An Excerpt From "And I Was Left to Simmer".....a short story by Rebecca J. Reyes

He and I frequently went to the Double T Diner on Dekalb Pike. It had an eerie feel to it. The walls were painted a pastel peach. There were rows of mirrors lining the walls. As you looked around, you could see yourself from all angles. Bright chandeliers hung from the ceiling with beaming bulbs making reflections brighter.

All the waiters at the diner were Egyptian. There was a glass case next to the entrance where you paid, filled with items the employees had brought back from Egypt to sell. There were scrolls made out of bamboo with pictures of Nefertiti, and maidens bathing, holding harps, or combing their hair. There were pretty blue and purple beaded bracelets—two of which I bought.

Iman was always our waiter. We tipped him well. He sweated profusely and had a green tint to his face like he was always about to be sick, but never was. His skin was pock marked. His hands shook when he poured the coffee. His teeth were nicotine stained and he greeted us in a thick accent.

"Hello, my friends!" he said raising his hands in the air as we stumbled in. His smile stretched from ear to ear.

The crispy fries made up for the horrible coffee especially when we were attempting to soak up the alcohol inside of us. We always went back as no other place was open during the hours we were alive.

We stood outside the diner one night talking with friends. It was a warm summer night but there was a slight wind. I had on a t-shirt and was chilly. He took off his Adidas jersey and put it around me. He put his arm around me and leaned down to…I wasn’t sure…and then I realized he wanted to smell my hair.

That’s when I knew.