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I lead her to a booth, and she takes a few minutes studying the menu. And since I always get the same thing, I use the time to study Imogen. She bites her lip in concentration, small bits of worry crossing her features.
It's a lot of new shit. New bike, new neighborhood, new people. Then I remember what she said to Cass a few weeks ago, that she wasn't sure what she liked; her mother, the facility, always restricted her diet.
"What did you order when you went out to eat with Red?" I ask.
She looks up, releasing her lip from her worried bite. "Oh. We had tacos. With steak."
"Carnitas?"
She nods, smiling. "They were amazing."
"You need some suggestions?"
"Yes, please, Iggy."
"You like steak then? And cheese?" She nods.
May ambles over, her gray cloud of curls fluttering with each labored step, giving me an amused grin. "Well, if it isn't my favorite Dante," May winks, making Imogen giggle.
"I'm your favorite till Red comes in and winks at you, then he's your favorite."
May's head tilts and she sighs, probably thinking of Red's pretty face. I'm not jealous; if anything, all that attention would drive me insane. I'm cool with being the scary-looking brother with a slightly crooked nose, tattoos, pocked acne scars, and a mean scowl.
"You're right. Maybe I need a new favorite. Perhaps it's this pretty young thing you've brought with you. She already seems too good for you degenerates." Imogen's cheeks flame, mouth dropping in shock that the sweet looking old lady called me a degenerate, but it only makes May laugh. "I'm just teasing, sweetheart. These boys are practically family."
I put in an order for Imogen, and May tucks the pen she didn’t need behind her ear, leaving us in silence.
"You didn’t order anything," Imogen points out.
"I always get the same thing."
"So you’re a regular. It seems like you guys are regulars everywhere you go; everyone knows you."
My lips press, and I nod. "True, yeah, we’re known. But it’s like that here. Everyone knows everyone. I mean, there’s a lot of people that live in Loop, but it’s still got a small-town vibe."
"I like that. I miss that. When we lived in California, the town I grew up in was really small. I went to the OFA a few towns over, and it housed omegas from the entire county, but it was still really small, with the omega population being so tiny. But even spread across the county, it felt like I knew everyone."
"You miss it?
"Sometimes… I think I miss when things made sense. I was frustrated with my parents even then, but we still got along, we talked more. Now… we moved here, they moved into the Hills, and suddenly, their quest for wealth became their only focus. At least in California, they seemed to enjoy life. Here, it’s all work and money and status."
"I’m sorry, Im."
She smiles warmly, "Thank you, Iggy. It’s alright, though. Well, it isn’t, but I’m pretty happy where I ended up."
Our food arrives a few minutes later, and I watch in amusement as Imogen eats a steak and cheese sandwich with a fork and knife, cutting and forming small bites, one at a time, while I devour my steak and eggs.
"You’re into brinner," she muses, in between bites.
"What’s that?"
"Brinner! Breakfast for dinner. Or late lunch, I suppose."
I look down at my plate. "Never heard that before. I guess so. Honestly, sometimes I don’t wake up till four in the afternoon, it feels like breakfast time to me."
"Have your sleep habits always been so erratic?"
I finish chewing the last of the steak and push the plate away. I'm impressed by the dent she put in her sandwich, but she's done eating, too. May eyes me from across the room, and I nod.
