2019-06-28 - Pancakes

It's a quiet night at the Grizzly, rolling past the dinner hour into the lull between that and the late evening crowd that rolls in after the bars close. Bennie's leaning over the counter, temple propped up on the heel of her hand as she doodles nonsensical swirls onto a napkin in an effort to stay awake. It might be a losing battle, the way her eyes are shadowed and they keep drifting shut before she jerks back awake.

Genevieve walks into the Grizzly, pausing to sniff after the door closes behind her. A smile eases its way onto her face as she walks forward, taking a seat at the counter. "You look like you could use a few days off, or a vacation." She says quietly, attempting not to startle Bennie too much. "I smelled breakfast as I was walking past, and I decided to get thicker thighs the best way I know how. With pancakes." She pauses, glancing around before she asks quietly. "You have pancakes today, oui?"

Bennie can't muster a return smile as she leans back from the counter as Genevieve sits down, but she does slide over a menu and flips it open and a finger taps on the breakfast section. "We serve it twenty four hours a day, with your choice of four different flavored syrups and we can even add fruit." Despite her not being her sunny self, she at least tries to be helpful. "What can I grab you to drink?"

"Orange juice please." Genevieve murmurs, her blue eyes watching Bennie carefully as she opens the menu and taps at it. She glances down at the menu, considering for a few moments before she makes her decision. "Pancakes then, please. Maple syrup with a rasher of bacon as a side." She closes the menu and puts it back where it belongs. "I hope everything is all right, Bennie, or that it will be." She doesn't know her well enough to pry, but it clearly looks like she might want to.

Bennie scrawls the order on her pad before ripping off the ticket. "One stack with a pig back." She repeats and then takes it to the window, coming back and depositing the glass of OJ along with a roll of silverware for Genevieve. "Days off are luxuries I can't afford, but I'll be fine. Promise. It can't always rain, right? So how are you Genevieve?" She asks, friendly enough though lacking the vim and vigor of before.

"That's a shame, everyone needs time to recharge, if they don't get it they burn out hard." Genevieve figures that Bennie knows this so she doesn't harp on it, instead she slots a straw into her orange juice and leans in to sip slowly from it. "I like the rain, so I've tricked myself into thinking the rainy days are good. Make the best out of every situation." She unwraps her silverware and shrugs, offering Bennie a sunny smile. "I'm doing well, hoping to open my shop next week at some point. Perhaps I'll bring you something when I do."

"Mm." Bennie replies distractedly about needing to recharge, pulling the end of her pony tail around and examining it as if for split ends. "The, uh, flower thing right?" She sounds like she's fighting through some mental fog, her eyes roaming towards an errant fly that's made it's way into the diner, buzzing around a distant booth.

Genevieve rests her cheek on her palm as she watches Bennie. "Cannabis dispensary." She says softly, and then she goes quiet. She observes for a few minutes while she waits for her food, reaching down in her purse to pull out the book she's been reading off and on during the day. "You're worrying me a little bit, Bennie. Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you?" She rests the book on the counter, folding her hands over the thick volume. "Anything at all?"

Bennie pulls her attention back to Genevieve with some effort, making a vague waving motion with her hand. "I'll be fine. Just need some rest, like you said." She takes a deep breath and then pulls up a semi convincing smile, or so she hopes. "Cannabis, right. Did you go with Bud and Buds, then?" Like she and Easton suggested, but she tries not to stutter over the thought of the name, no matter how much it makes her hand ache to reach for her phone.

Genevieve nods at Bennie, opening the book to a page and sticking her finger in. She's not ready to read yet. "I did, I should perhaps give you stock in the place if it doesn't go horribly." She returns the smile, her eyes narrowing as she watches Bennie reach for her phone. "That reminds me, how is.. goodness me, what was his name? The nice man at taco Tuesday." She snaps her fingers a few times, her nose wrinkling as she tries to recall Easton's name. "I'm not usually horrible with names, I apologize."

Bennie looks at the blank screen of her phone before she tucks it back into her apron. "E.." She clears her throat, "Easton. I'm sure he's fine, but if you're vested in his well being, I'm sure there will be another Tuesday where there will be tacos." She slides a little pitcher of maple syrup onto the counter for Genevieve. "S'cuse me. Your food is up."

