A Table for One

Lisa typed the joyous words, “The End” on her latest novel. She stood, stretched, and drew in a deep satisfying breath. The calendar on the refrigerator with her deadline circled in red no longer taunted her.
Tiki, her cat, brushed up against her leg. “Yep, I’m done, Tiki Kitty. Time to celebrate. I bet you’re hungry.” The cat turned her head to one side in approval. Lisa pulled a tin of the critter’s favorite pate from the pantry and popped the lid. The cat raced to her placemat on the dining room floor and waited for her human to put the food down.
“Well, cat, I think I’m a bit hungry, too.”
Lisa looked in the refrigerator. Nothing. She checked the pantry. “Two packages of peanut butter cookies and a can of soup. Bummer.”
Tiki looked up and mewed.
“Thanks for the offer, Tiki, but I’m not that hungry. You eat your food and I’ll figure something out.” Lisa straightened up. “I think I’ll celebrate in style. I’ll go out to eat.”
After a quick shower, Lisa pulled out a pair of jeans and her favorite sweater. “No. this is a celebratory dinner. The book is finished and ready for Ali.” The thought of surprising her agent with the finished manuscript a week early warmed her heart. “I’m getting dressed up and treating myself to a meal at Stumpknockers!”
Forty minutes later, Lisa walked into the local restaurant dressed in her favorite blue dress with the flattering neckline. The restaurant had long been a favorite of hers in the small Florida town she called home. Several great restaurants lined the downtown area of Inverness. All were good, but Stumpknockers remained her favorite.
“Miss Lisa!” one of the servers called out. “Here for a special dinner?”
“You bet, Tara. I just wrote those beautiful words, ‘the end’ on my latest book.”
“That’s fantastic! Did you make a reservation?”
Lisa frowned. She never made a reservation. “No. I like I said, I just finished my latest book and want to celebrate.” Lisa looked around. The place did seem unusually busy.
“Of course. Hold on a minute.”
A moment later, Tara returned, grabbed a menu and led Lisa to a small table in the bar area. “We’re kind of swamped tonight. Will this do?”
“It’s fine, thanks.” Lisa took the menu, but before she could say anything else, Tara was off to another table. It sure seems busy for a Wednesday night.
Amy, one of the waitresses Lisa knew from previous visits, brought her a glass of water. “Oh, hi Lisa! Just you?”
“Yes. I’ve been hammering on that computer all day. But now? Now it’s time to celebrate!”
“That’s wonderful! I’ll be right back. We have a full house tonight.”
Lisa was about to ask what occasion might have sparked such a crowd, but Amy was already out of sight.
Lisa studied the menu. The open face steak sandwich was her one of her favorites. I should put that sandwich in one of my books, but this is celebration. I may try something different. Lisa allowed her mind to wander back to the series she was currently writing. “Two down, one to go.” She pulled out a pen and began crafting notes to herself on the back of the paper placemat across from her when a young woman of about twenty approached her table.
“Excuse me, it’s getting a bit crowded in here. Amy said you might be willing to share your table?”
The girl looked nice enough.
‘Uh, sure. No problem.” Lisa scrambled to move her purse, pen, and phone from the table. “We’ll have to get you a new placemat. I’m afraid I was sort of thinking on this one.”
The girl turned. “I’ll take care of it.”
Lisa folded the paper placemat and shoved it into her purse as the chair across from her scratched the floor. A tall man, his hand on the back of the chair, pulled it out and sat down.
Lisa was about to tell him the space was taken when the girl reappeared carrying a placemat and silverware. Lisa noted a Stumpknockers name badge on the girl’s white shirt. Candace.
“Oh. I, uh…”
“Thank you very much for sharing your table with me.” The man was tall and good looking. He spoke clearly, but there was a hint of an accent. An accent both familiar and foreign. “Where I come from, we often share tables when it so crowded as it is here.”
“I… uh…detect a slight accent. May I ask where you are from?”
“Finland.” He extended his hand toward Lisa. “My name is Timo.”
“Ah, I’m Lisa. I visited Helsinki once. Of course that was some time ago.”
“Truly? What did you think of my country?”
“It was lovely.”
Candace returned with a menu.
“You have eaten here before? What food is good here?”
“Actually, everything I’ve ever had here is delicious.”
Lisa studied Timo as he read the menu. He was tall. Tall and good looking like one of the characters in her books. He seemed to be studying the menu carefully.
He finally looked up. “If I may ask, what are Gator Nuggets?”
Lisa tilted her head. “Hmmm…” How do I explain gator nuggets? “Well, uh, gator nuggets are small pieces of meat breaded and fried. Have you ever eaten chicken nuggets?”
“Ahh, yes, McDonalds!”
“Well Gator Nuggets are sort of like that only they’re not chicken. They’re alligator meat.”

