It was after six when Melvina finally had a chance to sit in a booth reviewing order slips for the day and tallying the tip share. She always gave Darcey the largest cut because the firemen and most of the male patrons around town came to the diner to see her. The rest was split among the kitchen staff, bus boy and dishwasher.
Stan, the accountant, hadn’t shown up yet, but Melvina knew he was doing her a favor, so she decided not to be perturbed.
A familiar voice vibrated over her shoulder and she looked up to find Manny Owens standing by her booth. “Hi Manny. Did Roberta see you come in? I’m sure she’ll be back to wait on you in a minute. I can get you some coffee if you like.” As she began to rise from her seat, Manny put his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down.
“I can wait for Roberta. Mind if I join you?” His voice was friendly, and she appreciated seeing a kind face right now. “How did your day go?”
Melvina thought about it for a moment. “Well besides the busy breakfast and lunch crowd, it was mostly quiet after three o’clock. I admit that I am beat, though. Plus, after Celia’s visit, I have to meet with the accountant and then hustle to the library to see if I still have time to tutor my student.”
Melvina thought about Maurice and his lack of direction. If she could only find more people to show him a positive path. Maybe this was an opportunity to enlist a role model. “He could really use a male mentor in his life. His mom, Maria, has been separated from his dad, Jose, for some time now, and I think he suffers not having a man’s presence around. You know how junior high can be.”
Manny snorted an affirmative.
Melvina chuckled. She was too stressed about the IRS audit to worry about lipstick or how her hair must look. Besides, the hot fire chief was way out of her league anyway. Not to mention there was Celia, who claimed first dibs when it came to available hot bachelors in town. “How about you?” she asked. “Rough day?”
“Naw, just a couple of car crashes off the two-forty-nine. No one hurt, just fender benders, but we have to respond to all calls. And Celia Lockwood came by the station with another fundraiser proposal. She must really love raising money for the fire department.” He smiled.
Melvina wondered if he knew about Celia’s plans to become Mrs. Manny Owens. “Mm, that she does.” Melvina bit the tip of her pen as she stared at the last total for the day. Pop’s was going to have to open a second location if they stayed this productive. Or, maybe she could do it. Magnolia didn’t have enough places to eat to accommodate the sudden growth of oil patch residents. They really could use a high-end restaurant for swanky dinners and martini lunches but getting a liquor license took time and setting up a place like that took money.
“What’s she putting you and the boys up to now? Better give me a heads up so I’ll know what I’m getting roped into.”
“Just a calendar of the younger guys in their skivvies, holding water hoses and covering their boxers with their hats.”
Melvina’s head rose from re-tallying numbers, her eyes wide. “You’re kidding.”
He laughed, leaning back in his seat as Roberta approached and he ordered a coffee.
Roberta twirled a pencil along the edge of her lip. Melvina wasn’t sure if she was trying to be seductive or merely daydreaming. The night waitress was only eighteen and didn’t have a lot upstairs. Melvina was hoping to groom her into a life at the diner. At least she would have enough pay to afford a simple life and not have to depend on marrying to get by. “You don’t want anything else?”
Manny glanced at Melvina. “Thanks Roberta, I’m all good. I just came by to see Melvina.”
That piqued Melvina’s curiosity. “So, a firemen’s calendar?”
“Yes, and apparently, the less the guys are wearing, the better. Celia assures us it will equal lots of profit to benefit the fire station.” Manny chuckled with ease, reminding her of one of those smooth cowboys portrayed in the old westerns she used to watch on Sundays with Eli. She was a sucker for Sam Elliot, and although Manny was younger and handsomer, there was something about the rugged, raspy-voiced older actor that turned her on.
“Interesting,” Melvina supplied. “I wonder what Celia will try to rope me into on this fundraising project?”
“Yes, indeed. In fact, we actually requested you be in charge of the whole thing. See, the boys at the firehouse think it’s a good idea and all. The community is growing faster than the taxes can come into the city. We could use a boost, but we don’t want it to be—” Manny shifted uncomfortably in the booth.
“Tawdry, cheesy, tacky?” Melvina inserted.
“Yeah, all of the above. Look, the boys trust you. They know that Celia might be the president of the Magnolia Blossoms and that she has helped direct a lot of energy toward helping our cause, but she—” Manny looked like he was having a hard time explaining.
Melvina took over, “Doesn’t make the best cupcakes in town and feed them more jalapeno burgers than the station can handle?”
Manny smiled, nodding with relief. “Exactly. See, you understand.”
Melvina looked at him with a cheeky grin. “Well, I would be a fool to turn down a job that lets me see every fireman in Magnolia in their skivvies.”
“Would that include a picture of the fire chief himself?” Roberta stood gaping at them with a glassy look of excitement and a mouth hanging open in question. Her bowed lips were painted fire engine red, and lavender eyeshadow graced the top lids of her eyes, making her look like a purple Siamese.
“Roberta, Mr. Simms looks like he could use a refill.” Melvina pointed to the circular counter. As the waitress walked away with the coffeepot, Manny looked disheartened at his empty cup.
Melvina stifled a laugh as she rose to get another pot for the chief. When she returned to fill his cup, she saw the accountant enter the café and wave. She guessed her time with the chief was over, just when things were starting to warm up.
“Nice chatting with you Manny. My date’s here, so I guess I have to go.”
Manny took a sip of his coffee then looked up in surprise, “Date?”
Melvina didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended. It had been a while since she’d been on a date, but there was no reason to disbelieve that she could have one. “Yeah, Celia set me up with Stan The Man. You know him?” She motioned to the elderly gentleman wearing khakis and a pastel colored, button-down, short-sleeve shirt.
Manny nodded at Stanley as Stan waved back. “Ah, must be a business thing.”
Melvina quirked a brow at the chief, “Is that a slight against Stan or me?” Putting one hand on her hip with the other still holding the coffeepot, she supposed she looked like Flo from the old seventies show, “Alice.” Eli and Melvina had watched countless reruns when they were really little. It was one of Pop’s favorites. She tried not to follow it up with a, “Kiss my grits!”
Manny looked down at his coffee and then back up at Melvina with an awkward stare. “I—I just didn’t think you and Stan could be an item. I mean, he’s gay, right?” The last statement was whispered. The chief looked very uncomfortable now that he had said the G word.
Melvina took pity on him. She wasn’t sure why she bothered to stand up for her old-maid status. Maybe it was to see if he had any interest in her. It was a silly thing to say, and she liked Manny as a friend first, so there was no reason for her to get terse with him. “I was just teasing. It’s no secret that the only love in my life is baking. I’ve got better things to do.” Gathering up her books so she could go get a cup for Stan, she said her goodbyes to Manny as he stood to leave.
“Melvina,” Manny called out to her, then stopped. He stood there as if he was searching for something else to say.
Melvina paused, setting her files down on the counter. Her heart skipped a beat and she held her breath.
“It was nice talking to you,” he finally said. “Great coffee.”
Melvina watched him leave, letting her breath out slowly as her heart returned to its normal cadence.
