The sad little lunchtime service at a close, Kyara retreated to the kitchen. Her early morning rise hadn't left her much prep to do for that evening. She scrubbed at a few dishes before loading them into the washer, but she knew she was just going through the motions.
Hours to go before dinner service, she gave up and flipped the open sign to closed. They she picked a table in the corner and sat down, carrying her ham hocks and fried green tomatoes with her.
I'm sulking, she admitted to herself, and I'm just too sulky to care.
She settled in to her table, fully prepared to eat her feelings. The smell of familiar spices filled the restaurant. She'd always imagined that someday her children would grow up thinking of those spices as the smell of home.
That dream seemed far away, now.
A knock came at the door. Kyara stared at it for a moment, not sure what was going on.
"We're closed right now," Kyara called out. "Please come back for the dinner hours."
A long moment of silence followed her announcement. Then she heard Jason's voice.
"It's me."
No. No, I don't want to deal with this right now, thought Kyara.
"Do you mind if I come in?" Jason asked through the door.
Kyara sighed. Better to get this over with now, and in private, I guess.
Kyara stood, crossed to the door, and opened it.
She'd never seen him in anything other than clothes for the trail or the farmers' market. This afternoon he was wearing a button down shirt, pale purple, and black slacks. He looked different – more professional – but still gorgeous. The pale purple made his skin seem almost to glow as he stepped into the cafe.
"Hey," he said, stepping around her, careful not to touch. "I got your message. I thought we should talk."
He stopped in the middle of the dining room floor, turning to face her directly. Kyara closed the door, but stayed next to it, her hand resting lightly on the door knob.
"OK," she said.
Silence stretched, each waiting for the other. Kyara spoke first.
"I don't think dating is such a good idea for me right now."
Jason stared at her, and she continued.
"It's just, the restaurant is really struggling, and it needs my full attention."
Jason gave a single, slow nod of his head as he spoke.
"Right. That's why I invited you out on restaurant-related dates. I thought it might help."
"So, I'm just another charity case, then?" Kyara shot back.
"That's not what I meant," Jason replied quickly.
"But it's what you believe," said Kyara.
"No," said Jason, "What I believe is that you won't go out with me unless I can also relate it to your work, so that's what I did." He paused then, as if something was just occurring to him. "Why are you picking a fight like this, anyway?" he asked. "This isn't like you."
"Well," Kyara answered. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."
Jason cocked his head to the side, considering her. Then he replied, his voice low and soft.
"What I know is that you're brave enough to start over in a new town, you're smart enough to run your own business, you're nice enough to let the kids in town hang out here, you're generous enough to give away what little you have, even when you're struggling, and you're beautiful enough to keep me up at night thinking about you." As he named them, he ticked off the virtues on his fingers, his eyes never leaving her.