"Okay..." She glanced quickly out a nearby window, noting sunlight still prominently shining. "And what will the shot be?" She smiled to him all the same as she wrote down the order.
"Ehhh... Jack Daniel's is good." He tapped the table with his open palm, grinning quite broadly. "What do you want to drink?" he offered Julie.
The waitress glanced to his red knuckles as he hit the table, and then to the girl.
"Um... Coke is fine. Thanks."
"Oh? Don't want a mixed drink or something?"
"I-I'm... eighteen," she informed him.
"Ah, well... fair enough. A Coke, please." He grinned to the waitress with a nod, a menu resting before the two of them.
"Right away." With a final passing smile, albeit slightly concerned for the young lady who didn't particularly seem to be the proper age to be his daughter, the portly brunette employee went off with their drink order on her pad.
"God... I cannot describe how good this feels," Christopher commented with a cheery grin. "Can't wait for that drink," He glanced back to the woman, and then to the stranger across the table from him, his 'sister.' "Hah, well... 'dad' might not approve, but I plan on picking up somethin' to drink on the way back home. Maybe I'll let you have a little drink yourself, eh? Hah-hah..." He chuckled deeply.
"O-oh? Heh... well... mom might not, uh, like that either-"
"Eh, yeah, I s'pose not-"
"-But I'd like to, um, give it a try. Heh..." She gave an awkward little laugh, not wanting to totally dissuade him from the concept.
"You sure? Look, if I get nabbed for it, I could get kicked out on my ass." He informed her blatantly.
"I-I'll be discrete! Besides, isn't it okay if, like, it's with family, or something?"
"Hah, 'family...' gotta get used to that." He glanced over their choices of steak. "Well, either way... part of me figured the old man would kick me out right away regardless. Thought my first night out might be at a homeless shelter. But well, so far so good." He shrugged. "What do ya figure you'll order?"
"Ummmm..." She hadn't really been checking her own menu. She had been focusing more on their conversation, trying not to be boring. "Well... I like pasta."
"Pasta's good. Spaghetti, alfredo... mmh, twelve-ounce New York strip sirloin... or ribs. Damn, how am I supposed to make that choice...?"
"Well, can always come back again sometime later," she suggested cheerfully.
"True, and well it'd be rude to bring back leftovers when your mom made lasagna for me..." He nodded slowly. "I was honestly considering having the steak here and taking the ribs to-go. Yeah... steak it is. Maybe we'll come back another time and then I can try the ribs." He nodded slowly but resolutely. Sounded like a solid plan. "Think I'll... pay the old man some rent as well... something of a 'peace offering.'" His smile faded as he mentioned his father, his face becoming stern like when he'd first entered the house.
Julie didn't know what to say. It seemed... sort of downright mean how his dad treated him. She'd never had a dad before, but whenever she imagined it... it was never anything likethat.A warm, gentle, loving man who was always there for her and loved her totally, no matter what.
"Heeeere we are!" Their waitress, Tammy emblazoned on her breast, lowered her tray and offloaded his beer, the teenager's cola, and lastly she carefully transferred her shot glass to the table.
"Ahhhhh, 'here we are'indeed..."He rubbed his hands together with a broad grin as the drinks were brought to him.
"Do you know what you'd like to order-?"
"Twelve-ounce New York steak." He replied merrily, gripping his shot and tipping it back. "Medium-rare."
"Fries or mashed potatoes?" she asked as he chased it with dark Guinness Stout.
"H'ahhhh," he sighed, feeling the burn of the shot but also the refreshing bitter coolness of his Irish beer. "Fries'll do. Thank you." He nodded to her, and then looked to Julie, beaming a smile as his face slowly began to redden.
She had a hard time getting over the stark contrast... When his dad was near, and well also to some extent while speaking to his step-mother... he seemed so reserved, weighed down. Yet there he was, smiling, cheerful, almost giddy. Strange to see in a man whom had originally been so...scary.
"And for you, miss?" Tammy asked, seeing her gaze lingering on the broad, tattooed man for a while.
"U-um, uh..." She looked to her menu, shaken from her thoughts. "Well, I, uh-"
"You can take a moment if you like," he told her, and turned to their waitress. "My order can wait until hers is ready, so we both get our meals at the same time-"