Love and Lattes

Chapter 9

When Bugs and Daffy got to the restaurant, they parked the car in the front lot of the building and walked inside.

With not even a second too soon later, they were immediately greeted by the very owner himself, Mr. Girardi.

"Bugs! It's so good to see you again! My one and only customer, still loyal to this restaurant, eh? How have you been up to lately? Still kicking off your dreams in investment I see? And what about Rodney? I haven't seen him in quite a while as well. Isn't he usually here with you?" Mr. Girardi welcomed with his voice, described to be in a very thick Italian accent.

Immediately, an odd jolt of nervousness ran through Bug's mind as he quickly attempted to lower down some of uneasiness a little by trying to explain Rodney's absence with a the well firm hug and pat-on-the-back for his reply in the greeting.

Because although, he was more than happy to be friendly addressed by his favorite restaurant manager, he couldn't help but to feel tension that started to stir around the room, between him and Daffy due to the mentionable word of 'Rodney' within that conversation.

"It's great seeing you here too, Mr. Girardi. And yes, I'm doing good so far. Rodney is fine as well but he's just not in the mood to eat out or anything today. Other than though, everything else has been fantastic. What about you? How's the business going?" Bugs asked in a hurriedly like pace of tone while slightly looking over at Daffy to make sure that he's feeling a little more comfortable around the subject.

"Eh, it's getting there. Just very slow today. Not a lot of customers are coming in like I wanted them to. But hopefully with enough advertisements, I can make it a full house tonight." Girardi chirped with full anticipation and excitement in his voice as he was about to continue on until he suddenly begins to glance over and stopped from there.

"Oh! Forgive me for my rudeness, but I couldn't help to notice that you brought along a new friend with you. Might I ask, who is this?" Girardi asked, curiously when he see Daffy with Bugs.

"This is Daffy. He's new to this restaurant and has never tried any of your foods before. So I was thought about taking him out today and show him the works of your magnificent dishes." Bugs explained with Girardi, quickly squealing in excitement.

"Mama Mia! I've got me a new customer! Welcome, welcome." Girardi said before giving Daffy a big jumbo hug as part of his welcoming language.

"Thanks." Daffy squealed out in a wince from the constricting hug that was gripping the ends of his arms tightly, before he was finally released from the hug to breathe a little.

"Well then, since you're both here so early, I'll just go ahead give you my best cuisines pronto!Please, follow me and I will take you to the finest booth in the area for you gentlemen. Yeah?" Girardi said while showing them a nice decent cushioned red booth towards the back of the place as Bugs and Daffy each took a seat right across from each other before the menus were placed onto the table along with the napkins and wrapped silverware beside them.

Once everything was all set up, Girardi begin his usual waiter-like ordering.

"So! What will it be for you two today?" Girardi asked in a bright tone.

"Is there any way that you could get us started with a carrot pizza and a meatball sub for my friend over here?" Bugs asked.

"Yes, yes. Of course. Excellent choice. I will have them out ready for you in just a moment." Girardi said with a polite smile before heading back towards the kitchen to get started with his cookings and left the two alone for the time being.

"Haha. He seems nice." Daffy said, laughing from the man's silly enthusiasm.

"Mhmm. The best Italian cook that you will ever find in this city, I guarantee you." Bugs complimented with a smile of his own across his face.

"I couldn't agree with you more. I can't wait to try out the meatball sub that you suggested to him. Who knows, it might even be better than that icky carrot pizza you had in mind. Bleh." Daffy said with his tongue poked out from his distaste in vegetables like carrots. 

Which made Bugs chuckle a little from his goofiness.

"Pfft. Don't worry, you'll love it. In fact, this restaurant has actually been in my heart for as long as I can remember from the day it first opened, a decade or so. It goes way back to when I was just a kid, who's dreading for school to be over so that me and a couple of old friends can stop by for a quick dinner before we had to home, just like the good ole times." Bugs explained with his tone in a relaxed awe from the memories that were slowly filling up his mind again.

While, the story unexpectedly somehow, made Daffy feel the opposite.

A dream that he wished he would of had when he wanted him and his old friend to be a part of their own cool 'hangouts' together in high school.

That is, until the bullying started to take place during their senior year and even right up until graduation, where he lives to regret

It was beginning to eat his heart up inside and before he knew it, he started to ask a familiar rhetorical question that he knew for sure, he has already got the answer to.

Even when he didn't want to believe it to be true.

"Do you and Rodney still come here a lot, too?" Daffy asked as Bugs slowly changed his expressions and tried to answer as candid as he could, without setting off any alarms.

"Yeah we do, but not as often as we'd like to. Due to our schedules always clashing in at different times. Why, do you ask?" Bugs asked with a mixture of confusion and concern in his tone.

"N....nothing. Just curious, that's all. Sorry If I was intruding on your personal life or anything." Daffy said softly with his head down in embarrassment from the question.

"Daffy...." Bugs was going to say until he was interrupted.

"Look, It's none of my business what kind of friends you have or how many you were close to. I just...don't want you to think that I was some random stranger walking across your path, who don't even mean anything to you." Daffy explained as Bugs's ears slowly drooped down in empathy.

He felt bad that he was still somehow having a hard time with all of this change.

And even though he didn't know how long this 'old friend' of his has been affecting him in his social life or how much he was put down in school.

One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to let Daffy's self-esteem get the best of him, yet.

As he slowly placed his hand with his, to help reassure him once more that change is actually a good turn around for him.

Because it meant that he has the opportunity to have so much more, in return.

"Daffy, look at me, it's okay. No one's here to judge you for asking me. Whatever happened between you and your friend, I can assure you right now, it won't be anything like that. You aren't some random stranger that I happened to be bump into. You're the next best thing that's come across my life and I'm glad that we've met. Because it meant that I get to spend so much more time getting to know you, better." Bugs explained with his smile glowing bright to Daffy's relief as their hands clutched unconsciously tighter in comfort.

Soon, Daffy started to relax a little again and formed a familiar expression on his face as the two resumed their talk towards other subjects for a while longer while they wait for their food to arrive.

With both of their cheeks unnoticeably, in red blush like a flower blossoming from its bud.