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“Yo, Lis ,” Doris called through the window to the kitchen. “I need a #6 … tall stack.”
“Got it,” Lisa called back, rotating the sausages on the grill and flipping an omelet. She reached up and rubbed her arm across her forehead to get rid of the some of the sweat. She was working her tail off, and the kitchen was hot … especially at the grill. Doris’ voice came at her again.
“Guy wants ‘em extra sweet. Extra vanilla too.”
Lisa frowned. “Aw come on, really?” She sighed. Pancakes were easy enough, but having to stop and make a special order of them? She was already getting a little behind on orders. It was Tuesday, Pig in a Poke day, which kept her hustling as it was. “Fine …” she muttered. She grabbed the omelet off the grill and plated it, then went over to the bowl of pancake batter. She grabbed a smaller bowl and ladled some into it, then added a couple tablespoons of sugar and a dash of vanilla. She stirred it up well, and ladled it onto the grill in four good-sized circles. It did smell good … but sweet. She could smell how sweet they were. And Doris said a guy wanted these? Definitely “girly” pancakes. She chuckled. Maybe she should put a flower on the plate with it.
She worked on the other breakfast orders as well, putting each plate up on the shelf as she finished, and dinging the bell. The pancakes were a lovely golden brown when she flipped them. She smelled the aroma again. Guy definitely had a sweet tooth. She plated and sent out two more Pig in a Pokes, then got the pancakes on a plate. Perfect. She placed the plate up on the shelf and dinged the bell. “Tall stack, extra sweet,” she called out to Doris. Before she turned away, she saw a silvery-white-haired middle-aged man in a suit at the counter. He put down his newspaper and looked up with anticipation. Must be his order, she thought. Pancake man. She smiled again to herself … Girly pancakes. Then she turned and went back to her grill.
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“Yo, Lis ,” Doris called through the window to the kitchen. “I need a #6 … tall stack.”
“Got it,” Lisa called back.
Doris’ voice came at her again. “Guy wants ‘em extra sweet. Extra vanilla too.”
Lisa frowned. “Aw come on, really?” She sighed. She was already getting a little behind on orders. It was Tuesday, Pig in a Poke day, which kept her hustling as it was. “Fine …” she muttered. She grabbed a smaller bowl and ladled some pancake batter into it, then added a couple tablespoons of sugar and a dash of vanilla. She started to stir it, but stopped. Déjà vu … After a few seconds, she shrugged and continued.
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“Yo, Lis ,” Doris called through the window to the kitchen. “I need a #6 … tall stack.”
“Got it,” Lisa called back. At least it wasn’t another Pig in a Poke. Damn Tuesdays. Then she paused and raised her head.
Doris’ voice came at her again. “Guy wants ‘em extra sweet...”
“Extra vanilla too,” Lisa mumbled, as Doris said the exact same thing. She felt an odd prickle go through her. How did I know that?
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“Yo, Lis ,” Doris called through the window to the kitchen. “I need a #6 … tall stack.”
Lisa was about to call back to Doris, but instead she froze. She slowly looked up at Doris, who was opening her mouth to speak again. Lisa cut her off. “Extra sugar, extra vanilla,” Lisa said calmly, even though her pulse had quickened.
Doris smiled. “Wow … you got ears like a cat, girl!” Doris turned away and went over to a table. But I didn’t hear it … I just knew, Lisa thought to herself. She glanced out at the middle-aged man at the counter, reading the newspaper. Then she slowly turned back to the grill, unable to shake the odd feeling she had.
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“Yo, Lis ,” Doris called through the window to the kitchen. “I need a #6 … tall stack.”
From the moment Doris started talking, Lisa paused. She turned to Doris, hearing every word in her head a second before it came out Doris’ mouth. Lisa just stared at her.
