Egg-Celent

Alexandria’s tired eyes scanned the laminated menu, her fingers brushing against a sticky spot on the back. The darkness outside was countered only by a single hanging light above the table. Her stomach growled as she moved down the page, but this side only listed the drink options the small café had. A light slapping sound echoed in the booth as Alexandria flipped the menu. Again, her stomach rumbled, begging for food that she had not been able to eat since this morning.

Elenore looked up at her from the other side of the booth, “See anything you want?” Her brown eyes mirrored the exhaustion in Alexandria’s own, proof that the last couple of hours had been reality and not a strange dream. Despite the hunger eating her alive, she looked away from the menu and up at Elenore. Elenore’s dreadlocks were pulled back into a messy ponytail, revealing a bright scratch along her dark collarbone. Feeling Alex’s eyes on her skin, Elenore covered the injury with her bruised hand, “Don’t worry, Alex, it’s a small scratch.”

“I- I’m really sorry,” Alexandria moved her eyes back to her menu, not wanting to look at the other woman’s injuries anymore. She immediately noticed an egg and bacon bagel sandwich listed under the Egg-Celent Choice section of the menu. 

 Quiet laughter made Alexandria blush and look at Elenore above the rim of the menu, and before she could apologize again, Elenore cut her off, “It’s not your fault.”

Alexandria let the menu fall onto the red and white checkered tablecloth, “No. It is my fault, just let me apologize!”

“It really isn’t,” Elenore smiled, cracking open a slit in her chapped lip, “Alex, I wanted to come with you today. Besides, I still had a good time.” Alexandria laughed, only Elenore could say she had a good time after almost having her neck slashed open.

The waiter walked up to the table, his brown apron covered in grease that was probably weeks old. His hair was a mess of reddish brown curls, just a bit darker than Alexandria’s own tied up hair. Despite his intimidating height, his wrinkled skin and thin build made him seem frail.

“What can I get started for you this evening?” The waiter asked, his notepad open and chipped pencil at the ready.

Eleore nodded her head towards Alexandria, signaling her to go first, “May I please have the egg and bacon bagel sandwich with cheddar cheese? And chocolate milk please.”

The waiter nodded and turned his head to get Elenore’s order, “I’ll do the vegetarian omelet please, no mushrooms though.”

“Okay,” The notebook was flipped closed and the waiter grabbed the menus out of their hands, “Those will be right out for you.”

Both women gave a quick “thank you” before turning back to the other. Alexandria wasn’t exactly sure what to say next. She wanted to apologize again, but Elenore was right, she was the one who had offered to come with her earlier. Alexandria’s eyes caught the deep cut on Elenore’s neck again, not bleeding anymore but still fresh, “How does your neck feel?”

In response to the question, Elenore tenderly touched the cut and winced just a bit, “Not too bad, just sore.” She reached out her hand, the one that had been washed away of the dried blood just a few minutes ago. Alexandria took the hand in her own, careful not to put pressure on any of the dark bruises along her knuckles.

“What are we going to do?” Alexandria asked the woman across from her.

“We’ll figure something out,” Elenore brushed her thumb across the top of Alexandria’s hand, “Today didn’t go as planned, but that just means we’ll need to plan our next move a bit better.”

“Our next move? You seriously think we’re going to try this again?” Alexandria tightened her grip on the rough hand beneath hers, “Elenore you could have died!”

Elenore sighed, leaning back into the cushioned booth behind her, “Look, at the end of the day it’s up to you, but we both need this money and this is the only way I can think to get it.”

Alexandria stared at her for a few seconds, trying to see any sign of fear or regret in those brown eyes, “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I know,” Elenore said, “But I can handle this, alright?”

There was a brief moment where neither talked, both contemplating what the other had said. A metal pan fell somewhere behind them in the kitchen, the only sign that there was someone else still in the dimly lit restaurant. Elenore shifted her hand so that their fingers were intertwined, palms pressed against each other while their wrists rested on top of the uncomfortable tablecloth. 

With her elbows on the cloth, Alexandria leaned in closer, “If we’re going to get the money, we have to go back to that mansion and take that case with the jewelry in it.”

Elenore leaned in as well, just a few inches away from Alexandria’s face, “Right, but that’s where we failed today, so what are we going to do differently?”

“I didn’t know they would have that many guards, so I think if we do some surveillance on the mansion and try to figure out the-”

“Alright, here’s the omelet,” The waiter sat the steaming plate down in front of Elenore, causing the girls to let go of each other and scooch back into the booth, “And here’s the sandwich for you.”

Alexandria blushed and looked down at her food, “Thank you.”

“Thanks,” Elenore said as the waiter turned to leave. She quickly picked up a fork and began digging into her food. 

Alexandria’s interrupted sentence was quickly forgotten as she took a bite out of the bagel, “Oh my god, this is so good.”

Elenore didn’t respond, just nodded her head and continued to shovel the eggs into her mouth. She barely even took a minute to stop and breathe before she went back for more. 

Alexandria felt a smile come across her face, “You eat like a kid.”

She ate a few more bites before finally looking up and smiling, “Really? You’re the one with the chocolate milk.”

Feign hurt spread on Alexandria’s face, “Don’t ever disrespect chocolate milk like that again!”

“My deepest apologies,” Elenore said with a laugh, she smiled up at Alexandria again and then returned to her late night breakfast, “So, what were you saying before the food came?”

With her mouth full of egg and bagel, Alexandria held her hand up and swallowed before responding, “Mmm, right. I was thinking if we could watch the mansion and try to figure out the schedule of the guards and find an opening, then we could possibly get in and out without, you know, getting beat up.”

“Well, not dying would certainly make this go well,” Elenore smiled as Alexandria rolled her eyes, “But, seriously, I think that’s a good idea.”

Alexandria took a sip of her chocolate milk, “Good. Then we can just rest tonight and maybe get started on that plan tomorrow.” 

“That works for me,” Elenore nodded, then paused for a brief second, her eyes darting between Alexandria and her plate, “Hey, Alex, could I stay with you tonight?”

Alexandria smiled up at the woman, “Of course, besides, we are technically still being searched for by the police, so we better stick together.”

Elenore smiled as well and took Alexandria’s pale hand in her own, “There’s no one I would rather be on the run with.”