Read Across the Line (In The Zone) for Free Online Page B

color scheme continued on the interior—green walls, black tables, black-framed photographs of different types of vegetables, especially lettuces. Along the right wall was the typical beverage dispensing station. To the left was a clear path to the counter where people placed their orders. A cute girl who looked to be in her twenties manned one of the registers. The menu board above her was another blackboard with drawings and fancy lettering.
    Scanning the dining area, he observed there didn’t seem to be any obvious preference for the soup over the lettuce cups or vice versa. Dozens of different smells hit him, but damned if he could pick out any of them. All he knew was they were making him hungry.
    “How many employees do you have?” he asked. The idea of running his own business did not appeal to him. Too many decisions to make. He liked being told what to do and how and when to do it. Made life a lot easier.
    “Eleven. That guy there taking orders is Raymond. I have Eddie in the kitchen. The girl next to him is Savannah. She’s a senior at Ithaca.” She looked up at the menu. “What do you feel like having?”
    “The specials looked good.”
    “Which one?”
    He grinned. “All of them.”
    Not too long after, she brought a tray to the table he’d chosen by the front window. He noticed the ledge was as clean as the rest of the place.
    “Okay, I got you all three specials, plus the Classic Chicken Lettuce Cup, the one I told you about on the plane.”
    “What did you get?”
    “I got the chowder too. It’s only the second time I’ve made it and I’m still adjusting the recipe. And here are some warm rolls.”
    He took a bite of the Classic Chicken Lettuce Cup. The lettuce was cool but the filling was hot and flavorful. Damn, it was good. He liked that wok-fried flavor and the pungent Asian seasoning. The veggies in it were perfectly cooked with a slight crunch. He gobbled the rest of it down and reached for the second one. There were two in an order. “This is amazing,” he said, still chewing. “I could eat that every single day of my life.”
    She beamed with pride. “Try the soup.”
    The soups were killer too. The flavor wasn’t as in-your-face as the lettuce cup, but it grew on him. The more he ate, the more he could taste. He liked all types of Asian food, so the meatball soup was right up his alley, and he told her so.
    “I’m really glad you like it. I was worried.”
    The girl, Savannah, came around. “How’s the food?” she asked, wiping down a nearby table. She had short glossy brown hair and looked...young. Becca had said the girl was a senior at the college.
    “It’s fantastic,” he said.
    “I know who you are, by the way,” Savannah said.
    Calder grinned. “Who am I?”
    “Hart Griffin.”
    When he stiffened, she laughed. “I’m just messing with you. You’re Calder. The Barracuda. Your mom comes in here all the time. Didn’t you play for the Bombers?”
    “I did. I was the captain in ’08,” he said.
    “My boyfriend’s the captain now,” she said brightly. “It’s his last year and he’d be so thrilled if you could sign something for him.”
    Calder looked around. “Is he here?”
    “No, but he could be if I called him. He could get over here in about fifteen minutes. Will you be here that long?”
    “Savannah,” Becca said with a warning tone.
    He put his hand over Becca’s. “It’s okay. I don’t mind if you don’t mind.”
    The girl turned to Becca and put her hands together in a pleading gesture. “Please? I’ll do anything. I’ll—I’ll clean out all the trash cans...”
    Becca’s face lit up. “Deal.”
    Apparently clean trash cans turned her on.
    “He can have ten minutes with him. No more.”
    “Promise,” Savannah said.

Chapter Six
    Savannah’s boyfriend, Oliver, ended up staying for two hours. He brought half his team along and outside, they pushed all the tables together to talk shop and fawn all over Calder who did a good job of