Lulu's Café

by T. I. Lowe

  Leah tried to stifle a laugh at how each guy had a one-syllable name. She thought Crow was perfect for Crowley and wondered why no one else called him that.

  “You guys ready to order, or are you going to let me do what I do with Crowley and just bring you whatever I see fit?” She smirked.

  “No. We’re big boys and can make our own decisions, unlike our buddy Crowley,” answered the tall, dark, and bright-blue-eyed guy, who Leah thought was Matt.

  “Hey now. I just try to be easygoing on these ladies, but you creeps always have to be complicated.” Crowley laughed.

  Each guy rambled off his massive order quicker than Leah could write.

  “I want two spinach omelets and an order of French toast,” said tall, dark, and chocolate-brown eyes.

  “I’ll take two sausage and egg sandwiches on English muffins and oatmeal,” ordered the tall, fair-skinned, strawberry blond.

  “I want . . .” continued until Leah had three pages full of orders.

  She was about to head off to the kitchen when Crowley stopped her. “What about me?”

  “You’ll eat whatever I bring you, big boy,” she said, earning a roar of laughter from his friends.

  Leah quickly went to work on the massive order. While the breakfast meats cooked and the oatmeal boiled, Leah delivered the drink orders, along with a basketful of freshly baked banana-nut muffins to hold the guys over until she had their orders finished.

  The group gave her a round of applause after she successfully delivered each order correctly to its owner. She served Crowley a huge, overfilled Western omelet with wheat toast and a side of fruit and yogurt.

  “Not bad, Lee,” Crowley commented.

  “Lee?” a few guys asked.

  “It’s Leah if you want me to answer.” She poked Crowley in the side. “Poor Crow has a hard time pronouncing Le-ah.” This got a few whoops and hollers from the group.

  “Crow?” Jake asked, laughing. “I like it, Leah.” Leah remembered his name. He was intriguing to look at. There was something about his caramel skin tone and bright-green eyes.

  Leah gave him a smile and headed back to the kitchen, where Lulu stood, pulling more muffins out of the pan. “Good grief, Lulu.” She clucked her tongue, feeling right exasperated, and took a much-needed drink of water from her glass. “I hope you ordered extra food for this week.”

  “Sure did, don’t worry,” Lulu said and continued her task. “They’ll be heading to their beach house this evening for the next two days, so we’ll get a small break.” Lulu playfully bumped into Leah on her way to the display case with the muffins. “Besides, those boys will tip you more than you make in two regular weeks. It’ll be worth the extra work.”

  Lulu was right about the tip. Lying on the table after the guys left was an extra hundred-dollar bill for her. The same happened after they inhaled a massive lunch of two turkey burgers each, extra-large orders of potato wedges, and side salads.

  Leah was relieved when they announced their departure for the beach. She helped Lulu load them up with an assortment of goodies for their trip.

  The next two days were considerably quieter, but a bit lonely. By the time the guys returned to their claimed corner of the café with deeper tans and more tales to share during a late lunch of soup and sub sandwiches, Leah was actually glad to see them.

  While the guys finished up their meal, Crowley made his way to the counter to speak with Leah before he headed out for an evening of fishing. “You missed us, didn’t you?” he teased.

  She pretended not to hear him as she refilled some glasses and returned them to customers at the counter.

  “You go shopping yet?” he asked.

  “I think you missed me, Crow.” She smirked. “Yes, I went shopping in your absence and found something super sexy that I think your friends will find interesting.” She raised her eyebrows and leaned close to whisper, “But I want to show you first. Come on.”

  Leah led him out the back door and pointed to a teal-blue beach bicycle that almost matched her Jeep’s color. The retro-style bike was decked out with chrome finish and whitewall tires. The bike was complete with a black wicker basket.

  “Great bike, Lee.” Crowley huffed out a laugh.

  “Found this beauty at a yard sale yesterday at the park. Only paid thirty bucks for it,” Leah bragged as Crowley sat on it to try it out.

