the lady in the diner. | b.a

chapter two.

the two sat in the office, and beau couldn't stop wondering. he must've looked curious, because jenny looked at him from her desk.
" you wanna know about her, don't you? "
beau blinked himself out of his thoughts. he sighed, nodding.
" yeah, i really do- "
jenny got up.
" well.. buckle up. it's pretty.. sad. "
that was the last thing beau wanted to hear. the woman that he possibly liked, he didn't want to hear about her sad tale. but he still wanted to know about her.

jenny sighed.
" i only know about it from records, but if you ask some of the townsfolk that are older, they remember when it happened. "
she crossed her arms, giving beau a minute to brace himself. so he did, pursing his lips as he wondered what could've happened.
" so.. she used to have kids. teens. they would've been.. almost thirty, i think. uh.. one year, they came home from college to visit their mother.. "
this wasn't off to a good start. beau, as a father to his fifteen year old girl, and a divorced parent, wasn't exactly so excited to hear about this one.
" and.. the house burnt down one night. only she survived. she almost didn't, apparently. they almost couldn't get her out, she was so distraught over trying to save them. "
she sighed.
" so.. yeah. she's owned her diner ever since then, that's her full time job. she just lives in a trailer by the woods and drives to the diner all the time. spends every day there, from the crack of dawn to their closing time at midnight. "

beau's heart ached for her. he couldn't imagine losing his daughter and not being able to do anything about it.. that was big for him. he could feel how much she must've hurt from that.
" do uhm.. is her phone number on record, by chance? "
he asked quietly, his eyes wandering to his phone as he picked it up off his desk. jenny gave him kai's number, and he immediately began to call.
" hello? "
her voice made him a little nervous.
" hey! it's uh, beau, from the diner last week. "
he explained, though his voice was a little awkward.
" oh, hi! what can i do for you, sheriff? "
he cleared his throat, his tone softening up a little.
" well, i uhm.. i was wondering if i could stop by and chat with you over a coffee tonight. is your diner busy at.. say, eight? "
he asked slowly, wondering how this would go down. oh god, would she say no?
" anytime! diner's usually not too busy at eight, feel free to come by! "
she spoke. her tone was polite and soft. it made his heart beat a little faster.
" uh, great, yeah- see you then- "
he spent the day at the station doing some paperwork and a few small cases, nothing major or interesting was happening.

soon, night fell, and it was eight pm. beau got in his car and drove down the tree-lined roads to the diner, smiling as he saw the sign. the building came into view soon after. he smiled with pure joy as he got out of the car. he was nervous to talk to her again, but still happy. she was such a kind woman. she was so.. sweet. sweeter than sugar, if that was even possible.

the bell at the diner entrance lightly jingled as he opened it, stepping inside like he had done a week ago. his boots made a slight click as he walked to the counter, taking a seat on one of the stools. he looked over as he saw her leave the kitchen, now standing behind the counter. her face lit up a little.
" hey there, beau. here, let me grab your coffee. "
she picked up a pitcher of coffee, pouring it into a mug for him. she set it in front of him.
" would you like anything in it? "
she asked, setting the pitcher of coffee back down on the warmer. he shook his head. he liked his coffee black and bitter. she smiled as she leaned on the counter in front of him.
" so, you got anything important to talk about, or did you just come to chat?"
she asked, her smile softening a little.

he looked at her, tilting his head.
" nah.. just came to chat a little, if that's alright with you ma'am. "
she looked at him with a little giggle.
" absolutely, it's alright with me. i could use a little company here every once in a while! "
she gave him a little pat on the shoulder, and he gave her a little nudge back.
" you enjoying town so far? i know we're not exactly the coolest town ever, really. "
she smiled and looked at him, tilting her head. he looked at her.
" yeah, i am. it's not so bad around here. and y'know.. you make it a little better than it really is. "
he could see a little blush on her cheeks. he was definitely a flirt.