A head turned fast. It was a man, not a woman. His mouth opened wide and he screeched like a wounded cat. Every other tooth in his mouth was missing and his eyes were glazed over with a milky film. There was a thick, bumpy, scaly rash on one side of his face that resembled clusters of small mushrooms. He hissed a few times, jerked away from Beth Anne, and crawled into the woods on his hands and knees. That was when they noticed he didn't have any feet.
Luis started to shake and a chill passed through his body.
Matthias and Hood exchanged glances and shrugged.
Beth Anne put her hands back on her hips and said, “What the fuck was that creepy little thing? It looked like a fucking troll. This fucking place is the worst.”
Matthias sent her a foul look and turned back toward the car.
By the time they reached the cafe, it was ten thirty and there were only a few people left. It was an old Victorian house and the first floor had been converted into a cafe. An older couple in worn gray clothing sat at a small square table near the kitchen door. The man had one of those Amish beards without a mustache and the woman wore one of those little white hats the Amish women wore at the Dutch Market near Cider Mill Farm. In the middle of the room, there was an extremely overweight woman in a black and white polka dot dress and bright red lipstick sitting at a round table.
When Luis and the other five walked in, no one turned to look at them. Everyone kept eating, their eyes fixed on their plates. Luis glanced down at the floor and sighed. The place hadn't been cleaned in years. When he moved his feet, clouds of dust formed and left a film on his black hiking boots. The front windows were so filthy it was hard to look through them. The old wooden table tops had crumbs and food stains.
Luis reached for Jase's arm and said, “I'm not so sure about this place. Maybe we should drive a little more and see if the roads are open yet.” All his life he'd preached against the harmful side effects of fast food. At that moment, Luis would have kissed the counter at McDonald's drive-thru window.
Before anyone had a chance to reply, the old woman sitting with the old man turned her head and she glared at him. “They won't be open for at least a day. Nowhere to go but right here.” Then she turned back just as fast and looked down at her plate.
Luis felt another chill run up his spine. But Jase put his hand on the small of Luis's back and said, “Don't worry. It's all good.”
They took a table near the front window and a nice-looking young guy came out of the kitchen and handed them wrinkled old menus with so many food stains it was difficult to see the print. He was short, with dark blond hair, but clean shaven. He wore a dingy white shirt and the tightest black pants Luis had ever seen. But they didn't seem to be tight on purpose. They were short and about four inches of his ankle was showing, as if he'd been wearing them for years. The soles had separated from his black shoes and the laces were frayed at the ends. Everyone at the table exchanged glances. But no one said a word, not even Beth Anne. They just opened their menus and chose what they were going to order.
And that didn't take long. There weren't many choices, other than burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese. Luis would have killed for a fresh green salad and a nice seven-bone roast. But he ordered a burger with everyone else because he hadn't eaten since lunch.
When the young waiter returned, he smiled at them and said, “Can I take your orders now?” At least he was friendly—almost too friendly. He smiled too much, but with a grin that made his jaw jut out. He didn't show his teeth. He opened his eyes too wide and his nostrils flared. It was hard to miss, now that he was standing there in front of them, that his pants were so tight his penis was practically popping out of his black pants. And it was almost as big and thick as the Polish sausage Luis had bought for dinner the night before at the Dutch Market. It rested across the entire right side of his pants.
Luis pressed his palm to his chest and made a conscious effort to look into the young waiter's wide eyes when he ordered his burger. Matthias did the same thing, and so did Hood and Jase. But when it was time for Beth Anne to order her big bowl of macaroni and cheese, she glanced down at the young waiter's bulge and poked Blaze in the ribs with her elbow. Then she smiled and said, “I'd like an order of macaroni and cheese and a nice big juicy hot dog. Do you have a big, thick juicy hot dog for me, sweetie?”
Luis saw Matthias kick her under the table. He watched Blaze's face turn red. Jase and Hood just looked up at the ceiling and frowned.
The waiter said, “Okay, a nice big hot dog for you.” He obviously didn't notice the way she was staring at his crotch. He had no idea she was making fun of him, and Luis had a feeling he never would.
Luis rolled his eyes. He wished he could kick Beth Anne, too. He hated it when aggressive people took advantage of people who weren't as bright or slick as they were.
Thankfully, Matthias shot Beth Anne a look and said, “She'll just have the mac and cheese, buddy.”
The waiter grinned and his chin jutted out again. “No hot dog? I have one.”
“No, thanks,” Matthias said, glaring at Beth Anne, daring her to laugh.
When the waiter was gone, Matthias turned to Beth Anne and said, “Can't you be a little refined anywhere you go? He seems like a nice, decent kid. They don't have much money in these little towns. He probably can't afford new pants.”
Luis felt a tug in his heart. He sent Matthias a smile. He'd been thinking the same thing.
But Beth Anne waved her hand and said, “Did you see what's going on in his pants? He's got a goddamn fucking torpedo in there.” Then she poked Blaze again in the ribs. “I'd like to put that on a roll and cover it with mustard.”
Blaze turned red and giggled. She looked down at the table, still smiling.
Matthias rolled his eyes and said, “I guess I shouldn't expect anything else.”
When their dinners arrived, Luis asked if there was a phone he could use. But the waiter told him all the phones were out because of the storm. Matthias kicked Beth Anne under the table again and gave her a look. This time she didn't say anything that might offend the waiter and she didn't make any obvious reference to his bulge. But she did lift up her arms and stretch just enough for the young waiter to see her short, thin T-shirt go up. One of her big pointy breasts fell out and the young waiter's face turned red. He left so fast he almost dropped Luis's burger on his lap. Thankfully, Matthias reached over and grabbed it just in time.
While they ate, Matthias started talking about medical school. He said Hood was studying to be a dentist, but he was a year behind Matthias. Then Matthias told Luis and Jase that he and Hood had asked Beth Anne and Blaze to get away with them for a few days. Matthias made a point of letting Luis and Jase know that there was nothing serious between him and Beth Anne, in spite of the fact that Beth Anne was sitting across from him. He said Beth Anne was in nursing school, they'd dated a few times, and they weren't a couple. Blaze was Beth Anne's hairdresser. Hood and Blaze weren't a couple either. They'd dated a few times, like Matthias and Beth Anne, but there was nothing serious between them. They all lived in Philadelphia.