The next evening the wolves walked through the door with the ring of a bell.

"Hey Jeff, you're back," I said with a smile, grabbing menus. "And you brought more friends today."

His three other friends I couldn't remember the names of were with again, but he brought two new men and one woman. All were also wolves but with a taller presence then the ones I met yesterday.

"Guys this is Elise, she made the cake," Jeff spoke excitedly. "Elise, this is Cassandra, Adam, ...and this is Nate." He gestured to the last of his new attractive friends. Dark brown almost black short hair, tight half smirked lips, and a full strong jaw. He was looking at me with a solid inquisitive gaze.

"Nice to meet you Cassandra, Adam," my eyes met Nate's dark ones, "Nate."

There was nearly an electricity on the air.

"Got anymore cake today?" Jeff asked hopefully.

Oh, he definitely had a good time last night.

"That we do." I beamed up to him and noticed Nate still watching me intently. "Right this way."

I sat them in a larger booth and started to place menus down when Nate spoke in rich deep tones. "No need for menus. Let's just try this cake I've heard so much about."

I turned to each. "Just cake for all." Nods greeted me from the four from yesterday. I turned to the woman, Cassandra. She had short waved hair that just brushed her ears. Her features were muscular for a woman, but still beautiful red feminine lips. "Any drinks?"

She answered monotone, "Yes. Iced tea, please."

Quickly, I wrote it down on my pad and turned to the last new man in the group. Longer light brown hair, stubbly chin, eyebrows full and attractively mysterious. "Anything for you handsome?"

He stared at me a second too long to be polite and Nate chuckled, smacking his arm. "Adam. Drink?"

"Coke," Adam replied clearing his throat and tearing his gaze to the table.

Nate smirked up to me. "Coke for me too. You boys?" He looked at the others from yesterday and they gave their orders.

I wrote down quickly, "Alrighty guys I'll be out with some drinks and cake. Give me a minute."

Nate nodded and turned to talk with Jeff.

I sent a dinner order to another table and then came back to fill drinks and cut cake slices. When they were piled high on the tray, I danced my waitress stride out to the wolf table. I set the tray down on an empty neighboring table then started to pass out the plates and drinks.

Jeff teasingly complained when there was only one glass in front of him, "Aww, no footballer special today?"

I grinned. "Of course I'll grab another round right away. I'm just not talented enough to bring fourteen drinks and cake out all at once."

Nate smirked, "You sure about that? I'm betting you're pretty talented. I've heard so much about this cake already." He waved a fork over his plate.

"There are a few things I'm talented at, at least." I spoke with a wink.

He gave an airy laugh.

"Alright, you guys let me know if you need anything else. I'll go grab that round of drinks." They nodded and I turned back to the soda fountain.

A minute later with more drinks at the table, most were at least halfway finished with their slices. As I set the new drinks down, Nate spoke. "This is outstanding."

I beamed and grabbed his empty cup. "Well thank you Darlin. I do love when people are happy with my baking."

"Do you live around here?" He asked tilting forward.

I shrugged. "Depends on what you mean by around here. I live about twenty minutes away. More up by the mountain."

He nodded. "And Jeff said you get all the ingredients fresh, from your farm?"

"That I do. My family used to own about five hundred acres up there. I've got four now, with chickens, goats, bees, a cow... it's a party."

He laughed, "and a partridge and a pear tree."

I tried biting a smile away. "Probably could find those around there somewhere too."

He looked back down to his last bites. "This is excellent Elise, guess those fresh ingredients make all the difference."

"Sure does Sugar." I heard my name being called from another table, "oh, well excuse me. Got other tables waiting." I winked and ran over to an elderly couple. They'd overheard about the lovely cake and wanted a few slices too. They were human so they wouldn't get the strength benefits I'm sure Nate had heard of, but they'd still think it tasted just as delicious.