“Interesting. Perhaps I should try those.”
Lisa laughed. “They’re actually good as an appetizer. How hungry are you?”
“I have a massive appetite. I worked all day without time for a meal.”
“I see.” But before Lisa could ask Timo what sort of work he did, Candace returned with a glass of water for Timo and took his order for Gator Nuggets.
“You will share these alligator nuggets with me, yes?”
Lisa felt her shoulders relax. “Sure.” Then turning to Candace, she ordered the prime rib.
“Make that two,” Timo said to Candace. “I trust you on this matter,” he told Lisa as Candace wrote it down. “And what wine would be appropriate?” he asked Lisa.
“A red I would think,” she told him.
“Yes, of course.” Timo studied the back of the menu. “And two glasses of Merlot.”
“Uh, no, I uh…” Lisa tried to protest, but Candace had already turned and headed back to the kitchen, their order in her hand. “I…uh…thank you.”
A ping on her phone brought Lisa back from her state of shock. She looked at the screen. “Oh my, no wonder they’re so crowded here. It’s February fourteenth.”
“Ah, yes. Friendship Day,” Timo nodded.
“Friendship Day?”
“It is a day to write notes or send a card to friend or perhaps a small gift of appreciation.” Timo told her as a man walked by, a large shiny heart shaped box of candy and a bouquet of red roses in his hand. “Nothing showy, though,” Timo said.
Lisa followed his gaze. “In the States it’s Valentine’s Day. It’s set aside for couples to celebrate their love for one another. There are pieces of chocolate in that heart shaped box.”
“I see. Sweets for the sweet. Yes?”
“Yes. Candy. Flowers,” Lisa told him. “It is considered a day of romance.” Anxious to change the subject, Lisa asked Timo what sort of work brought him to Inverness.
Timo smiled. “I am an ichthyologist. A person who…”
“Studies fish,” Lisa said.
“Exactly. I have been working with other researchers. We are looking at ways fish may help us discover a cure for certain types of cancer.”
“Interesting. How long have you been in Florida?”
Timo looked at his watch. “Nearly twenty hours.”
“You must be exhausted,” Lisa told him.
“Not really. I work with team of oncologists in Nashville. I just spent three days in Gainesville with a group of ichthyologists also seeking a cure for cancer. Now I will be in this beautiful city for six months.”
“And then back to Finland?” Lisa couldn’t believe she was already missing a man she met only moments ago.
“No. Perhaps back to Nashville. Or Gainesville. That depends on what I find here,” Timo told her. Researchers
must chase the money.” A smile crawled across the man’s face. “And you. What do you do here in Inverness?”
“I’m a writer. Not scientific articles or anything. I write fiction.”
Timo’s smile grew with appreciation. “Like John Grisham? I enjoy his books immensely.”
Lisa chuckled. “I like Grisham’s books as well. I’m not quite that good. I write sweet little romances for women.”
“I see,” Timo said as Candace returned with the Gator Nuggets.
“I’m sorry we’re so slow today,” Candace said. “It’s the holiday. I’ll have your food out shortly.”
“Thank you,” Timo told her. “But we’re not in a hurry.”
Then turning to Lisa he asked with a smile, “Are we?”
Lisa returned his smile. She felt her shoulders relax. “No. No hurry.”

Rebecca Waters

Rebecca Waters writes contemporary Christian fiction. Her novels, Breathing on Her Own and Libby’s Cuppa Joe are available on Amazon in both print and e-book form. You can follow her blog, A Novel Creation, at www.WatersWords.com. Rebecca lives in Inverness with her husband, Mike and their cat, Tiki.