“Guy wants ‘em extra sweet. Extra vanilla too,” said Doris. Again, Lisa knew every word before Doris said it. Lisa continued to stare at her for a moment, then nodded. Doris gave her a strange look at how she was acting, and Lisa tried to smile at her. Doris smiled back and turned and went over to a table. Lisa craned her neck and looked out. Yep, there he was … the silvery-white-haired man reading the newspaper at the counter. Pancake man. She had somehow known he was there too. And she had known he had ordered the pancakes. She felt like she had fallen into a TV episode she had already seen.
Not knowing what else to do, she went back to the grill and took off the food that was done. She started to work on the pancakes, feeling like she had done this many times before. Even though she rarely got a special order for pancakes. The whole thing made her feel odd, like she had just stepped off a wild amusement park ride. And she didn’t like feeling that way.
So when the pancakes were done, golden and perfect, she plated them. But instead of placing the plate up on the shelf and dinging the bell, she carried the plate out of the kitchen and up to the man at the counter. As she stopped in front of him, his eyes shot up at her over his newspaper. He looked startled, caught off guard.
“I believe you ordered these?” she asked. She felt almost apprehensive while saying it. What was she doing? Why had she come to him? She had no reason, other than she wanted to know what was going on. And somehow, she knew that meant coming and talking to him.
He still said nothing, but he looked at her warily. Almost calculating. Now she felt nervous. Something was definitely not right about all this.
“What’s happening here?” she asked, her mouth dry, her voice trembling a little. “Why is this all so … familiar?” She was a little scared, but she was determined to find out what was going on.
Just then, the door to the diner opened. Two men in their twenties walked in. One was very tall with medium brown hair. There was something vaguely familiar about them as well. But not as much as Pancake Man. Yet the tall man looked over and saw her, and now he looked surprised as well. His eyebrows knit together, and he stopped walking and stared at her. Did he realize it too? That something strange was going on? He must. The other man was asking him what was wrong. But he didn’t answer, only stared at Lisa.
Pancake Man turned his head slightly, his eyes shifting to the side. He looked at the tall man as well. Then he turned back to Lisa quickly, and as she looked back to him, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Everything in the diner stopped. Literally stopped. It was as though someone had been playing a video and hit the pause button. She could even see it outside through the window, someone stopped in mid-walk, a car stopped in the street. Everything was at a standstill. Except for her and Pancake Man.
Lisa dropped the plate of pancakes onto the counter, the clatter echoing through the now silent diner. She stared at Pancake Man, trying to stay strong. “What did you just do?” she asked nervously. “You did that … didn’t you?”
“Yes,” he said simply, but his eyes were still analyzing her.
“How can you do that? Who are you?” she asked. He said nothing at first, just continued to scrutinize her a little. “Tell me,” she insisted.
After a few more seconds, he finally answered her. “I’m a trickster.”
“A what?”
“A trickster,” he repeated. He raised an eyebrow. “A pretty good one too.”
She had vaguely heard of tricksters -- in stories, folklore. She had pictured them as something impish. Maybe even devilish. She looked back at him. “What are you? Are you even … human? I mean you look human…”
He smiled a little. “Well of course I look human. That’s the point, to blend in, fool everyone. And this isn’t even what I normally look like for a human.” He suddenly morphed, his appearance changing. His hair changed to light brown, slightly longer, especially in the back. His face changed as well. He was rather attractive, younger-looking than before, with golden brown eyes and an inviting mouth. His smile turned roguish … sexy. Lisa felt herself flush a little.
She still wasn’t quite sure what he had done. She looked around again at everything. “And you can-- can make time stop?”
He nodded. “Stop. Repeat.”
She looked back to him, feeling like something was starting to make sense, the puzzle pieces falling into place. “That’s what’s been happening. This has been repeating. Tuesday. Over and over.” He didn’t say anything, but she could tell from his expression she was right. “How many times?” He gave that mischievous smile again, and she knew it was a lot. She tilted her head and looked at him, confused. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.
“Why not?” he said, jokingly. She frowned a little, and he shrugged. “I’m not just screwing around – though there definitely is a fun side to this. I’m also trying to get a lesson through to someone.”
“Who?” Lisa asked. Then she looked over at the tall guy, still frozen in place like everyone else. “Him?” she asked, and he nodded. “Why?”
