never been academically ambitious. This was due to the fact that she’d done absolutely rubbish in school. The only thing she’d ever been remotely good at was maths, but never good enough to have wanted to make something out of it. The diner was something she’d watched grow and flourish, something which she’d felt a part of since the very first day she’d stepped inside. If other people had certificates and A-levels, then Mia had Dolly’s Diner. If they could be proud of their achievements academically, then she looked on the diner as if it were a certificate all of its own, framed and hung proudly on the wall. It was, she supposed, the only thing she’d ever done, ever been a part of, that she could truly be proud of.
Despite the refurbishments, the diner still had the fabulous booths with the slightly cracked, vinyl seating. The candyfloss-pink stools that were lined up against the serving counter had been updated a few years back but were almost identical to the previous set, again with the vinyl seating atop which made for very comfy seating while scoffing one of the many ice-cream sundaes on the diner’s menu. On each table, a laminated menu stood upright in a red, plastic holder, offering American-style delights from stacked pancakes to eggs sunny-side-up with streaks of crispy bacon and deliciously crisp onion rings. If any of the customers ordered one of the many burgers on offer with a side of fries, the fries would arrive in a basket with a red and white napkin beneath, just like they used to do back in the day. Behind the serving counter, framed vintage, black and white images hung, one of them a photograph of Grandma Dolly, back in her younger days. In the image, she’d been standing outside of the diner with a serving tray in one hand and her other propped cheekily on her hip. Mia loved that photo more than any of the others. Grandma Dolly had been beautiful back then, had been in her later years, too, but in her younger years she’d looked stunning, with bouncy blonde hair and a figure to die for. In the photograph, she wore a gorgeous, halter-neck, floral-printed dress, nipped in at the waist, giving her a perfectly proportioned hour-glass figure. No wonder Grandpa Robert had wanted her from the minute he’d set eyes on her. Mia could bet every man who had ever met Grandma Dolly had fallen a little bit in love with her. It would have been impossible not to.
Grandma Dolly had died three years previously and it gutted Mia that she would no longer be around to help celebrate the anniversaries of the diner she had loved so much, but the photograph behind the counter made her feel that perhaps Grandma Dolly was looking out from within it, keeping an eye on the comings and goings, on all of the happenings in the diner, ensuring everything was running smoothly in the same way it always had. Mia hoped she was doing a good job, hoped that if Grandma Dolly was looking down that she’d be proud of her and how far she and the diner had come.
During the reading of Grandma Dolly’s will, Mia had been overcome with emotion despite already knowing the words that were about to be spoken. When she heard her name being read out, quickly followed by the words ‘Dolly’s Diner’, she’d sent a silent prayer of thanks up to Grandma Dolly. It had been handed over to her, as well as Honeysuckle Cottage. Mia, by that point, had already been living in the cottage alongside Grandma Dolly, having moved in to help her in old age. They’d spent many warm, balmy summer evenings sitting out in the back garden, talking, laughing and reminiscing about days gone by. The beach was visible from the garden and provided a glorious view. Mia would keep those memories tight within her heart.
‘You look deep in thought.’
Mia glanced up and smiled as Pollyanna propped her chin up on her hands, grinning at her from the opposite side of the counter.
‘I’m trying to figure out how we can celebrate the upcoming anniversary. Any ideas?’ She should have known better than to ask Pollyanna. She was a sucker for any sort of celebration so the diner’s anniversary was sure to send her fanciful mind into overdrive, full of confetti and party poppers.
‘Erm, hello?’ Pollyanna rolled her eyes with a small shake of her head. ‘A 1950s costume party, right here in the diner?’ She said it as if Mia was beyond stupid for not having thought of it beforehand. ‘Can you imagine? Everybody dressed up in their best 50s finery, dancing, laughing and chatting the night away? All of us celebrating together? It would be fab!’
Mia laughed. ‘And you think everybody in Sunset Bay has 50s finery? I, for one, don’t have anything remotely 50srelated.’
‘So you order something online,’ Pollyanna replied with a shrug. ‘It’s a great idea. You’re welcome.’ She waltzed off to greet a couple who had just stepped into the diner and were taking a seat in the booth beside the door, her notepad and pen in hand ready to jot down their order.
Mia thought about the idea of a costume party. Would the locals go for it? She jotted it down in her notebook to make sure she remembered to ask a few customers for their ideas, too. Most of the locals had been around when Grandma Dolly had been here, so Dolly’s Diner was home to them. Mia was sure they’d want to join in with the celebrations, dressed in costume or not. She couldn’t allow them to feel as if they weren’t included because they were and always would be. The diner was special to all of them, not just Mia, and to have them all celebrating together would be perfect in Mia’s eyes. The best way to celebrate the years of success so far, and hopefully more years to come, too!
As the tracks changed on the jukebox, and as customers came and went, the day rolled by and before she knew it Mia was mopping the diner floor and humming along to the tune that was playing quietly in the background. She didn’t stop until the black and white tiles were shining beneath the lights, and even then she carried on. She was never in a rush to finish up and leave anyway; she didn’t really have much else to do.
‘Is Cal finished yet?’
Mia knew who it was without looking up. Hannah White, Cal’s girlfriend. She was a Sunset Bay local through and through. Her father, Mick White, owned one of the most popular fishmonger’s in Sunset Bay, providing leading restaurants with fresh fish on a daily basis. He was a big, burly man, with a monstrous beard and glassy blue eyes, which was where Hannah got hers from, except hers had a touch more ‘ice’ about them.
‘Erm, yeah, he’s just finishing up in the kitchen,’ Mia explained, pausing in her mopping duties to look up at Hannah who, as always, was the very image of perfection. ‘He shouldn’t be too long,’ she added. ‘Take a seat if you like.’ She waved a hand towards the sparkling clean booths and smiled, but the smile slipped from her face when she noticed the look that Hannah threw towards the booths, as if the mere thought of sitting on the red vinyl was beyond grotesque.
‘No, thanks.’ Flicking her long, blonde hair behind her shoulder, Hannah remained standing and stared ahead at the kitchen doors, as if willing Cal to appear through the force of mind-power.
‘Suit yourself,’ Mia muttered under her breath. Pollyanna had already left for the night and so had Marco. Cal usually stayed behind with Mia on a Friday to clean and lock up, but ever since Hannah had appeared on the scene, he’d been hurrying off earlier and earlier. Mia wasn’t bothered but it was obvious that Hannah had some weird issue with her. She was so impatient and often groaned if Cal took a few more minutes than usual. It was ridiculous.
As Mia continued to mop, she covertly looked at her nails after catching a glimpse of Hannah’s talons, and almost winced at them. They were awful, short stubby little things with not a lick of paint or shiny gloss on them. She’d never been that sort of woman, though. The way of life in Sunset Bay was relaxed, calm, not bothered with keeping up appearances, which she supposed was why Hannah stood out so much. That probably explained why she’d caught Cal’s eye, too. Still, who Cal decided to spend his free time with was none of Mia’s business and that was that.
‘All done!’ Cal burst through the swinging doors of the kitchen and clapped his hands together. ‘Anything else you need me to do, Mia?’ He arrived beside her and smiled.
‘Erm,
