Bag Lady & the Retired Marine Ch. 04

With just a telling look from Pete, as if Dave was Clint Eastwood in the movie, Magnum Force, walking in his favorite restaurant for his morning coffee with the waitress salting his coffee instead of sugaring it, he knew there was more than coffee brewing. There was trouble. Not waiting for the men to reveal their weapons and make their deadly move, Dave made the first strike with a sidekick to the knee of the man who stood closest to him. His gun hit the floor before he did and reaching down to recover the weapon and coming up fast and hard, Dave pistol whipped the second man in the nuts with his friend's gun while taking his weapon from him too.

Just as it was in the alley, the altercation was over in three seconds. Just it was in the alley, it took him longer to disable the weapons than to defeat the perpetrators. Pete called the police and had the two arrested. Ever since then, whatever he ordered was on the house. Only tonight, wanting to give this homeless woman a belated Thanksgiving Day feast, he intended to pay for her food.

They sat in the booth across from one another. Sally, the waitress, handed them menus while looking from Dave to stare at Susan before looking back at Dave with a questioning look on her face.

"Coffee?"

Dave looked at Susan and she nodded.

"Two coffees," he said and the waitress left to retrieve her pot.

"Order whatever you want. Whatever you don't finish, you can take with you to eat later," he said. "Don't worry about what it costs. The prices here are cheap enough and I can afford anything you want."

"Okay," said Susan already busy looking at the menu before she looked up to study Dave. "Thank you."

"What's your name?"

"Susan. Susan Jill Parker."

To be continued...