Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

"Hang on, let me see that recipe," Bobby demanded, when he saw Duke and Greg setting up for the day's specials.

"Ugh, what now?" Duke rolled his eyes and showed the kid the recipe he'd found online. "Tell me that doesn't look delicious."

"Uh huh, yeah, fine, but." Bobby thwacked the paper with the back of his hand. "No Old Bay. You can't call it 'Maryland style' if there's no Old Bay."

"He's right," Ali said with a sage nod. "My boyfriend is a Maryland native. He puts that shit on everything."

"I just caught these suckers this morning!" Duke protested. "These are literally Maryland crabs!"

"No Old Bay, no Maryland."

Duke rolled his eyes and pulled out his chalk marker.

Today's specials
CATCH OF THE DAY!
Maryland style Crab cake sandwiches with chive honey mustard

"Happy now?"

Luke's was open and sans OCD.

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

"Is that why you were out so early this morning?" Lucifer asked, gesturing at the specials board on his way in.

[betterthanaplan]

"Gotta be willing to get up early if you want the good stuff," Duke said. "Especially if you want to make it for the lunch special."

He headed over to Lucifer with a broad grin. "Any objections to the special this time? I promise: no turnips."

[my_own_advocate]

"None at all," Lucifer said. He squinted up at the sign again. "Why did you strike out the Maryland bit? They are Maryland crabs."

[betterthanaplan]

"Right?!" Duke shook his head and sighed. "Apparently it can't be 'Maryland-style' unless I use Old Spice."

He knew the real name. He just liked watching Bobby go apoplectic when he got it wrong.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm fairly certain he just made that up," said Lucifer, who had never bothered to learn enough about Maryland to be so certain about it.

[betterthanaplan]

"Old Bay!" Bobby yelled from the kitchen.

Duke shrugged and shook his head. "Paprika with pretentions. Like there isn't enough flavor on this sucker already."

[my_own_advocate]

"I say you should put the Maryland-style back on the board," Lucifer informed him. "Brian doesn't run the diner, does he?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, but then he might go sulk and I'd have to start bussing tables," Duke said with a shake of his head. "Sometimes you have to let your employees win, man. I'm not a dictator."

[my_own_advocate]

"No, sometimes you're a very sweet hippie who has a hard time saying no to people," Lucifer agreed.

[betterthanaplan]

"Hippie, huh?" Duke chuckled. "Suppose you would know. You probably hung out with them a lot."

[my_own_advocate]

"Only briefly," Lucifer said. "You could ignore the smell if you just did enough acid with them."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke held up a hand. "I know you're not trying to say I smell."

It was a bit of a point of pride for Duke not to.

[my_own_advocate]

"I was talking about historical hippies, darling," Lucifer pointed out. "Patchouli is not a good scent on anyone."

[betterthanaplan]

"Mm, true. It's just overpowering."

[my_own_advocate]

"And disgusting," Lucifer said. And leaned over to kiss him. See? Not smelly.

[betterthanaplan]

"Let's not talk about disgusting when we're kissing," Duke said, when he came up for air. "And just agree that I'm way better than a hippie."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed softly. "I would never argue with that," he promised. "You make long hair look good, for a start."

[betterthanaplan]

"Damn right I do," Duke said, giving it a playful toss. (Not that that did more than make the bits that always fell out of his ponytail wobble.) "But please, feel free to tell me the other ways I'm better than a hippie."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed. "You're funnier," he said, "And at least you don't wear tie-dye."

[betterthanaplan]

"You're making me a little sad Halloween is over," Duke said with a chuckle. "I could have gotten some bellbottoms, rocked the whole look."

[my_own_advocate]

"Please don't," Lucifer sighed. "I'll have the crab cakes, before you have any further terrible ideas."

[betterthanaplan]

“Crab cakes coming up,” Duke said, leaning in for another quick kiss. “In a minute.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer cupped his cheek and kissed him again. "I suppose I can wait..."

[betterthanaplan]

"Such a hardship, I know, kissing your boyfriend."

While they were doing so, Ali slipped out with a plate and got a table set up for them.

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, not yet..."

Very kind of Ali.