“Oh, for God’s sake, Marge, control them, will you?” the man insisted as Kristi flipped the page of her notepad.

“Sure, I can take your order,” Kristi said to stem the tide of pandemonium that was about to erupt amongst this happy little family. “What would you like?”

“Strawberry waffles!” the girl yelled. “With whipped cream.”

“It has a different name. It’s called—” her mother said.

“That’s okay, I’ve got it.” Kristi managed a smile as she hurriedly finished taking the order. In the kitchen Finn was nursing a cola and looking as if he’d just run a marathon. “No time to rest,” she warned him, tearing off the page for his table. “Take care of this. Table seven. And you’d better not mess around. The natives are getting restless.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Figure it out!” She slapped the order into his hand, tried to ignore his I-didn’t-do-nuthin’ expression, and grabbed the plate of drinks for her table, even remembering the small pitcher of nonfat milk. After depositing the drinks at Dr. Croft’s table, she took their food orders, then stopped by several other tables as well, including a surprise birthday party for an elderly woman with a walker who had trouble understanding the Shakespearean lingo her equally old, but spry, husband found so amusing. Somehow the cook-cum-electrician got the oven working again and with him on the line, orders came up faster and tables could be turned. Even Frick-Finn, after a scolding, pulled his act together.

All the while she worked, Kristi felt as if the professors in the diner were watching her. She passed by their table several times and heard snatches of conversation.

“…might have to make a few changes…” Natalie Croft said as she bit into her beignet and wiped the extra honey from the corner of her mouth.

A few minutes later, she was still speaking. “…well, I know, but it was Father Tony’s idea. Trying to make the school more interesting and Grotto’s a natural. I don’t know why Anthony’s so insistent that we continue with the courses, but it is popular….” She lowered her voice as Kristi stopped by to refill the coffee cups.

The conversation caught Kristi’s interest but she couldn’t eavesdrop as her tables, though clustered near each other, were filled with noisy patrons needing service. However as she carried out trays of plated food, refilled glasses and tallied up bills, she noticed that the three professors were deep in discussion, serious and unsmiling. They declined dessert, gave her a reasonable tip, and left as the crowd finally began to thin.

She was about to close out her section when Jay strolled into the restaurant, big as life. He spoke with the hostess and landed one of the small two-person tables in her part of the restaurant.

Kristi propped one fist against her hip. “You’re kidding, right?”