Laid Back Road Trip (Untitled Otherwise)
#43 of Short Stories
Kobold and dragon stop at a diner.
~ Randy's gaze lingered between the battered boxes of their life packed away in the back of the station wagon, and the glimmer of the setting sun as the day's heat shimmered off of the parking lot. The kobold's thoughts were readily answered with Jake's smile and whistle. The parking lot of the truck stop was occupied with several big trucks resting towards the back, a smattering of four wheelers fueling up and a handful of fellow patrons of dinner. With a stifled yawn, Randy nodded and trotted to catch up with the much taller dragon.
~ "You sure this is the place that gryphon was talking about?", Randy inquired, carefully clipping a pink bow onto one of his ears as he walked alongside.
~ Jake's reply followed the clearing of his throat with a soft crackle of lightning, "Aye, she said she got lunch here on the way up and didn't have any trouble. I don't expect that they'd mind dragons, if gryphons didn't raise a hackle." Reaching over to pull Randy into a hug, he noticed the bow. "That thing again?"
~ In lieu of lightning or coughs, the kobold merely produced a defeated sigh before replying. "Yeah. I just want some dinner, and it's not like we don't stand out already." Jake nodded quietly in reply as they entered the diner and slipped into a booth near the entrance.
~ The pair wasn't very far into laying out the particulars of the next morning's plans before a beleaguered and smiling lynx arrived at the end of their table, a small pad and pencil in hand. "Drinks for y'all?" Jake immediately volunteered, "Waters, for us both. Thank you. And menus, please." The specials scrawled in chalk on the board at the enterance hadn't caught either of the couple's fancy.
~ Once Francine had vanished back into the kitchen, Randy revealed a mischievious grin as he pointed to the illuminated sign advertising the mass market booze of the region to those outside, "I bet you a skunk beer she brings me a kid's menu by mistake." Jake's laughter echoed through the diner with only the faintest glimmers of thunder before he settled down with his own playful grin and reply, "I love you for a reason, you know."