קгєץ 🕷 [ⲛⲁⲅⳙⲏⳕⲛⲁ]

Like A Puppet On A String

Chapter Eleven

Like A Puppet On A String

✧༶☽-ˋˏHιɳαƚαˎˊ-☾༶✧

March 23, 2012

"You're all set," Hinata chirped, stopping at a table in her section, sharing a smile with the young man and older woman sharing the booth, "here's your bill."

"I'll take that."

Hinata handed the young man the small leather booklet.

"And sakura mochi to go," she finished, holding out the to-go-bag to the older woman.

"Thank you, dear," the old woman said, dark eyes twinkling.

"You're very welcome," Hinata returned, giving a grateful bow that dropped her ponytail forward across her shoulder,"thank you for choosing Teuchi's."

"It's certainly no hardship," the gray haired granny declared, "you've been absolutely delightful..."

Brow furrowing, the elderly woman stared at her, a bit of frustrated confusion touching her countenance.

"Hinata," Hinata supplied.

"Ah, yes! Hinata. How could I forget, such a beautiful name. You'll have to excuse me, this ol' memory of mine, just isn't what it used to be."

"That's alright," Hinata assured kindly.

"You know, my grandson here is single," the woman informed her, her voice conspiratorial despite speaking well above a whisper, "he's a holistic doctor, no kids, fresh on the market-"

"Grandma," the young man chided on a exasperated sigh.

"What? You need a wife, and this young lady here is the sweetest woman I've come across in quite a while, certainly much nice than what's her face," she wagged a skinny finger at her grandson across the table, "if you think I'm going to let the opportunity for you to finally settle down with good woman pass me by, you've got another thing coming," the elderly woman harrumphed, then turned a speculative gaze to a flustered Hinata, "are you single, deary?"

"Uh-"

"Enough, grandma," the grandson grumbled, holding out the booklet to Hinata, "told you before, I don't need you to try and find me a wife."

"Well if I left it you, I'll be in the ground before I ever get a great-grand. You're not getting any younger, you know. I don't understand why-"

"Thank you," the man said to Hinata, ignoring his grandmother's tirade, the inflection in his voice making it clear this was her last chance to make her escape.

Taking the booklet, Hinata gave another bow, then took the young man up on his offer and skedaddled.

Hoping there she wouldn't run into any more matchmaking grandmothers, Hinata took the booklet to the cashier manning the desk near the restaurant entrance, then set off for her next stop.

Table 10 needed a quick clearing and should be close to check-out if desert wasn't ordered.

She strolled over to find out.

"I'll grab these for you," Hinata murmured, reaching for the dirty eatery the on table.

The man helped her, handing her one of his plates.

"Thank you. Is there anything else I can get for you?" Hinata asked, stacking the empty plates and bowls in her hand, balancing the porcelain tower with an ease she'd perfected over the last two years, "another tea? Perhaps desert? We have a new desert item. For a limited time, we're serving sakura mochi."