Genevieve watches Bennie take off to get her food, a slight frown forming on her face. She pulls out her own phone, sending off a text before she shifts her book to the side. No use getting maple syrup all over her new book. She glances around the diner, looking at some of the bear paraphernalia again while Bennie is gone. Her stomach rumbles, probably in response to the whole taco discussion. Who doesn't like tacos?

Bennie returns with a large plate for the pancakes and a smaller one that has four strips of bacon on it, done to perfect crispness. "I had them put the bacon on a separate plate, I hate when syrup makes the strips soggy, though I admit to dipping them. Something about the salty and sweet. So what is it you're reading?"

"A book that was recommended to me recently. I used to read these cheesy California blond twin novels when I was younger, and this woman has done a whole critique on them. It's quite funny." Genevieve responds, tilting the book up so Bennie can see the title. It reads 'If you lived here you'd be perfect by now.' She shrugs and picks up her syrup, pouring it over the pancakes. "I like to dip my bacon too, thank you for looking out for me, Bennie." She picks up a strip of bacon and dips it in her syrup. "You find time to read while you're working?"

Bennie takes a step back from the counter, giving Genevieve her space to enjoy her dinner without hovering but still within conversational space. "I think I wear out my poor library card, though lately when it's not numbed from medical texts, I've been killing the rest of my brain cells with trashy romance novels."

Genevieve crunches into her bacon, nodding at Bennie. "I haven't been to the library yet, but I found a charming book store. The man who owns it has ordered some books in for me, I should go pick them up sometime soon." She dips her bacon again and takes another bite. "Trash romance novels are the best. Things never work the way they do in the books, but it's still fun to read them." She looks far away for a few moments herself, and when she comes back, she picks up her fork and digs into the pillowy pancakes. "Do you know if the library here has microfilm?"

"You mean the heaving bosoms and ripping bodices and white knights? No, no I guess things aren't happily ever after." Bennie's attention goes back to the ends of her hair, plucking at a strand and snapping it out of the bunch before twiddling her fingers over the trash can. "I thought most things that were kept on microfiche ended up degrading? But I dunno. They do have computers though. It's the only way I keep up with the Kardashians."

"They're happily ever right now, pretty much." Genevieve lets out a sigh at the news and takes a bite of her pancakes. Her eyes close as she makes a quite yum noise that hopefully doesn't strain the boundaries of propriety. It might be an outright moan. "These are so good." She says after she swallows, digging her fork in for another bite. "I wanted to look up some of the history of the town, suppose I'll have to just do it the old fashioned way and talk to people." She takes another big bite of her pancakes, going quiet so she can chew.

"Can't help you much there. History was never really my strong suit." Bennie plucks another hair out of the bunch, whether the damage is real or imaginary, and dusts it into the bin. "Talking to people though, that I can do. My mom used to say I never met a stranger." There is a ghost of a smile that forms, gone just as quickly as it formed. "I'm glad you like the pancakes. I'll pass on the compliments to the chef." She turns her head slightly, calling out: "Hey, she digs your cakes!"

"Whatever." Comes the response from the kitchen.

"Bless you Bennie, if you know anyone who might know about town history, point them my way. Hell, if you know anyone who enjoys weed.. again with the pointy fingers." Genevieve managed to devour half of her pancakes by this point, and the bacon is just a memory. She eyes the kitchen and snorts out a soft laugh. "I love it here." She says, placing her fork down so she can pick up her orange juice and drain it. "Can I have the check please, Bennie? I have to get home before Eli realizes that I didn't just run down to the supermarket."

"I'm sure you'll have more business than you can handle. Half the town likes to chase away their troubles, and they can do it legally?" Bennie nods at the request for the check, ripping out the carbon from her order and totaling it out without writing any perky notes on the bottom like normal or even signing her name. "Here you go. Thanks for stopping in."

Genevieve smiles at Bennie before she leans over to gaze at the total. She pulls a few bills from her purse, slipping her book back in. "You're welcome, Bennie. I hope you get some time to relax soon." She murmurs, slipping an extra twenty down for a tip. "Tacos are on me next time, hmm?" She wiggles her fingers as she turns to make her way to the door. She peeks outside to make sure it didn't start raining again, before she opens the door and makes her way out.