  The back door banged open with Ana staring the two down. “Whatcha doing hiding back here together?”

  “Showing Crowley my big find from the yard sale yesterday,” Leah answered.

  “Oh, that’s a sweet bike, Leah,” Ana said in approval. “I got me a bike too. Let’s load them up and spend the day at the beach tomorrow.”

  “Sure, but after church. I already promised Lulu I would go,” Leah said.

  Ana rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement.

  “You two ladies have a good time,” Crowley said as he climbed off the bike and walked back into the café.

  “He didn’t seem too sincere,” Ana sassed after the door was closed. She waved her hand as if to dismiss the thought. “I’ve got a huge surprise for you, my friend.”

  “What?” Leah eyed her.

  “Oh, you’ll see . . . real soon.” Ana smiled.

  17

  THE FRATERNITY BROTHERS’ VISIT ended up stretching for over a two-week period. The married friends kept the original departure time, which left six guys behind. Leah enjoyed getting to know the guys but craved some alone time as well. She and Ana struck out a couple of times to the beach with their bikes loaded in the back of Leah’s Jeep.

  After work on the following Friday, Leah hid herself behind the back shelves of the bookstore. Her long legs were draped over the armrest of an oversize stuffed chair she had dubbed her favorite, her bare feet resting on the chair beside hers. She was enjoying a new mystery suspense novel she had just purchased, along with an iced coffee.

  Leah’s mind wandered midpage. The week had been filled to the brim with excitement and chaos. Ana went and fell head over heels for Crowley’s friend Jake and had worried Leah to death about it—wanting her opinion on what to wear, should she call him or wait on his call, if it was wise to date a friend of Crowley’s . . . After the stunt Ana pulled on Leah, the Southern belle better be glad Leah was still talking to her, Leah thought. She huffed at the memory.

  “The book that bad?” Crowley asked quietly as he lifted her feet and sat beside her.

  “No. Trying to decide on whether I want to pinch Ana’s cute little nose right off her face,” Leah said as she put the book down and looked at her unexpected company.

  “What’d she do now?”

  “She did exactly what she’s been threatening to do. Yesterday she snuck into my apartment and stole every stitch of clothing she could find.”

  Crowley chuckled and patted Leah’s feet, which were now draped lazily in his lap. “Did she at least replace them with new clothes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I don’t believe that merits pinching her nose off.”

  “No? Well, I rummaged through my new wardrobe at four thirty this morning for something to wear to work. I threw this T-shirt on with these jeans and went on to work.” She pointed to the chocolate-brown and teal T-shirt with some Southern girl logo at the top left.

  Crowley shrugged his broad shoulders while studying her outfit. “What’s so bad about that?”

  “Your buddies came in for breakfast without you this morning and enjoyed pointing out what the back says.” Leah stood up and turned so Crowley could read the back: Once You Go Southern, You Ain’t Gonna Want No Othern.

  His laughter was so rich it seemed to fill the entire bookstore. “I bet the guys got a kick out of that. Hate I missed it. You know that’s a true statement.” He tapped his finger on the back of her shirt.

  “I can’t believe you weren’t hospitable this morning to your guests,” Leah said in mock disapproval, turning around to face him.

  “Had business to ten
d to, Miss Leah.” He swiped her iced coffee and took a sip. “Yuck, Lee. You know Nick has sugar behind the counter. All you gotta do is ask for it.” Nose wrinkled, he handed the coffee over to her.

  She shrugged and took a sip. “I’ve finally gotten used to it without.”

  “Tomorrow night is the last night before the guys head home. They want you to join us for supper at the town house tomorrow.”

  “You mean that massive pot of chili Lulu and I started working on today?” Leah asked as she gathered her stuff.

  “Yes, ma’am. Hey, don’t let me run you off here. I’ll get going so you can enjoy your peace and quiet.” Crowley stood and motioned for her to sit back down.

  Leah slipped on her new flip-flops. “No, I’ve got to go put up with Ana for a little while. Miss Busy Bee forgot some important wardrobe needs.”

