I'll Take That As A Maybe

The bell on the door rang loudly as Jack slammed the door shut behind him. He pulled his hood down and shook the water from his coat.

Angie’s head snapped up and she stared at the shadowy figure in the doorway. Didn’t this guy realize that all of the chairs were on the tables, the lights were dimmed, and no one else was inside the diner? It was three in the morning, and she was ready to go home.

Looking back down at the counter she was cleaning, Angie grunted, “We’re closed.”

Jack stared at her, mesmerized. She had her strawberry blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. He thought she was way too bitter for someone who only looked twenty-five. When she felt his eyes watching her every move, she looked back up. “Sir, maybe you didn’t hear me. We’re closed.”

“Oh, I heard you,” Jack said playfully, “I was just enjoying your work.”

Angie scoffed and threw the rag down. “Ha, ha. You’re very funny, but we’re –“

“Closed. I know.”

She stopped dead in her tracks, lost in his deep brown eyes. “Wait, are you Jack West?”

He chuckled. This happens all the time. “Yep,” he replied.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Here, sit down.”

She pulled a chair off the counter and motioned for him to sit. A piece of chocolate cake in a clear to-go box sat on the counter near his seat. Angie was dying to get home and eat it, but first she had to figure out what to do with the hottest food critic in New York state. The cooks were gone, and the last time Angie tried to make anything, she almost set her whole apartment on fire. Maybe she’d start with something easy. “Coffee?”

“Nah, can’t stand the stuff,” Jack said back. “I’d much rather have a slice of apple pie.”

“Oh. We’re out. The only dessert we have left is…” She trailed off as she noticed Jack eyeing her cake. Crap.

He looked up from the cake and into her eyes. “Chocolate cake?”

Angie scrambled for an answer. “Well, no. We’re out of that too. But we do have –“

“There’s a piece right there,” Jack motioned to the to-go box.

“Right, but that’s my…” Angie paused, realizing that she might get the diner a bad review if she didn’t give him the cake. She took a deep breath in. Defeated, she said, “Never mind, someone left it behind.”

As Angie turned around to grab him a fork, Jack pulled a stool off the counter. He patted the seat. “I’ll split it with you,” Jack grinned at her.

Angie smiled to herself. This beautiful stranger might be just the right person to smooth out her rough edges. “Okay,” she said.

She grabbed two forks and plopped down next to Jack. It felt nice to sit down.

Jack took his first bite and his eyes grew wide. “Oh My God!”

Angie panicked. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! This cake is incredible!”

Angie smiled to herself. The Jack West was impressed by something that came out of her kitchen.

“So, how old are you?” Jack asked Angie with a mouthful of cake.

Angie looked at the clock and replied, “Thirty-one, as of three hours ago.”

“It’s your birthday?” Jack asked.

“Yep.”

“And you got stuck working on your birthday? Bummer.”

“Tell me about it. But bills don’t stop just because it’s your birthday,” Angie retorted.

Jack laughed. “Fair enough. Well, I’m glad I got to ring in your birthday with you.”

“I don’t think I had much of a choice,” Angie said with a wink.

“Oh, ho!” Jack chuckled back, “Well, I have a confession. I initially popped in here to get out of the rain, but when I saw that chocolate cake sitting on the counter, I had to see what Fred’s Diner had to offer.” He didn’t tell her, but that wasn’t the only thing drawing him in. He wanted to get to know Angie, too.

“The chef made it special for my birthday. It’s not normally on the menu.”

Jack was in disbelief. “Seriously? It’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. And, I know chocolate cake. I’ve been scouring the world for the best slice for the last four months!”

Angie laughed. “Really?”

“Dead serious.”

“Wow. I’ll send your compliments to the chef.”

“Tell him to add it to the menu. Jack West said so,” he said as he puffed his chest. He didn’t really think he was anything special, but he liked to pretend that he did. People seemed to get a kick out of it.

Angie asked him curiously between bites, “So, what’s your favorite meal to make?”

“A bowl of cereal,” Jack laughed.

Angie playfully tapped him on the shoulder. “Come on, I gotta know!”

“Really! They say that those who can, do. Those who can’t, critique. I’m a terrible cook!”

Angie laughed and said, “I’m a terrible cook, myself. Kraft Mac and Cheese is where it’s at!”

“Oh man, I love me some comfort food. I know I shouldn’t admit that, but it’s true.”

“What restaurant has the best comfort food?” Angie asked.

“Hmmm… maybe Manhattan 21. They make a bomb chicken pot pie.”

“I’ve never been.”

Jack wasn’t sure if this was an invitation, so he asked her tentatively, “Maybe we should go sometime?”

Angie didn’t know how to react to The Jack West asking her on a date. I mean, this guy had his own TV show and everything. Surely he was just going to play games with her, right? And he asked at the worst possible moment! She was trying to swallow a huge bite, but wound up inhaling at the same time. Her eyes began watering as she started to cough. She was definitely choking, and she was mortified.

At first, Jack just thought she had a tickle in her throat, but then she clasped her hands around her neck to indicate that she was, indeed, choking. Her face turned bright red as she stood up, and Jack panicked. Sure, he practically lived in restaurants, but he’d never seen someone choke in person. To himself, Jack muttered, “Okay, okay. Think.”

Angie continued gripping at her throat. Her eyes were popping out of her head. Jack suddenly remembered that the Heimlich was a thing. He stood behind Angie and wrapped his arms around her stomach. Her hair smelled nice, but he reminded himself that this was a terrible time to think about that.

He thrust his arms into her stomach, hard. A massive glob of chocolate cake went flying out of her mouth and landed on Jack’s plate in front of her. She gasped for air and flopped herself down on the stool, with the glob of cake staring up at both of them.

“I’ll take that as a maybe?” Jack said.

Angie gained her composure. She laughed and said, “That was a yes.”