minutes for the owner to prepare your bill, and you do-gooders do not run out on
the check.”
William stared at her.
“As of this moment,” she continued, “my employer is implementing his plan for world
domination. There is nothing you can do to stop it.”
William held her gaze. “Be that as it may, Miss?”
“Dahlia. Dahlia Doodles,” she answered.
“Charmed,” William said, attempting the worst English accent he could manage. “Be
that as it may, Miss Doodles, I am not, in fact, James Bond. I am merely a decoy,
placed here to keep you occupied.”
He pushed up the sleeve of his flannel shirt to reveal an imaginary watch.
“And the real James Bond is stopping your employer right this very moment.”
Casey smiled like she hadn’t expected him to play along.
“And Mister Bond is landing the knockout punch,” he added, tapping his imaginary
watch with each word. “Right. About. Now.”
“Well,” Casey said, smirking, “now that we have that unpleasantness out of the way,
we can finally enjoy breakfast.”
Manny returned with their drinks. They were both ready to order, even though
neither had glanced at the menu. Casey chose the pancakes, and William ordered the
western omelet.
After Manny walked off, Casey said, “Let’s play a game while we wait for our food.”
“A game?” William asked, intrigued. He imagined I Spy and glanced around for an
object to choose.
“Yes, a game,” Casey said. She smiled. “I’ll ask a simple question and give my
answer. Then you answer the same question. After that, you ask a new question and