“Yeah, but the food really is good. If you don’t like the burgers, it means you don’t like burgers, period. There’s a jukebox, too.” At Raluca’s baffled look, he explained, “An old-fashioned music player. The music’s old-fashioned, too. But in a good way. Same as the food: if you don’t like the music, you don’t like country. That shit I played to piss you off was making my ears bleed, too.”
Raluca laughed, looking at the wires dangling from the hole in his radio. “I shall be honest. But I would like to go.”
Soon Nick pulled up in front of a building with a sign reading, “Dan and Kate’s Diner.” The neighborhood was clearly not wealthy, but it had the same vibrant quality as the mural of the woman with rainbow hair. Tall trees blooming with a profusion of purple flowers lined the cracked sidewalk, a man was selling ice cream out of a push-cart to a mob of eager children and adults, and the buildings looked small and cozy.
Nick scanned the interior, then escorted her inside the restaurant. He seemed edgy; despite his words, he clearly wanted her to like the place. Raluca too was nervous, wondering what she’d think and how he’d introduce her. Music, food, friends: she hoped she’d sincerely like at least one.
The interior was filled with the enticing smells of frying fat and grilling meat. A lively song was playing, but softly enough to not drown out voices. The tables were polished wood, the booths lined with soft red plastic. An odd machine stood at one corner.
There were only a few other customers, and they all looked up in surprise as Nick and Raluca walked in.
“Hey, Nick,” a gray-haired man called as he walked in from the open kitchen. “Who’s the pretty lady?”
Nick took a deep breath and addressed the room at large. “Her name’s Raluca, and she’s my mate.”
The customers and waitress exclaimed in pleased surprise and started calling out congratulations and questions, some teasing and some serious.
“How’d you meet?”
“You gonna make an honest man of him?”
“Are you a shifter?”
The gray-haired man held up his hand, and everyone fell silent. “Let Nick and his mate enjoy their lunch. You can quiz them and buy them drinks later. They’ll be back.”
“Thanks, Dan,” Nick called.
“We will,” Raluca said. She smiled at Dan. “I like the music.”
Dan indicated the machine. “Jukebox is over there. It’s mostly country. Not radio country, the real deal. Oldies, bluegrass, gospel, that sort of thing.”
Raluca looked at the machine with new interest. “I do not think I have heard any of that.”
“Let’s fix that for you.” Nick steered her to the jukebox. It had a panel of buttons and song titles and numbers listed in a book with plastic pages. “Do you know any of these?”
“No. You choose something.” Lowering her voice, she added, “Your friends seem nice.”
Nick looked immensely relieved. Then his bright smile flashed, and he said, “I’m sure they’re glad you approve of them. They have wolf hearing.”
Raluca almost blushed. She’d forgotten. But if anyone had eavesdropped, they were polite enough to give no sign of it. And at least they’d overheard something positive.
“This song makes me think of you.” Nick hit a button, and a new song began to play.
Raluca shot Nick a menacing glance. “I hear twanging.”
A woman’s soulful voice rose above the guitars.
She don't need anybody to tell her she's pretty.
She's heard it every single day of her life.
He's got to wonder what she sees in him
When there's so many others standing in line.
Raluca took Nick’s hand. Softly, she said, “I see everything I want in you.”
Nick ducked his head, hiding his face from anyone who might be watching, but his fingers tightened around hers.