Max was a sweating mess as he finally saw the diner. He had to jog some of the way because his time of arrival kept getting further and further away. Eight fifty-eight, he'd made it. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he pushed his sweaty brown hair out of his eyes. No doubt the slight curls were plastered to his head. He checked himself in the reflection of the window… at least he didn't look like a completely drowned rat… just a soggy one. The bags under his hazel green eyes would make pandas jealous. Not to mention, he was so pale he looked on the verge of collapse.
Before anyone came up behind him he walked in, looking around for this… Dillion.
Max saw someone raise their hand, hesitating he glanced around, no one else had just come in so… "Uh, Dillion?" He asked as he slowly walked over. The blond guy was in basketball shorts and a tracksuit jacket. The gym bag in the booth as well.
"Hey mate, glad you made it. Come sit down, you also hit the gym in the morning?" Dillion greeted, offering his hand as he stood up. He was several inches taller than Max's 5'7, so maybe 5'10 or 5'11.
Max shook the proffered hand, thankfully Dillion didn't grip too hard. He tried to keep eye contact, but Dillon's blue eyes were startlingly direct. "Uh, no, it was close by, so I walked, I uh, left a bit late, so um, jogged a bit." He mumbled as he glanced around the table.
"Lucky! Well, like I said on the phone I'm Dillion, I've been at the apartment for a little over three years. So what brings you to this part of the city?" Dillion asked has he passed over a menu and an ice-cold glass of water.
Max accepted both gratefully, taking a sip to soothe his parched throat. "Uh, breakup, so, uh, new start."
"Dang, that's ruff mate. You holding up okay?" Dillion asked him with such… such genuine sympathy.
Max felt teers threaten to fall, he wiped his face, pretending it was more sweat as he forced a laugh, "Yeah, she was cheating on me anyway. I'm better off." It was the first time he hadn't stuttered. He could not turn into a bawling mess in front of some random stranger.
Thankfully, Dillion just passed him a napkin. "I'm good, serieousy," he corrected quickly, "seriously! Seriously, I'm just looking for a new start."
Max kept looking at the menu, "Uh, any, anything you'd recommend?"
"Yeah, their omelets are amazing, I sometimes bring them home. Big too, honestly one is enough for two meals. Though if you take one home, use the stove to warm it up, microwave sometimes makes em explode." Dillion half laughed as he grinned. "Juice is also all fresh squeeze so sometime there's pulp, just an fyi."
Max nodded, once again grateful for Dillion's non judgmental tone. "Uhh, then, bacon, ham and mozzarella cheese, that one looks good." Max agreed with a small smile.
"Nice choice, the gals around here are awesome, I usually get broccoli and grapefruit on the side rather than the toast, they don't charge extra. I'm planning to bring two home, I'm living out of boxes, so quick and easy meals are great."
Max nodded as Dillion talked, true to his word, the omelet filled the plate! Since Dillon was treating he'd also ordered broccoli and grapefruit. The waitress was nice enough to bring him a small packet of sugar, maybe only his had been sour.
Soon they were chatting like old friends. Max was shocked when he'd finished the entire omelet, he glanced at the time, they'd already been here for over an hour!
"Now that we've eaten, let's head to the apartment. I parked out front." Dillion explained as winked at the waitress. She smacked him on the shoulder after handing him the two omelets to go.
"Oh, uh yeah!" Max agreed glancing at the bill, dang, only forty dollars, plus he left a twenty dollar tip. Maybe he would come here for meals too. If one omelet was good for two meals, and they were only seven dollars… everything had been so good.
"You don't mind if we hit the market before we go right? Super cheap vegies before noon on Wednesdays, sometimes they're a little old, but still cheaper than anywhere else for a hot second." Dillon nodded to his sedan.
Max hesitated, but slid into the passenger seat. "Yeah, no worries." The store was just name.. the Market. It was a little run down, security at the doors, but the prices were cheaper than he'd seen anywhere else. Though the selection was a bit limited, mostly just fresh foods, only one isle of frozen food.
Max followed as Dillion filled up a basket, chatting all the while.
"Yeah, this place is a godsend, lots of discounts, a local runs the place to make sure everyone can try to eat a little better. Though, that means sometimes there are fights before restock, so just keep an eye out yeah?"
Max nodded like a chick pecking at grain, he'd already saved the location. A twelve minute walk from the diner. A two pound pack of bacon? For nine dollars?! Dang, he'd definitely be back!
"Smiles look good on ya mate, it's the little things yeah?" Dillion asked as he started driving to the apartment.
Max didn't even realize he was smiling until Dillion said something. "Yeah, the little things." When Dillion laughed, Max was at first self-conscious, then realized Dillion seemed to have some kind of inside joke.
Max saw the apartment complex… yep he was going to die. Their were several large, buff guys just hanging around. Some had some serious ink. Max shrank into his seat as Dillion turned the car off. Damn, of course it was too good to be true.
Dillion just grinned at him before hopping out. "Come on Max, can't see the apartment from here."
Max hunched, but slowly slid from the safety of the car. Damn, if he died… no one knew where he was. Dillion was such a great scammer… he followed him up the creaking stairs, past the broken lights, past the buff guys smoking, even past a women in little more than a bathing suit… Dillion was for sure going to sell his kidney.
Dillion juggled the grocery bag in his arm to fish out his keys, then opened the door for Max. "Shoes off at the door yeah?"
Max nodded as he squeezed past Dillion, oh please oh please, oh please, no plastic room!
As Dillion shut the door behind them he locked the door, then bolted it shut.