A Dinner Surprise

Having gotten to choose the Master Class prompt this week, I had to use The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  After all, it is the inspiration behind the name for this blog.  So, we had to use the last line out of the book - "We'll take in a quick bite at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.".  It took me a bit to work out how to use this line.  But, it ended up fitting into a serial story I've got going.  This is the latest in the One Night in Dusseldorf series.  If you've missed any, follow the link at the top and it will give you the other pieces.  So, here it is!

"Let's take in a quick bite at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe." ran through my head.  I felt so far out of touch with reality it wasn't even funny.

I followed Kris, as a black wolf, out of the woods.  James waited on the veranda.  I struggled to wrap my mind around everything.

Magic was real.  Werewolves were real.  And the world didn't know.  But I did.

Kris disappeared as I made my way through the formal gardens.  I didn't catch where he went.  He was just gone.  I joined James.  Neither of us spoke for a while.  Somehow, he sensed my need for silence, for a moment of normalcy.

I don’t know how long we stood that way, but after a while he turned to me with a cheeky grin, “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.  What’re you thinking?”

“We’ll take in a quick bite at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.”

I blinked.  

“What are you talking about?  Why are you quoting The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy at me?”

I couldn't believe he'd gone there when I'd been thinking that not more than five minutes earlier.

James laughed, “We have a restaurant called the Restaurant at the End of the Universe over in East London.  The owners are big Douglas Adams’ fans.  Even if you don’t like the book the food is to die for.”

Comprehension flowed into my addled brain.  He hadn't actually read my mind.  I laughed and offered James my arm.

“It sounds delightful.  Shall we?”

We took the Underground to the Stratford stop.  Coming up the stairs I could see Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park glowing in the East London twilight.  I followed James several blocks to a small restaurant on the corner.  As he said, ‘Restaurant at the End of the Universe’ glowed in tasteful blue lettering above a patio.  The place was busy, too.

Once we were seated and our orders taken, James looked at me with a more serious expression than where we’d been on the trip to the restaurant.

“I know you've had bit to take in today.”

“Yeah.  That’s one way to put it.”

James looked down, fidgeting with his napkin and water glass.  Several tense minutes passed.  I couldn't stand it any longer.  Just as I was about to break the uncomfortable silence, James blurted out in an uncharacteristically blunt manner.

“Your sister is alive.  In a fashion.”

Yeah.  He was way out there all right.  Let's take in a quick bite at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Be sure to follow the link below to see how others used this line!