The restaurant was called Betty's Best. 

     Thursday afternoon at eleven, and the place was packed. 

     That was a good sign. 

     They had to wait five minutes for a table. 

      "The coffee here's great," Big Wally said. 

      They got a booth in the corner near the kitchen. They heard the clatter of dishes the entire time they ate. Every thirty seconds or so, a waiter would go rushing in or out. 

     "Busy place," Niki said. 

     There were menus already at the table. 

     "How much can you eat?" Big Wally asked. "You a big eater like me?" 

     "I'm so hungry I could eat a car."

     "You're going to like this place, then."

     They both ordered scrambles. Niki ordered a country scramble and Big Wally ordered a mediterranian scramble. 

     And, oh yeah, Big Wally was right. The coffee was great. The waitperson left a thermos on the table so they could pour themselves as much coffee as they wanted.

​     "You from around here?" Niki asked. What she was thinking, though, was, whoa, look at those boobs. They're huge, and, yeah, she's wearing a bra, but it isn't much of a bra. Her tits hung loose under the sweater she wore.  

     Big Wally shook her head. "Texas," she replied. "You?"

     "I'm from California originally, but for the last..." Niki stopped short. She couldn't even begin to explain where she'd been the previous two years. "I've been gone." 

     "Jail?" 

     "Do I look like I've been in jail?"

     "You look like you've been training for The Olympics."  

     "That's as good an explanation as any."

     "You a spy?"

     "Not today. You work, Big Wally? You got a job?"

     "Why?"

     "Well, you know, it's a work day, and..."  

     "Listen, if you think..."

     "Shh. Shh. Please don't be like that. I'm not saying anything. I'm just trying to..."

     "I'm between jobs."

     "How do you feel about that?"

     "I hate it. I'd love to be able to work. I hate never having money. Oh look, here comes the food."

     Both plates were piled high with eggs mixed with a combination of sliced potatoes, green onions, and ham. Big Wally had olives in hers, which was what made it a mediterranian, Niki assumed.    

     They both dug in.

     "Oh wow, this is so good," Niki said. They served slices of toast on the side. Niki used a half slice to scoop up a bunch of her scramble to shove down her throat. "It's been so long since I've had food this good."

     "Same here. It's been nothing but botanicals for me for the last five weeks."

     "Botanicals? What are you talking about? I saw that sign when we first came in." (The sign had the word BOTANICALS inside of a black circle with a black line crossing out the word. It meant NO BOTANICALS.)

     Big Wally shot Niki a look like she wasn't quite sure whether Niki was kidding or not.

     "You had to become a vegetarian? Is that what you're saying?" 

     Another look crossed Big Wally's features, this one almost fearful. It was, like, for the first time, it struck her that, in fact, she sat across from a complete stranger.

     Niki continued eating. "This food's not greasy at all," she said, "and you'd think it would be. I'm going to finish this whole damned plate." 

     "Who are you?"

     "All this because I don't know about these botanicals you're talking about?" 

     "Where have you been for the last year?" 

     Niki stopped eating. She thought for a moment she just might get up and leave, but no...

     "Look, Big Wally, I like you," she said. "I'm enjoying myself just sitting here having breakfast with you. Does it have to be about...you know...anything else?"

     "You're creeping me out a little."

     "I'm sorry."

     "I'm not saying it to piss you off. I'm saying it because it's what I'm feeling. It's like you're from some alien planet, and you're only pretending to be human."

     "That's a little harsh, isn't it?"

     "Plus you keep looking around. Is there someone after you? Is that the deal? Should I be afraid or..."

     "No no, nothing like that. It's just that...I only have one day off. Couldn't we just...just..."

     Big Wally nodded. She'd made up her mind that quick.

     "I feel like ordering another fork," she said. "This food's so good I want to eat with both hands!"  

                                                      CONTINUE