Long Live the King

Five

"Sorry I'm late," Adrienne apologized as she squeezed into the other side of the booth. "I ended up talking to this lady about a photoshoot for her cats. It's a little weird. I mean I usually shoot people, not pets... but it should pay well."

"Not a problem." Marshall said, glancing up from the menu. "I haven't been here long anyways. I had her bring us water. Hope that's fine."

"Yeah, it's great. What did you do today?" she asked, picking up the menu. "Please tell me you didn't just hang around the apartment again."

"Have you decided on your order yet?"

"Ah, so we're avoiding the question."

"Yes," he said, "because we'd rather eat. I think the waitress is headed over here and I already had to wait for you to get here."

"You said you hadn't been here long."

"I lied."

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress arrived, pulling a pen out of her hair and a pad of paper from her pocket. She looked from Marshall to Adrienne.

"What is your soup of the day?" Marshall asked.

"Tomato basil."

"Yeah, okay, I'll have a half grilled cheese and a cup of the soup." He folded up his menu and passed it down to the waitress. Both of them turned their eyes on Adrienne.

"And for you ma'am?" the waitress asked.

"Can I get a buffalo chicken wrap?" Adrienne asked. "And some extra ranch on the side, please?"

"Certainly." The waitress took the other menu. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you." Marshall said.

Adrienne watched the waitress wander back to the kitchen with their orders.

"You know," she said, "she would be fun to photograph. She's got really bright hair, it would just pop really well against most backgrounds."

"You want to tell her that?" Marshall snorted.

"Please," Adrienne scoffed. "She's a waitress. She can't afford my work. So, now are you going to tell me what you did today?"

"Well I did some work, mostly hung around your apartment--"

"Big surprise."

"--but I also went for a walk."

"Really? You? Walking in the city?"

"Well it wasn't very fun, mind you. I almost got run over three times and I kept getting stuck behind the slowest groups of people. Your neighbor let me take her dog though."

"Skippy?"

"No, Dante... the one that doesn't bark."

"Ohh Rosie's dog. I didn't think he was that well trained."

"He's not," Marshall admitted. "Plus, he's a strong little shit. My arm got a workout, that's for sure."

"Well, maybe next time you'll take Skippy the pipsqueak."

"Or maybe you should get your own dog instead of that evil cat."

"Don't pick on my Mushroom." She glared at him, but somewhere behind that expression her eyes were laughing. "She's not evil, she just doesn't know you."

"She's definitely evil. You're just blind to it."

"Alice never had a problem with her."