Travis stared at the pristine white box on the counter by the Café’s cash register. Candy sat opposite to him and lowered her paper long enough to say “Jeannie bring those donuts over here, please, and give this man one before his stare catches the box on fire.”
A young, thin, dishwater blond girl presented the container to Travis. After careful consideration he decided on a cinnamon swirl and that the waitress would someday regret that barbwire tattoo around her left wrist.
"You might as well take two so we don’t have to do this all over again,” Candy said from behind the newspaper.
Travis quickly grabbed another glazed treasure before the offer was rescinded. First rhapsody in the church and now this. “Could it get any better?” he thought. In silence, he ate his donuts, drank coffee and read whatever sections of the paper Candy set down. Gunter walked through the door. Candy got up as he approached, said “next” and went back to work. Gunter looked inquiringly at Travis as he assumed Candy’s former chair.
“Don’t ask me,” Travis said indicating his own puzzlement with a upturned hand gesture. “I sat down and she sat down. She has ignored me and given me free donuts, so I think we might be a couple. ”
Gunter looked at Travis. “Wow! That usually takes two or three days, at least the ignoring part. I don’t think any woman has ever given you donuts.”
"Did I mention they were free?” Travis said.
Gunter’s eyes scanned the restaurant for any trace of pastry. He knew that free might not include him, but he had to take the chance and, spotting the holy white donut grail, got up. It was empty. Instinctively, Travis concealed his second donut under the business section of the Lapeer County Press.
“So what is the deal with our Café owner?” Günter inquired.
“You know as much as I do,” Travis replied.
“I doubt that. You are the people detector.”
“Not this time,” said Travis making a hard decision. “I may not be as talented as you think I am,” he stated.
“How so?” Gunter said thoughtfully. “Unless a great many people over the years were actors with orders to make you look good ….” His voice trailed off.”
Travis gritted his teeth and plunged forward. “I had sort of a cheat sheet to refer to and now I don’t,” he said with a apologetic grimace.
Gunter raised his eyebrows. “Meaning…?” he said.
“Look, I have this kind of thing I can do. Sometimes I can feel what people feel.”
“Empathy?” said Gunter with the gesture of a man unamazed.
“No, really, actually, no kidding, feel what they feel. I am not guessing. I know.”
"As if, in their head, “I know?””
Travis nodded.
A young, thin, dishwater blond girl presented the container to Travis. After careful consideration he decided on a cinnamon swirl and that the waitress would someday regret that barbwire tattoo around her left wrist.
"You might as well take two so we don’t have to do this all over again,” Candy said from behind the newspaper.
Travis quickly grabbed another glazed treasure before the offer was rescinded. First rhapsody in the church and now this. “Could it get any better?” he thought. In silence, he ate his donuts, drank coffee and read whatever sections of the paper Candy set down. Gunter walked through the door. Candy got up as he approached, said “next” and went back to work. Gunter looked inquiringly at Travis as he assumed Candy’s former chair.
“Don’t ask me,” Travis said indicating his own puzzlement with a upturned hand gesture. “I sat down and she sat down. She has ignored me and given me free donuts, so I think we might be a couple. ”
Gunter looked at Travis. “Wow! That usually takes two or three days, at least the ignoring part. I don’t think any woman has ever given you donuts.”
"Did I mention they were free?” Travis said.
Gunter’s eyes scanned the restaurant for any trace of pastry. He knew that free might not include him, but he had to take the chance and, spotting the holy white donut grail, got up. It was empty. Instinctively, Travis concealed his second donut under the business section of the Lapeer County Press.
“So what is the deal with our Café owner?” Günter inquired.
“You know as much as I do,” Travis replied.
“I doubt that. You are the people detector.”
“Not this time,” said Travis making a hard decision. “I may not be as talented as you think I am,” he stated.
“How so?” Gunter said thoughtfully. “Unless a great many people over the years were actors with orders to make you look good ….” His voice trailed off.”
Travis gritted his teeth and plunged forward. “I had sort of a cheat sheet to refer to and now I don’t,” he said with a apologetic grimace.
Gunter raised his eyebrows. “Meaning…?” he said.
“Look, I have this kind of thing I can do. Sometimes I can feel what people feel.”
“Empathy?” said Gunter with the gesture of a man unamazed.
“No, really, actually, no kidding, feel what they feel. I am not guessing. I know.”
"As if, in their head, “I know?””
Travis nodded.
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