Shannon nodded. "Regularly."
Emma slipped out of the kitchen with four china tea pots on a tray. She spaced them out along the table and then set out the teacups and plates. There were a few patrons in the café already, but it didn't tend to get too crowded during the lunch hour. Shannon did most of her business at breakfast and in the evening after dinner when people needed a place to go to sip coffee and socialize.
Emma smiled as she looked up and saw two of Sweet Nothings' regular patrons tromp in. Travis and Dustin Lanier came in nearly every day for lunch. She'd come to expect it and was always severely disappointed on days when they didn't show up. Some days Dustin came alone, but she could tell he didn't like to. She could also tell he was dragging Travis there against his will since Travis always picked up the menu, shook his head in disgust at the effeminate offerings, and ordered a reuben sandwich...apparently the only food masculine enough to be worthy of his attention.
Travis looked over and saw her. She smiled and he waved. He nodded towards her at Dustin, but Dustin ignored him, sat at his table and hid behind his menu. Travis sauntered over, his hands in his pockets. So Emma sat the last teacup down and met him halfway.
"Hello, Travis, how are you today?" she asked, in her churchiest voice.
"Just fine, Miss Emma. And you?"
"Well and good. I heard you got stranded in the snow?"
Travis shrugged. "Yes. It wasn't pleasant. I heard you broke up with Cody Cowen last week. Is that true?" Travis hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and cocked his head slightly.
Emma blushed. "It was a mutual break-up."
"Sure it was. What went wrong?"
Emma glanced over her shoulder hoping to catch Shannon's eye and get some help, but she was in the kitchen.
"No one to save you, dearest," Travis said with a wink.
Emma felt her knees go weak. It was impossible not to swoon around this man. He seemed to see into your very soul.
"So? What went wrong?" he asked again.
Emma sighed. She really didn't like having personal conversations with...well...with anyone, really. "Same thing that always goes wrong. Every guy I date seems to think I was put on this earth to save him from himself. They want an angel, not a woman."
Travis shook his head. "Damn fools. You're a hell of a woman, Emma. I'm sorry you keep getting stuck with these losers."
She blushed at his compliment and was about to change the subject when Travis continued.
"You know who isn't a loser? And doesn't need anyone to save him from himself? And is looking for a woman, not an angel?"
She batted her eyelashes up at him. "You?"
He grinned. "Well yes, as a matter of fact. But you're altogether too sweet for me. I'm talking about Dustin."
"I'm not interested."
Travis's expression fell. "What? Why not?"
"Why not? Because I've been nothing but nice to him and even flirted a little bit and all he does is look at me and then walk away. He's way too much work. I want a guy who's easy to be with."
"Hey, none of us are easy to be with. He's crazy about you, Emma. Come with me and talk to him."
"Nope."
He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Please, Emma. I'll do anything. He keeps dragging me here and it's nice and all and no offense to Shannon, but it smells like flowers and all the food is dainty. I feel like there's lace all over me, it's disgusting." He shivered as though he were shaking off a spider web.
Emma laughed. "So you're saying the reason you want Dustin and I to get together is so you can go back to eating bologna sandwiches out of your He-Man lunch box back at the garage."
Travis closed his eyes and exhaled. "Good. You understand. Let's go talk to him." He took her by the arm and she was about to object when Alice and Arden came in.
Arden saw them and double timed it over.
"Travis, what are you doing here?" she asked, her expression angry.
Emma watched as Travis's expression darkened to a mix of frustration and sadness. Then he turned to face Arden.
"Am I not supposed to be here?" he asked, surprising Emma with the bitterness in his voice. "Is this place only for uppity former cheer captains? Because I can go."
Arden drew herself up, threw her shoulders back and glared up at him, one brow raised. Emma took a step back and tried not to grin. "Travis, I know you're hurt and that's why I won't stoop to name calling even though you're acting like a jerk."
He laughed sharply and then stared hard at her and suddenly there was electricity and Arden seemed to shrink. Her eyes were wide and round and uncertain. Travis's expression was hard and unyielding. And then it softened. Emma watched in amazement as Travis slowly, sadly smiled.