“He needs it. He’s got a load of crap coming his way, and he needs to be ready.” He smiled again. “And if I can throw in a little payback at the same time … well who can argue with that?”
She frowned. “A lot of people. You’re dragging all of us into this too, you know…”
“No one else knows what’s going on. They’re just going about their Tuesday business. They have no idea it’s repeating over and over.” Then he looked at her carefully. “Except for you. “ He stood up from the stool and walked around the counter, stopping in front of her. “I don’t quite get why you figured it out. You’re not supposed to remember anything. Only he is.” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the tall man.
“I guess I’m special,” she said sarcastically.
His eyebrows raised a little. “I guess you are,” he said seductively, and she felt like she might blush again. “Maybe we should spend some time trying to figure you out …” he trailed off, his tone still suggestive.
Even though he was quite attractive, and she was definitely intrigued, she felt she should play a little hard to get. She crossed her arms in front of herself. “Please … I barely know you, Pancake Man.”
“Well it seems to me we have a lot of Tuesdays to get to know each other,” he said, stepping closer to her. “Besides … I feel like I know you. I’ve snuck a glance into that kitchen just about every Tuesday … glimpsed a pretty little thing hustling and bustling, working her cute little tail off back there.” Lisa smiled in spite of herself, and he smiled back at her. “Not to mention I’ve been eating your pancakes for many days now. “
She gave a little laugh. “Girliest pancakes I’ve ever made … ‘extra sweet, extra vanilla’ …”
“Some of the best ones I’ve ever had,” he said. He definitely could be sweet, as well as sexy.
Lisa decided to flirt back a little. “Well I make some pretty good sticky buns too, Mr. Sweet Tooth. Maybe I’ll let you try them.” She gave him a coy look.
He waggled his eyebrows once at her, then reached out and traced his fingers slowly down her arm. “I certainly hope so,” he said, stepping in and placing his arm around her, the other one joining it, both of his hands on her back. She unfolded her arms and placed her hands gently on his chest. He pulled her just a touch closer and said, “You know, I am pretty hungry … I haven’t gotten to eat my pancakes yet today.”
“Well no one is stopping you,” she said softly.
“I think maybe I’ll get them to-go, take them with me,” he said, and he leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, then more deeply. His lips moved over hers, and his tongue slid gently into her mouth. He tasted sweet and rich, like fine chocolate. He kissed her a bit more, then drew back and stared into her eyes hungrily. Lisa returned the look.
“So, what, you’re just going to take my pancakes and go?” she asked.
He gave her a playful look. “Well I’m hoping you’ll join me … I’m thinking of having breakfast in bed for once.” His one arm dropped from her back, and he reached over and grabbed the full container of syrup off the counter, then held it up in front of her with a suggestive look.
She laughed and moved her hands to the back of his neck, running her fingers through his hair. “But what about all of them?” She glanced around at the frozen scene, then back to him.
“They’re fine. They can hang tight ‘til we’re done.”
She snickered and pulled on his hair gently. “That might be awhile.”
“Count on it,” he affirmed, burying his lips in her hair.
She continued to tug on his hair. “And then what happens? You know, I think Tall Guy was starting to figure this out too.”
He pulled back and raised an eyebrow at her. “That was your doing. You just keep yourself in that kitchen from now on, and he’ll be none the wiser.”
“You mean … tomorrow?” she asked.
“Yep. Tomorrow will be Tuesday again. I’ll know it, and you’ll know it. And Stretch will know it too. But he’ll think he’s the only one, and he’ll go about his business. And then you and I can go about our business.“ He gave her a mischievous look. “Maybe I’ll get to try those sticky buns of yours tomorrow.” She laughed again and kissed him, and he returned it, then he brushed his lips across her cheek and over to her ear where he whispered, “In fact, I’m hoping to try everything of yours … again and again …“
She smiled and closed her eyes as he nuzzled her neck. “Okay, Pancake Man … I guess you’ve got yourself a date … today … and all the other Tuesdays as well.”