. "Nice to meet you, Madam Mayor. You know, I would swear in most places that's an elected position."

[weirderthanthou]

"Yeah, so I'm told," Jesse said dryly. "Over here it's apparently a 'shove a binder at the new girl and tell her good luck' position."

[betterthanaplan]

"Sounds about right. That's how I got both my jobs in town. Where you from?"

[weirderthanthou]

"Originally, small town Wisconsin," Jesse said wryly. "Wyoming last month, and the island got me mid-move to New York City, so...." She waved faintly. "Everywhere?"

Beat.

"You?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Came sailing in from Rio. Originally Maine. But yeah, the last ten years, you could definitely call it 'everywhere' for me, too."

[weirderthanthou]

Jesse snorted. "Oh, sure," she joked, self-deprecating, "Outbid me with the whole 'been outside the continental United States' thing."

[betterthanaplan]

"Having a boat helps," Duke said. "Makes it easier to get across those pesky oceans. I've never been to the middle of the continental United States -- or any bits without a coastline -- so you've got me beat there."

[weirderthanthou]

"I could tell you so many fantastic stories about all the beautiful empty spaces and desolate nighttime 7-Elevens," Jesse said dryly.

[betterthanaplan]

"So . . . like the mid-ocean only with more snacks, then."

[weirderthanthou]

"You know nothing really adds to the ambiance like being buried in Bugles," Jesse said, mouth curving.

[betterthanaplan]

"Sounds super classy," Duke said. "I should definitely go check it out."

He would not.

"Fish and chips coming up. First one's free. You want coffee or something to go with it?"

[weirderthanthou]

"I want to say yes," Jesse said, "but first I need to know if you're one of those residents who gets really fired up about their warm beverages."

[betterthanaplan]

"Met Seivarden, huh?" Duke said. "I like a good cup of coffee. I don't yell at people for not liking it just the way I like."

[weirderthanthou]

"She was very... aggressively judgy," Jesse said, "Especially when I said I like 'just water' just fine."

[betterthanaplan]

"I'd say she's used to having things her own way, but honestly, most people around here refuse to put up with her. I think she's just kind of lonely. And, you know, a snob."

[weirderthanthou]

Jesse sighed. "No reason to be rude to the staff," she said. "Anyway, I'm going to go grab a seat?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Of course." Duke nodded to the dining room. "Grab whichever one you want. I'll be back with your food and -- a water? -- ASAP."

[weirderthanthou]

"Water's good," Jesse said, nodding, with a faint and slightly awkward smile.

Then she sped to a table and grabbed a seat.