Re: Cass & Alex: the (bad) diner
God but that line, lines like it, seemed so familiar to Alex he wanted to cringe a little. Not that he thought this lady was trying to pick him up or turn a trick in the middle of her waitressing shift but he knew it was the kind of thing he used to say: Trucker outside his rig, reaching for smokes and there was Alex with a cheap lighter and a smile, all Hey dude, need a light? Or anything else? And then cut his eyes to the cab meaningfully and state his prices if the guy was interested.
But no, this wasn't that, and that wasn't him - not anymore. He took another drag, cherry glowing orange as he inhaled once more, exhaling a cloud of blue smoke after holding it a moment. "New t'town or just here?" He started to ask, but the question all but died on his lips when she said his name. He hadn't just come from work and they didn't wear name tags at the comic shop so it's not like he'd left one on. And he knew he should get used to that sort of thing, living in Repose, but it was going to be a slow journey to acceptance, even for someone like him.
"I...am," he said slowly, spreading his hands a little, like what else do you say to that? He cocked his head a little, not so much how do you know, but what else do you know? Looking at her face now, but not catching any real change in her expression.