Chapter 10 - The View from the Window
Later that afternoon, the sun was shining brilliantly across downtown Seattle as the town car pulled up to the curb outside Harbor Grill.
The manager of the diner was standing near the front window, wiping down the counter with a damp towel, looking out at the sidewalk with his usual practiced boredom. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the curb.
A sleek black town car stopped. Marcus stepped out, holding the door open.
Out stepped Colton Vale. Then came Elena Rivera, walking with dignity and grace. And finally, little Junie, wearing her cream-colored wool coat and sheepskin boots, holding Colton’s hand tightly.
The manager’s face drained of color. He dropped his towel. He practically scrambled over his own feet, rushing toward the front door and throwing it open before they even reached the handle, bowing his head so low his chin nearly touched his belt buckle.
“Mr. Vale! Welcome! Welcome back to Harbor Grill! Please, your usual booth—the whole house is on us today, absolutely free of charge, anything you wish—"
Colton didn't even break his stride. He stopped right in front of the manager, towering over him by half a foot. His expression was cool, impassionate, and utterly intimidating.
“We aren't here for a handout, manager,” Colton said smoothly, his voice carrying clearly across the quiet dining room. “We bought the building.”
The manager’s jaw went slack. “You... you bought the building?”
“Actually, we bought the building,” Elena corrected gently, stepping forward with a calm, radiant smile. “And our first order of business as the new majority stakeholders of this property is a complete structural renovation.”
Junie peered around Colton’s coat, looking up at the bright picture of the hamburger glowing behind the counter. She let go of Colton’s hand for just a second, reached into the pocket of her new wool coat, pulled out a shiny seven-dollar bill and sixteen cents, and tossed it into the manager’s empty tip jar with a cheerful clink.
“Keep the change,” Junie said brightly. “We’re buying the whole batch.”
Colton, Elena, and Junie walked past the stammering manager, taking their seats at the very center booth right by the front window.
May you like
Outside, the Seattle rain had completely cleared, leaving the city washed, bright, and endlessly open to the sky. Inside, the table was soon filled with hot, sizzling double cheeseburgers, golden fries, and sweet milkshakes with whipped cream and cherries on top.
And for the first time in a very long time, nobody was counting. Nobody was hiding. And nobody was ever asked to move along again.
