House of Payne: Max by Stacy Gail

Author:Stacy Gail [Gail, Stacy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2017-10-12T23:00:00+00:00

With the less-than-spectacular start to her shift, Pari didn’t hold out much hope for things getting any better. That opinion did a sharp about-face, however, when a uniformed delivery man pushed his way into the diner carrying a purple vase carrying dozens of long-stemmed purple-tinted roses.

“Hoo, look at all that pretty purple, will ya?” From across the crowded dining area and serving steaming hot plates to a group of what looked to be hospital personnel, Edie looked up and made big eyes at Pari. “It’s a good thing Lola’s shift ended an hour ago. I get the feeling that right there would’ve given her a freaking aneurism.”

“Whoa,” a nearby customer said, while others turned in their seats and craned their necks to get a better look.

“I’ve got a delivery here for…” The delivery man placed the purple vase of flowers on the counter so he could look at the tablet he had tucked under his arm. “A Miss Paradise Simone. Is there a Paradise Simone here?”

“I still think that’s a made-up name,” Bosko offered from the pass-through.

At a table full of little old ladies in Edie’s section, a white-haired woman raised a hand. “Can I have those flowers if I change my name to Paradise Simone?”

“Uh, that’s me, I’m Paradise.” After quickly topping off the coffee mugs at the booth where she was standing, Pari zoomed around the edge of the dining area toward the counter, already smelling the faintest scent of the roses. “Do you need to see some ID?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the only Paradise Simone currently in the Mad Cow, hon,” Edie offered from her end of the small diner as Pari went about the business of depositing the coffee pot back on its hot plate behind the counter.

“Yeah, kiddo, we’ll vouch for you.” Bosko looked at the flowers and whistled his appreciation before pointing his spatula at Edie. “See? I told you, didn’t I? When men are trying to be romantic, they send flowers.”

“Yeah, yeah. When was the last time you went on a date, Bos?”

“Sometime last decade. And the reason I haven’t gone on one since is because I forgot to send flowers. Word got around that I’m a non-flower-giving jerk, and my social life went down the crapper.”

“That’s what did it? Are you sure it’s not the shrine you made for the one ring that rules them all?”

“Excuse me, but the actual title is the one ring to rule them all, and it’s not a shrine. It’s a tastefully decorated display case.”

“Thank you.” Scrawling a quick signature for the flowers, Pari then grabbed up the vase and headed for the kitchen door. “Bosko, could I please have two minutes to put things away?”

“You can have three, but then I need you back out here, kiddo. Dinner crowd’s just starting and we’re almost full already.”

“I’ll hurry.” Hustling back to the locker area, Pari sat down on the bench and breathed in the lush scent of the roses before hunting carefully through the fresh, violet-tipped blooms.

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