  “You finally got some flip-flops, Lee. I’m impressed.”

  “Yeah, they work better at the beach than my tennis shoes. I’ve sort of fallen in love with them, actually.” She smiled, and Crowley’s tanned face responded with a smile of his own. Leah noticed his hair had lightened up even more from all of the recent outdoor excursions.

  “What did Ana forget to give you?” Crowley asked.

  “Umm . . . What do Southern women say? Unmentionables?”

  Crowley snorted. “You just sounded like such a granny.”

  Leah playfully popped him in the stomach. “You’re pushing it today.” She waved bye to Nick as Crowley held the door open for her.

  “See you kids later,” Nick said.

  Crowley waved and said to Leah as they reached the sidewalk, “You never gave me an answer about supper tomorrow night.”

  “Oh . . . the privilege of being invited to the great Crowley’s humble abode. How could I possibly refuse such an invitation?” Leah said in her fake Southern accent.

  Crowley laughed. “Great. I’ll leave you to your ‘unmentionable’ chore.”

  The next afternoon, Crowley drove up to the café about an hour after closing. He unlocked the front door and caught a glimpse of Lulu and Leah in the kitchen, finishing up his meal. They were working quietly as he sauntered into the kitchen. The first thing he did was pop a corn muffin in his mouth as Leah was boxing them up.

  “Wow, Lulu. These are the best muffins you ever made,” he mumbled around a mouthful of muffin.

  “She made those.” Lulu nodded at Leah.

  Crowley looked in Leah’s direction and was surprised to see her in a hot-pink T-shirt and jeans that hugged her body instead of her usual baggy black garments. Her hair was down, and a black-and-white swirly headband was secured neatly in her pale-blonde curls.

  “Wow, Lee. You look good.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered. “Ana thought I might catch one of your buddies tonight, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it.” She looked up at him with squinted eyes.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “She’s had a migraine headache all afternoon,” Lulu said as she stirred the large pot of chili.

  “Then why didn’t you send her home?” Crowley asked in a bossy tone. He walked behind Leah and gently massaged her neck, slowly working his way up to her temples. Leah closed the lid of the muffin box and leaned into his hands.

  Lulu put her hands on her hips and looked Crowley dead in the eye. “Because she refused to go until we finished your supper.” She turned to Leah. “Everything is done now. Crowley can load this by himself.”

  “Okay,” Leah whispered. She gave Crowley and Lulu a weak smile and slowly made her way upstairs.

  Once the door shut, Lulu whispered, “Two investigators came in today flashing a photo of a woman they were looking for. Leah avoided them like the plague, but they finally cornered her to show her the picture. The girl looked like she was about to faint.”

  “Did you see who was in the picture?” Crowley crossed his arms and leaned a hip against the counter.

  “Yeah. It was some woman I had never seen before.”

  “Did Leah seem to recognize her?”

  “No. She looked right relieved with the fact of it too.” Lulu pulled Crowley’s strawberry cream pies out of the refrigerator. “Shortly after the investigators left, she started rubbing her neck. I could actually see the headache come upon her.”

  Crowley pushed off the counter, scooped up the large pot of chili, and started for the door. “You think she’s ever going to tell us what happened to her?”

  “When she’s ready. I don’t think she can keep right on carrying that load all on her own.” Lulu followed behind him with the pies.

  After Crowley loaded everything, he went up to check on Leah before he left. He knocked softy on the door but didn’t get any answer. He didn’t linger long, figuring she was resting, so he headed on out.

  Throughout the night, the town house was loud and alive with laughter and fun. Crowley played his part as a fun-loving host but kept sneaking to the porch to see if any light had come on in Leah’s apartment. Disappointingly, it never did. He gave up around nine, finally accepting that she wouldn’t be joining them.

  The next afternoon Leah went on an extended jog. After yesterday’s debacle, she was having a hard time shaking her ever-nagging anxiety. She was beginning to think God was sending her warning signs that it was time to come clean with the business of Brent.

