Belgian Waffles

All I wanted was a Strawberry Belgian Waffle to turn my day around. My morning meeting was a disaster, and now I was in my favorite restaurant just waiting for the warm waffle smothered in sliced strawberries and sticky red sauce.

The waitress smiled as she headed my way, set the plate before me, and refilled my coffee mug.

“Will there be anything else?” she asked.

“No, this is great. Thank you,” I replied.

I sampled a slice of strawberry, and closed my eyes savoring the sweetness.

“I said sit down,” a voice said, thick with anger, ruining my moment.

A man and a younger woman sat in a booth closer to the door. From my vantage point, I could see them both clearly. He leaned forward, his face red and angry as he spoke to her in a hushed voice.

The younger woman looked about to burst into tears. She kept her eyes on the table as the man continued talking.

I wondered what could be so bad that he felt the need to start things up in the middle of a public place. As things settled down at their table, I returned to my brunch.

I forked a good chunk Of the waffle and syrup, speared a Strawberry, and popped it into my mouth. It was perfection.

That's when the sobbing started. I looked over and saw the wait staff gathered in a corner watching the spectacle, whispering to one another, probably having the same thoughts as I was.

The man softened a bit by her tears but didn't try to comfort her in any way. Instead, he looked up and we made eye contact before he quickly looked away.

The woman seized that brief opportunity, stood, dumped a glass of ice water on his head, and bolted for the door without looking back.

“Damn it,” the man shouted. He stood, grabbed some bills from his pocket, dropped them on the table, and took off in hot pursuit.

I looked back down at my food, no longer hungry, and waved the waitress over. The best thing for me to do was take it to go. The day would not be getting any better.

Wc: 365
Giovanni 7 prompt