2019-09-23 - Early Bird Gets The Sundae?

Kailey is probably one of the first customers. Her colorful hair is up in pigtails and she's dressed in fashionably tattered jeans and a decoratively cut black t-shirt. Over it a faded and paint stained purple windbreaker. Her green eyes widen as she takes in the place, moving over to snag a stool at the bar. Spinning for a moment with childish delight before settling in and eyeing the menu.

Coming out from behind a door, which leads to stairs going up, Everett, with damp long black hair, takes a few steps towards the door to the back before he pauses at the door, pursing the early. Early. Very early morning crowd. Person. And the single waitress in her 1950's uniform waiting to take an order. There's little indication of what he thinks of the person taking up a stool at the front other than the long pause. Ducking under the doorframe, the large man goes into the back. Since they occasionally serve fried, greasy finger foods they have a kitchen, and in there, a cook who also serves as the manager. And while Everett can't be seen, the other man, armed with a beard, looks to the back, then to the front of the store and then the back. He nods and then shakes his head with confusion.

"Oooof...so many options...ummmmm...lessee...mozzy sticks, and fries, aaaaand a chocolate strawberry malted shake. OH! Can you add any caramel swirls in it? And I -definitely- want some of that fudge. With the walnuts," Kailey speaks quickly and her hands point out the things she wants on the menu and in the confection case. "AAaaaaand a cup of coffee, yeah? Cream and lots of sugar. Oh, and after all that I'll have a vanilla sunday with chocolate sauce and peanuts and whipped cream." Then she nods definitively. She glances towards the back at the movement of Everett disappearing into the kitchen. "I -love- the decor in here. So cool. And it smells ah-MAZ-ing!" She continues to natter ot the poor waitress.

She does her best to keep up, writing everything down as best as she's able with candy cane-esque pen and pad. While the list gets longer and longer, she starts to slow down, peering up through her lashes like she wonders where it's all going to go, but hers is but to write.

From the back, Everett emerges again, ducking under the doorframe but keeping the swinging door open between him and the multi-hue haired honey. He peers a little longer before carrying a paper and a cup of coffee be presumably acquired from the kitchen to the back, letting the door wobble back and forth before it stops. Setting his items down on the table, claiming them, Everett approaches the customer cautiously, as one would a deer that came into their store, sat down, and started ordering items, each footstep slow and considered.

Kailey hops from her seat to leave the waitress with her order. Moving over to peer closer at the confections offered. "OooOOoooo, I like thooooose," She coos at some chocolate covered marshmallows. "I need four of these too!" She calls to the waitress before moving back to her seat. She seems to be in good spirits for the hour and when Everett emerges and slowly approaches, she smiles at him. "Goooooood morning!"

Mozzarella sticks and fries. Those items the waitress calls to the back for Mr. Beard to start while she takes a look at the ticket again and starts getting ready to get the remainder, after adding chocolate covered marshmallows, looking up and up to Everett as he approaches.

And comes to a halt when his quarry gets up from her stool. Everett pauses like a deer caught in headlights, caught in the middle of making hand gestures at the waitress when he's addressed. Two fingers. Two fingers pointing at his army green eyes. Then pointing a thick finger at the customer.
The thug stands tall and clears his throat. "Uhh", he offers wittily. He pauses a tick and then gingerly extends his arm. To poke Kailey. In the shoulder.
His experiment yields seemingly favorable results.
With a sigh of relief, Everett retracts his poking arm so he can turn around and retreat towards the table he had set his items on. He offers little in the way of explanation.

Kailey watches Everett approach with that smile. It becomes more confused the closer her draws and then the poking. Her small amount of muscle yields underneat cloth as one might expect. At that point she raises a brow and tilts her head slightly.

"Uhhhhh...'kaaaaaay," Kailey says slowly, reaching up to twirl one ponytail briefly around her fingers. Then it is off her stool she hops and over to his table. Plunking herself down across from him. "You poked. You got my attention," She tells him cheerfully as she extends a hand decorated in floral henna stains. "I'm Kailey. New to town."

It's with genuine, or the next best thing, disbelief that Everett finds himself pulling his chair back, and sitting down with company. His eyes travel to the left while he considers something, then they widen a little. He glances the other way for a second before lifting his paper tentatively for just a moment and then putting it back down.
"I. Uh." He starts and stops again, with his deep basso voice. Then it's two words. Two words that explains everything, and will make this whole thing smooth over: "Just checkin'." He seems at peace with his explanation, putting down the paper in favor of his cup and taking a sip from the dark fluid. "Everett."

"Miss?" a feminine voice calls from behind. A mug, similar to Everett's is placed down on the counter top where Kailey had been sitting.

Kailey seems more amused than put off by Everett's reaction to her presence. Watching him as she leans on the table, arms folding right in front of her. Painted lips pulled up into that cheerful smile. "Just checking? What? That I wasn't a figment of your imagination?" She asks with a chuckle. "Pretty sure I'm all here..." And she sits up to pat herself down.

And then there is a cup on the table and she looks up at the waitress. Beaming at her as she takes the coffee. "Thank you!" And she moves to start dumping sugar into the cup. "Everett? Isn't that a city to the north?" She returns to the coversation, smiling at the man once more. "I'll take the milkshake anytime, by the way!" She then calls after the waitress. Who knew one customer could be such a handful. And she isn't even drunk.

Of course, coffee's the easiest to sling, it's the first to arrive. The waitress gives a quiet lament, and turns back to behind the counter to work on more of the order.
Oh, the scrutiny! Eyes widen a touch while he looks left and then right, tucking his head back a little, looking for the best place to drop a smoke bomb and dive out in the direction of. The cup is put down with resignation, his large fingers interlaced around the mug, keeping his thumbs free to steeple. And twirl. "So I'm told," he answers the last questions first. Then, with his right hand, he gestures vaguely around his face before tucking his hand back. "I had an ex-girlfriend that showed up with hair like yours. I was just checking." There's a pause before he adds as though someone's had to remind him on more than one occasion, "Sorry if I disturbed you."

"Pfft! Takes a lot more than someone poking me in the arm to disturb me, man," Kailey says, waving a hand. "Well, I'm -pretty- sure I've never been here before. It's the kind of place I'd remember...no matter what." She looks around the soda fountain and then back to it's spooked owner.

The coffee has a bunch of cream added to it as well before Kailey sips. It meets with her approval as she wiggles in her seat. "So do you work here or something? I saw you going into the kitchen. It must be awesome being around all these sweets, but hard on the belt line if you're not careful. I'd totally spend all my paycheck on sweets until I was sick. Then problem solved," She ends with a giggle and another sip of coffee. Leaving room for Everett to say something.

Polite. Polite. Be polite.
"Or something?" he offers. "I'm, uh. On a diet. Look," he quickly adds, standing up from his table, surrendering ground while he picks up his paper and his drink. "I just remembered I have a thing I have to do, so I have to..."

Kailey watches Everett with mostly hidden amusement. Tilting her head to the side her green eyes follow him. "Mmmm...okay! Well, nice ta meet ya anyways. Have a nice day and stuffs," She says, sitting back in the chair now to wave at him. Cheerfully not perturbed at all by the grim and skittish giant. "I'll definitely be coming back here. So, see ya around." Fair warning at least?