Just because it's taking time doesn't mean it's not happening

 

Koda was not happy to have Dixie around. Yes, they had a guestroom now and Vanna was so happy to have a guest. Of course, that meant he did all the work. Like cleaning and making meals and of course, chauffering them around.

Vanna went to high school with Dixie who was now getting bit parts on info commercials. He could hear Dixie talk Vanna up that she should move out to L.A. with her. 

"It's a long drive out there, you know." Koda had told Vanna the first night when Dixie stayed.

"We could fly."

"Seriously?"

They'd never had a spat in bed and they were practically whisper shouting. He was about ready to call her sister to get her input.

"Of course, I'm not going!" She told him by the second night. Evidently, Vanna could hardly stand her friend either because all Dixie could talk about was how they used to party and the guys they used to date.

Then a couple of days later..after Vanna said, "Stick a fork in it! I'm done!" She got the idea they could pawn Dixie off on Jay.

"He'll know what to do," she told him it was time for Koda to make the most fattening thing he could think of. Anything, that might make Dixie leave. She was a vegan after all.

"No, he won't." Koda didn't like the idea of inviting Jay over, but then again, he didn't want to have any more dinners with Dixie either. So he got out the pot roast that Slater paid for and got it in the crock pot with plans for mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob, and of course Hawaiian rolls that Vanna brought home.

Gage wasn't sure what to expect when they showed up for the late brunch at the old cafe where Poppy used to work. It was almost one in the afternoon. Really, it was a late lunch. The place closed at two so they were definitely the Saturday stragglers.

"I didn't think you'd see me," he said while looking over the menu. Yes, he knew she'd broken off things with Alfie. Maybe he was the first to know. Alfie called him. Said that maybe they, Alfie and Poppy could be friends in the future. Or maybe they hadn't broken up. Or so Alfie was thinking. 

"I didn't have anything better to do." She was even lipped as she plopped the menu back on the table. 

"OK, so you're a little mad at me," he wanted to see her smile so he smiled. But he could see that didn't do any good.

They both ordered the breakfast special. The waitress asked if they wanted coffee. Poppy told her they'd just have a soda which she got up to get for them in the fridge behind them. She reminded him it was the worst place for coffee. 

"See, you are always doing everything for everyone," Gage found himself saying. "You should have made me do it."

Evidently, he would not make it as a comedian, but then Poppy was a very hard audience. It was just hard to stop himself from rattling on randomly.

"So..so how have you been?" She didn't show up for lunch anymore.

"It's not that bad," she said. "You know, it's just an apartment."

"But..it's your home. Didn't you say you moved there when you started college," Gage remembered. 

"I'm going to be fine." She said straight-lipped as if he would have nothing else to say.

"Sure you will." He took a sip of the soda. It was off-brand but still tasted like a cola. Suddenly, it felt a lot like his life. Like it was an off-brand, but it was the same as anybody else's.

"Look, I want to tell you..well, I don't really want to talk about myself, " He winced and got a break because the huge plate of over easy eggs, a sausage, two pieces of bacon, hashbrowns and buttered toast were already here. 

He took a fork to his eggs just to see how the yolk would be. It wasn't too runny. He never had breakfast here. Usually a burger or a pattie melt. He'd had the roast beef once, but stuck with the burgers for the most part.

"Usually, it was me who pursued..." He decided to eat because it didn't sound right. He couldn't decide if he wanted ketchup on his hashbrowns. He watched Poppy struggle with the bottle of ketchup. Finally, she let him have a go at it. He swung it about and finally the ketchup splat out across the warm hashbrowns on her plate. But it was all the ketchup.

"I'm not pursuing anyone." She shot him down.

"Well, the thing is..I was kind of hoping you were, weren't you?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. 

"It was just a thought." She finally admitted.

"See, you are thinking-" He looked at her with her mouth full of egg, hashbrowns and ketchup. She looked like she bleeding.

Gage cleaned the corner of her mouth. It had never been this awkward until now. 

"Do you want to talk about him?" Gage asked. Instantly her eyes opened.

"No." She practically snapped. "I was only trying to tell you what I was putting up with."

Gage nodded. He guessed he got it wrong. He was supposed to take her away from that. Evidently.

"Let's go to the park when we're done," he said as his appetite waned. Yes, they could walk and talk. Maybe spend the day together.