8) Lunchtime Music

Dillface Donna pushed open the door to the noisy, crowded Great Patsy Diner, and almost hit the owner, Jitterbug Jenny, who was frantically erasing Thursday's lunch special off the menu board.

"Walker Bugh is in the last booth on the left," greeted Jenny. "Grab yourself a menu. We just ran out of-"

"Not the Tom B's Meaty and Beefy pastie?” Donna cringed in her usual sour-faced expression.

"Fraid so," said Jenny grabbing the half empty coffee pot off the hot plate. "We had a load of people come in from a tour bus and we've been slammed ever since. Had to call High-Heel Hilda in early to help us out."

As Donna inched her way to the back of the restaurant, she couldn't help but watch the elderly Hilda float from table to table in her bright, pink stilettos.

"Will you get a load of that?" chuckled a deep voice directly behind her.

Donna turned as a warm hand grabbed her arm.

"Does that woman move in those shoes or what? Hi, I'm Eric," said a dark-eyed fellow dressed in a beige sport coat worn over a black shirt that read "Cream" of the crop. He took her hand and shook it.

"Well, hello yourself. I'm Donna. Are you following me?"

"I am if you're heading toward the little boy's room."

"Not quite," giggled Donna. She slid slowly into the booth across from Walker Bugh and Eric waved as he passed.

"Hi Walker," smiled Donna.

"Who was that friendly, handsome lad?"

"Eric," said Donna still grinning. "He must be with that tour bus."

"You missed the lunch special."

"No Biggie," said Donna humming to herself.

Walker motioned to Jenny for more coffee, but the busy server passed her by. "I do not like crowds anymore," sighed Walker. "It must be a sign we're getting older."

"Speak for yourself," said Donna. "I just got hit on by Eric Clapton Junior." She leaned forward. "Just last week I got carded at Miller's Market over a bottle of wine. It must be the new smoothies I've been drinking."

"You're making smoothies in the morning?"

"Well, I'm making them. Mostly fruit and wine. A little ice. Yummy!"

"Hey Donna," said Eric strolling up to the booth all smiles. "You have a great lunch. The Tom B pastie was awesome. I can't tell you how great it was to meet you. You remind me so much of a younger version of my grandma. Take care pretty lady."

Donna's face froze. Then she started to mumble. Suddenly, she stood and yelled across the tables, "It's pretty woman young man," but Eric was gone.

Donna glanced at Walker. "What?"

"Watch out for reindeer."

They both burst out laughing. They laughed so hard they couldn't talk and so between snorts and tears, they grabbed their purses and headed out the door toward Red's bar, two pretty women just a walkin down the street singin "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do."