Eat Fresh

Waiting in line

The worst part about restaurants is waiting in line. Fast food or not, waiting to place your order takes patience lots of people don't possess. Standing on your feet in one place, shifting from one leg to the other. But nothing compares to the absolute silence between all the customers waiting to place their order, and when one does, everyone watches them like a hawk. The person placing the order will often feel flustered, embarrassed even, to be speaking in front of a crowd that just wants them to finish and leave so the next can go through the same thing. 

Ever since Olivia came that one day, the silence between Diego and Elias felt like they were waiting in line, waiting for the other to speak up and place their order. They worked together just like they always did, but once in a while one would bump into the other and mess up their rhythm. 

Elias knew why he couldn't talk to Diego, he just wondered why Diego wouldn't talk to him. Elias would ask Diego to do something, and instead of saying he'd do it, he'd just do it. 

Diego was constantly trying to sort out the thoughts in his head, constantly being swarmed with different words ensured that nothing would ever leave his mouth that hadn't been reviewed over and over. 

Between the two of them not talking, and Olivia no longer showing up. They both wondered what Olivia said to the other that could make there be such thick silence, and this went on for days. Until the day Olivia walked through the door, after days of not showing up at all. Instead of going directly to the table in the back like she always did, she walked to the counter right in front of Diego. All the customers had already been served and had either left or were sitting down. The two of them were almost completely alone to talk, if Elias hadn't been working on replacing the different sandwich fixings. 

"How are you today Olivia?" Diego said, not really caring about the answer. "I haven't seen you in a while." Diego didn't want to continue the conversation, just wanted to have common courtesy.

Olivia let out a small chuckle and then said, "Actually that's why I'm here Diego," Olivia began to go on a hunt for something in her purse, not saying a word until she brought out a light green card. "You had mentioned how you wanted to go on another date soon, and I thought this would be a fun thing we could do!" Olivia smiled as she passed Diego the card, the words spelling something out about a play in a couple of days. Diego quickly read over the few sparkly words and looked back up at Olivia, who awaited his answer.

"Sounds great, we should go over the details tonight," Diego replied, regretting having to talk with Olivia for any longer than he had to. 

"Sounds great! I'll call you later tonight." Olivia said before turning and leaving the shop, leaving the smell of rain and money behind her. Elias never stopped working but watched as Diego looked the card over in his hands. 

"So, you and Olivia? When did that happen?" Elias asked, trying his best to not sound like he was trying to interrogate Diego, even though that's exactly what he was doing. 

"We just really hit it off at the banquet, I guess," Diego said, putting the card away. Diego would play Olivia's game until she got bored, but the less he talked to Elias about it the less likely he'd screw it up for all of them.

"Plays are always fun to see, you guys will have a great time." Elias managed to mutter before another customer walked in, and the two of them went back to work.