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The Villages
Friday, March 29, 2024

The day I met Danny at the Diner

Lisa DeMarco

I don’t think I will ever forget any of the characters on the payroll at the Diner when I worked there. However, Danny will always be my most memorable. 

Mine and Danny’s paths did not cross at first. I worked breakfast. My shifts were from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm. Danny, however, was one of only night shift servers. She would come in between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm and close the restaurant, which was only open for dinner two days a week. Most of the business was breakfast – except on weekends when they stayed open until 10 pm and offered All You Can Eat Fish Fry. 

One evening, after working at the Diner for a couple of months, my husband Joe and I decided to go in for dinner. It was our first time eating there and my first opportunity to meet Danny. 

When we entered the restaurant, it seemed odd to me. I had never been there at night. It seemed dark and mysterious. The dining room lights were dimmed, Christmas lights, which I had never even noticed, shone along the molding on the wall, and the candles on the tables were actually lit. There were a few customers scattered about – all with unfamiliar faces. I did recognize two diners, though. The owners were there, seated in their usual booth. Yet I still did not see a waitress anywhere. I grabbed a couple of menus and two silverware set-ups and led my husband toward a booth adjacent to my bosses’. I introduced them to Joe, and we struck up a conversation. 

As always, my hubby positioned himself in the booth to have a clear view of everything, leaving me with my back to it all. I didn’t care. I had a clear view of my boss lady, so we just started to chit-chat while Joe scanned the menu. I didn’t need to look at the menu. I knew what I was ordering. I had been thinking about it since early that morning because I had been smelling it cooking all day. It was the prime rib roast they ran on special every Friday night. The meal I had been craving for weeks now. It is one of my favorite steaks; I have been getting so hungry every Friday, smelling those roasts. I always guessed I would break down and at least get it to go. What could be better than finally enjoying it while being served at half price? 

Joe, on the other hand, was much more indecisive. He couldn’t decide between the AUCE catfish or the homemade chicken and dumplings to go with his black-eyed peas and collar greens. None of which this Jersey girl cooked at home.

Suddenly, my husband’s eyes jumped from the down position of reading his menu to up and wide open. Something had gotten his attention, and I could only imagine it was female. I was right. As I almost cracked my neck trying to turn around quickly enough to see what the big attraction was, a young lady came around the corner and approached us. I knew my facial expression had to have been like, WOW! When I first saw our waitress, I knew my eyes widened as my bottom jaw dropped. I am not saying that she was not attractive because she was. I just didn’t expect to be waited on by Elvira. 

Danny had long purple hair and was dressed all in black – with black leather pants, a black spiked choker around her neck, and several piercings on her ears, face, and tongue. Not to mention the 10-inch, laced up to her knee, combat boots she wore on her feet. She was like a Gothic princess serving the local good old boys. Almost like Wednesday Addams all grown up and waitressing in Lake County. Joe seemed memorized. I wasn’t sure if he was shocked or intrigued. Either way, we were there to eat, not to critique my coworker’s appearance. 

“Hi guys, can I get you something to drink? Get you started,” she asked as an awkward moment of silence was finally broken. 

“Danny,” the boss lady said. “This is Lisa, our new day server, and her husband, Joe.”

I was still a bit stunned. Joe chimed in, “Give us a couple more minutes, okay, sweety.” 

I guess he could tell I needed a minute. My silence was enough to alarm him. He could tell I was having trouble registering the whole mistress/waitress of the dark thing. Plus, sending her away gave him a chance to check her out from the back view. 

“Dude,” I whispered as I kicked him under the table. “Try not to be too obvious.”

Bossman started to chuckle. “Yeah, she’s definitely an attention getter,” the missus said. “But our customers love her. She’s been with us a long while now, and even though we never know what color hair she’s gonna have, and she scares us all to death with those shoes of hers, she’s a keeper.” 

“I’ve warned her about those darn shoes,” Bossman interjected. “When she breaks her little neck, she’ll be paying for it out of her pocket because a Workman’s Comp agent would laugh us right out of their office if we ever tried to make a claim with her dressed in that getup.”

“I hear you, old man,” Danny razzed him back as she rounded the corner and walked back toward our table. “I’m not going to fall. I know how to walk! And these are my work shoes,” she laughed. 

“You should see some of the stuff she wears out,” said the boss lady. 

Then, Danny twirled around a couple of times to show off her balance before she said, “So, would you like me to take their order, or would you rather just sit around discussing my wardrobe?”

“I’m ready to order,” Joe quickly answered with his eyes down and a smirk on his face.

Over twenty years later, Danny is still rocking some fancy footwear while enjoying her Nightmare Before Christmas lifestyle. Just like all my other quirky friends and myself, she chooses to embrace her uniqueness and enjoy life.

Laugh on. Peace out!

Lisa DeMarco is a columnist for Villages-News.com

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