Read Dead to the World for Free Online Page B

the restaurant’s longevity. The building had been built as a seafood restaurant, which had lasted close to twenty years but changed hands when the chef/owner died. For a brief period it had been Italian – heavy on the pizza, which couldn’t compete with the national pizza chains in town, and was eventually bought by someone who wanted to turn it into a high-class bar. Since the county was dry and he could never get the correct paperwork to open a private club, it was sold before it ever opened. That’s when it became the Eyes of Texas Steakhouse. It had opened strong three years before, but had been on the wane ever since.
    ‘How’s this?’ the receptionist said, offering them a table in the middle of the room.
    Sensing Megan was about to complain, and seeing Logan only one table away, Bess figured this was his section, so quickly said, ‘This is fine!’ with a big smile on her face.
    The receptionist left and the girls sat down. ‘This is
not
fine!’ Megan said. ‘I’d rather have a booth! There are like a hundred empty ones! And did you notice Tiffany acted like she didn’t even know us?’
    ‘Maybe she got in trouble for being too friendly with the customers or something,’ Alicia suggested. ‘What are you going to get, Bess? The only vegetarian thing I see is a salad.’
    ‘I told you, I’ve decided to give meat a chance,’ Bess said.
    ‘Wasn’t that a Beatles’ song?’ Megan asked absently as she studied the steaks to try to figure out how big a one she could get without bankrupting their weekend allowance.
    ‘It was a John Lennon song,
after
the Beatles, and it was
peace
not meat,’ Alicia said with some authority.
    ‘Why do you know so much about the— Oh, wait! Graham the retro-king,’ Megan started.
    But Alicia cut in. ‘I think I’m going to have the fillet,’ she said. ‘With sweet potato fries and a Caesar salad. And maybe we can share the chocolate lava cake for dessert?’
    ‘Share, my ass,’ Megan said. ‘I want a whole dessert and I’m looking at the banana split. If I have room after my sixteen-ounce porterhouse with balsamic vinegar-glazed mushrooms, risotto, and the grilled asparagus.’
    ‘Jeez, Megan, there won’t be any money left over for Alicia and me!’ Bess said.
    ‘You don’t eat much,’ Megan said.
    ‘Well, I’m going to!’ Bess declared. ‘I’m having the six-ounce sirloin, a baked potato and a side salad. And my own dessert – that apple crisp with the Blue Bell ice cream!’
    Alicia brought out her phone and turned on the calculator app. ‘Hum, well, we can have the desserts or we can have the dinners, but we can’t have both. Megan, if you were to get something
reasonable
, then maybe, but a sixteen-ounce porterhouse? That’s like almost thirty dollars!’
    ‘But that’s what I want!’
    ‘Well, as Daddy would say, want in one hand—’ Bess started.
    ‘Yeah, I know, and poop in the other—’ Megan continued.
    ‘And see which one fills up first!’ Bess finished.
    ‘Gross!’ Alicia said. ‘Can we just make this happen? With dessert? Megan?’
    ‘Oh, fine! I’ll have the fillet. But the big one—’
    ‘Too expensive,’ Alicia said.
    ‘Fine,’ Megan said, teeth clenched. ‘The eight-ounce fillet. But I still want the risotto and asparagus!’
    ‘The asparagus is extra!’ Alicia said.
    ‘Jeez!’ Megan threw herself back in her chair, arms folded across her ample chest. ‘OK, fine! The tossed salad! Do you think I can have a tossed salad?’ she asked sarcastically, a trait learned at her mother’s knee.
    ‘Of course,’ Alicia said with a big smile.
    ‘Good choice, Megs,’ Bess said, also smiling.
    ‘Both of you – bite me!’ Megan said, refusing to look at either of her sisters.
    Turning to Alicia, Bess said, ‘Speaking of Graham the retro-king, why aren’t you out with him tonight? I mean, it
is
date night!’
    ‘Yeah!’ Megan pounced. ‘Is there trouble in paradise?’
    Alicia didn’t answer, but her lower