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packed dining room fell deathly quiet.  Mary Jane stood stalk still, mouth gaping, the breath frozen in her lungs.
    A brilliant red color rose in the old farmer's face and he slid back his chair to stand.  Though he was dressed in worn overalls and possessed a nondescript appearance, Mary Jane knew him to be one of the wealthiest members of the community.  And certainly not a customer the management would want to piss off. 
    "Excuse me, son?" the farmer asked testily.
    "You heard me," Zander growled. 
    The manager raced across the dining room, fumbling desperately to apologize to the farmer, who turned and angrily stormed out of the restaurant.  As the door's bells jingled, signaling his abrupt departure, everyone in the dining room resumed their chatter. 
    Her manager, Mitch, glared at Zander.  "Mr. Barnaby, I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave.  And Mary Jane, I need to speak with you."
    She glanced at Zander silently praying he would just leave, though he looked close to explosion.  After a tense moment of exchanged glances among the three of them, Zander turned and stalked out of the restaurant, tossing the keys to the van on a table as he left.
    Mary Jane followed Mitch into the back, out of the view of the customers.
    "Mary Jane, come on," he said irritably.  "What am I supposed to say here?"
    She struggled to fight back tears.  "Mitch, I am so sorry.  Believe me; no one is as mortified as I am.  Please…  Don't fire me."
    He glowered at her for a long time before he finally spoke.  "He can't come in here.  CANNOT come in here, do you understand me?  It's a diner full of ancient old married men, for Christ's sake.  That man looks at you like a grandchild, I can promise you that."
    "I know, I know.  I understand!  You know I don't mind these old fellas, Mitch."  Relief washed over her, managing to push back some of her embarrassment.  He wasn't going to fire her.  As long as Zander cooperated, anyway.
    With one final warning, he sent her back to finish out her day.
    ***
    After she left work, she found herself killing time away from home once again.  Confronting Zander was the absolute last thing on earth she wanted to do just then.  She picked up Jessie from daycare and took her to the park again, where they stayed until it was time to pick up the boys.
    In the school cafeteria, Dominique came in soon after her, just as always.  He strolled to where she sat and took a seat next to her.
    "Heard about your husband's shenanigans," he said without prelude.
    She shot him a warning look.  "Don't, Dominique.  I'm not discussing it with you."
    He arched an eyebrow and gave her that infuriating yet dizzy making small smile.  "Why not?" he teased.
    "It's not funny.  And you know why not."  Mary Jane groaned.  "Would you give me a break?  What part of 'go away' are you not understanding, Officer ?"
    He gazed at her for one of those characteristic long moments where she would die to know what he was thinking.  "Mary Jane, if I thought for one minute that you meant it, I would go away."
    Her cheeks blazed.  They didn't say anything else and soon it was time to pick up their students and they parted ways, leaving Mary Jane's mind on tilt.
    ***
    Mary Jane's life became a busy whirlwind, working six days a week and managing her family.  Within a couple weeks, school dismissed for the summer so she no longer saw Dominique each afternoon in the cafeteria.  But he was there almost religiously in the mornings when she reported to work.  She didn't even speak to him at those times; simply proceeded into the building.
    He also stopped in for a quick cup of coffee almost every day that she worked.  She couldn't deny enjoying settling back into a friendship with the mysterious man, but she was also glad that she could busy herself with other customers if she felt on the verge of crossing a line.
    Zander started his new job on a construction crew and surprised her by doing very well, as far as she could