Chapter 1

Man, I knew this place was going to get busy today, but I never thought at 8:10 am on a Saturday it was going to be packed that there would be a line just to wait to get a table. While I gave my name at the register, I asked why there were so many people. Lenny's was more a family place; kids under a certain age ate free or at a reduced price on weekends. They served a decent breakfast and my favourite, the Super Duper Ranchero. Sausage (links or patty), grits or hash brown, 3 eggs, any style, toast, applesauce or fruit cup, OJ and that saving grace men through time cherished as much, a good woman hot coffee.

My luck recently with finding that had made the search for a hot cup of coffee, three or four creams and a clean spoon my priority. Let me tell you a few things about me, the important stuff and you will see why my luck with women made my choice easy. My name is Sam. Sam Malone. I am 21, 6' 3" tall, going to school here and a Freshman at San Diego State University and about 243 pounds, on a good day, 258 on a bad one. Why a Freshman you ask, well there was a reason, still is. Mom and Dad were in an accident, a bad one. He finally, mercifully died after over a year of sheer misery. Mom was so much better, right, she was at the point now that a wheelchair could see her outside and for 12.5 minutes each day we would exercise and I would tell her how good she was doing. Yep, it was such a wonderful time we had each day.

I think Grandpa dying just about took the wind out of her sails. He went fast (Cancer) and she never even could say goodbye. About a year ago, we moved into his old house. I say old because he built it 38 years ago. Frank Lloyd Wright was a friend and when he saw the one he had built for his brother up in Laurel Canyon, he had to have one, only his was on 5 Acres over looking the Ocean, and 2 more Acres which were beach. It was all glass, the bedrooms were small, but from just about every room the view was spectacular.

Before a lot of restrictions made building anything on the beach to be a thing of the past, a huge deck, patio and pool were added. His investments, love of the sea and a wild escalation of prices here in California meant he ended up a rich man. Looking at the house, I could see that he enjoyed his 'golden years' if the 27 'beach bunnies' that kept showing up at the house asking for him were any indication. One or two I recognized from school. I was half-tempted to let them continue their sun and fun, actually more than half, bur realization that I was still a Freshman and they were seniors stopped me; that and being 60 plus pounds overweight might have influenced that too. One particular Friday, after answering the door and being asked 'Was there a par-tiee tonight?' I was going to not answer the door. I swear two of them had to be 15 or 16 and the postage stamp on my mail was bigger than what they were wearing. Time for reflection I determined I wondered what granddad had that I didn't? Oh, right, I remembered.

Anyway, I did not spend all my time just munching on chips, candy, pretzels, peanut butter crackers and soft drinks, my powers of observation were as keen as many of the gulls pestering around the beach. I spotted a table, and, Ta-Da there was a goddess seated in it. An alone goddess.

Now if I could just bribe, even beg somebody to ask her if I might join her ... No one around. I guessed, by my superior powers of deduction that the Mom would not like my bribing her 10-year old daughter to go ask either. Fate works in mysterious ways as a young waitress, 16 17 maybe waltzed up to me and wondered if I would mind 'sharing' a table. The young lady was only drinking coffee and waiting for a ride home. When she pointed over to the seated goddess, my heart skipped a beat or two.

"Sure, but I'm buying, OK?" Her name was Jenny, the waitress was Sue and I was in love in 12.3 seconds. Sue brought two menus over. "I'm just waiting, thank you though."

"Man or woman does not live on coffee alone! Besides, it's on me and you saved me an hour's wait. I'm Sam. Do you live around here?" Sue came back and I was about to order my favourite meal when her worshipfulness said. "Cottage cheese, a hard boiled egg and dry wheat toast, if that's OK?"

I was trapped; I could almost taste the Ranchero with a side order of pancakes smothered with butter and syrup. I did the man thing when Sue came back. Jenny repeated her order, I had given her another chance to regain her senses and order something more than 23 calories. Nope. "I'll have the same and maybe we will both have a big glass of water." I figured I could have an early lunch.

The look I got from Sue was, well almost 'The Look' if you know what I mean. She 'knew' what was going on, what she didn't know was how badly I had wanted that Ranchero. I was sure they did takeout.

Now I'm not sure how familiar you are with Lenny's. Imagine Jenny sitting on a padded booth seat 6 foot wide, all 98 pounds of her wet; and me, hanging my overstuffed ass over both sides of a chair that was from a K or G1 school classroom. It was starting to get painful at bite number 3. There were not many more bites left in this feast we had ordered. Did I call her a goddess? If so the vision that tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was going to eat the other slice of toast or could she please have it; was a 30 on a 1:10 scale. If she asked me to cut my throat with a butter knife I would do it then ask for further instructions.