  She slowed down and walked over to a park bench at the river and sat to catch her breath. She licked the scar on her lip as she wondered how difficult it would be to prove self-defense. She wished desperately that she had agreed with the doctor in Nebraska and filed a report. Then she would have proof. She was pretty sure it was too late now, but she knew a really good lawyer who would know the answers if she could ever gather enough courage to ask him.

  “I was beginning to think you took off on that jog never to return,” Crowley spoke as he walked up to her.

  She shook her head, thinking the man had a way of popping up unexpectedly. “I was just thinking about you, Crow.” She wiped her sweaty face with her collar. The curls that had escaped her ponytail now clung to her damp neck, and she tried to wipe them dry too.

  Crowley sat beside her and offered one of the red Gatorades he was carrying. “I hope it was good thoughts.”

  After taking a substantial gulp of the cold sports drink, she held the bottle up. “Thanks. Did your company make it off all right?”

  “Yep. Everyone was disappointed you couldn’t make it last night.” Crowley produced a pout as he unscrewed the lid off his bottle.

  “Me too. I feel bad about missing it. How’d it go?”

  “Terrible,” he grumbled. “The dating game wasn’t much fun with Ana and her little boutique girls.”

  Leah scoffed. “Please. Those women are walking models. I bet you all managed just fine.”

  Crowley nudged her with his elbow. “I think Greg was the most disappointed you didn’t show. He spent the entire night pining away over your absence.”

  “I’m sure the boutique beauties were good distractions.” Leah laughed.

  “The guy has really got the hots for you, Lee. He spent the night looking outside, hoping to see your lights on and hoping you’d feel well enough to come spend some quality time with him.” Crowley slipped another mocking pout on his face.

  “Please, Crow.” Leah shook her head and stared out over the dark water, watching it slowly glide by. The sun was starting to droop a bit in the late-afternoon sky.

  “I can give you his number, if you’d like.”

  “No thanks.” Leah leaned over and unlaced her running shoes.

  “Why not?”

  Leah wondered why he sounded genuinely curious but chose not to say anything about it. Instead, she slid her shoes off and tucked the damp socks inside them before rolling her capri running pants up over her knees. Leah had to admit that Ana did do a great job in choosing exercise outfits. She loved how the fitted material moved with her strides and didn’t feel binding.

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nbsp; “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not into the dating scene.” She got up from the bench and made her way down to the water’s edge.

  Crowley slipped his flip-flops off and followed. “Well, that’s not true.”

  “How so?” Leah asked as she stood ankle-deep in the refreshing water.

  “You agreed to a date next weekend.” He lightly kicked some water over the backs of her legs.

  She squinted at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do. Our fishing trip.” He tilted his head to the side and looked rather smug for no apparent reason.

  “A fishing trip is not a date, Crow.” Leah took a few watery steps and stopped. “When exactly are we going anyway?”

  “Next Sunday,” he answered slowly while watching her closely.

  Leah angled her body slightly away from him and stared at the water without answering. She knew what next Sunday was, but there was no way he knew. Or so she thought . . .

  “What’s the matter, Lee? That day’s not suitable, or do you already have a hot date planned?” he teased. He shoved his hands inside his loose pockets and studied her.

  “Lulu won’t like us skipping church to go fishing.” She mumbled the excuse without meeting his scrutiny.

  “You just leave Lulu to me. It’s her fault anyway that you never have any other day off besides Sundays.” He began leading her in a lazy stroll along the water’s edge.

  “It’s my choice to not have any other day off. Lulu has offered me more, so don’t go harassing her.”

  Crowley raised his hands defensively. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Leah turned quickly and splashed water at him but realized too late that she’d kicked up mud. “Oops.” Eyes wide, she raised her hands. “I didn’t mean to do that.” She gave up being sincere and laughed when the mud speckling his cheeks caught her attention.

  Crowley stood almost completely still with his hands resting on his lean hips, as if contemplating how to react. Leah understood too late that he was working the mud with his toes.