I started cutting up cake slices for the second table and smiled reminiscing about my family's farm. My grandparents were killed when I was sixteen and left everything to me. It was a lot of work going from three people to one overnight, but I loved the place and wouldn't let anyone else take the farm for any amount of money. Even after I went to live with Marjorie until I was old enough to live on my own, I went back every day for the chores.

I filled up another round of drinks for the wolf table and then headed back to the dining area. I dropped off the older couple's cakes then stopped back to the wolves.

After passing out the glasses, I went to set the receipt down. Nate grabbed it from me instead, and I smiled. "Just come up to the front when you're ready to pay."

"Before you leave," he leaned his elbows up on the table. "What does it take to get a pretty waitress's number around here?"

I got falsely thoughtful, "hmm... well, Sarah works dayshift. I think that pretty girl would give her number out for a good bunch of flowers." She was even a werewolf, although we had never talked about it. "She'd probably really like you."

He laughed. "And what about yours?"

I faked surprise. "Mine? But you asked for a pretty waitress."

"Not hers. Elise, I want yours. You are gorgeous." And he spoke with such a surety that I'd ever heard from a patron before, it threw off my flirty waitress act for a flash.

I stood gawking for a moment, but then caught myself and laughed it off. "For the right tip, anything is possible I suppose. Well, I'll let you get back..."

I almost turned to go but he pulled a wallet from his back pocket and handed out two crisp hundred dollar bills. "Keep the change."

My eyes widened. "What? No, no. I can't accept that."

He smirked and then added another hundred to his handful.

My heart plummeted in worry. "Mr. Nate! No. I can't accept that for cake."

"You said for your number I just needed a big enough tip."

I sucked in a breath in understanding. I had said something like that. But it was just me being silly like always. No one had ever tried to give me hundred dollar bills!

He grinned mischievous. "Let's see how far we get." Then placed another bill on top.

"Stop!" I cried in disbelief. "You can't." Other tables were looking at my outbursts now. "Stop," I said quieter. "Maybe just one?"

I didn't know what I was saying. One hundred tip on cake? Outrageous.

He slid another bill on top as Jeff and the other wolves gazed on amused. "Are we still going, or do I get your number?"

I stared almost deadpan, and he reached for another bill before I grabbed the lot, my hands going around his warm rough fingers. "Don't you dare. Stop it!" But I was laughing.

"Don't stop it? Okay then." He stuffed another bill between my fingers.

"Mr. Nate!"

An eyebrow quirked, "Number?"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head with a smile. "Okay. But only my number. It's not a date."

He laughed and set the pile of bills in my hand with a squeeze. "Alright. How many more zeros do I need to add for dinner?"

"Nate!" I laughed at the table. "I'm going back to the kitchens before I get into any more trouble."

He chuckled as I turned and practically ran back to Marjorie. The table guffawed as I rounded the corner with a reddened face.

Marjorie peeked around the doorway into the diner seating area. "What was all that commotion about?"

I stared down to six hundred dollars in my hands and nearly fainted. I slid down against the wall, eyes on the money. It would put a good repair into my old truck, but still? Six hundred for cake! Who was this man!?

Marjorie whistled at the lot. "Whoa, what's that for?"

"He just wanted my number." I spoke in quiet shock.

She laughed, "Well. Too bad for him."

But a moment later when I didn't answer, her eyes went piercing on me. "Are you are going to give it to him?" She looked in just as much shock.

I stood from the wall and tried to brace myself. "Well yeah. I have to, don't I? Look at this mess!" I laughed almost nervously, shoving the bills into my pocket.

"Really, you're seriously giving him your number?"

A deep breath left me with a slight smile, "yeah."

She jumped up and down with a squeal I didn't know was possible for a sixty year old. "Who is he?" She peered out the order window.

"Stop! Don't look!" I laughed. As she turned to me my voice went to whisper. "His name is Nate. Blue shirt, darkest hair, nice smile." I grinned and peeked out the window, but when I caught his glance, I ducked down and turned cold. Wolves had excellent senses! They could hear anything I was doing this far away! My face went to my hands in amused despair.

She waved meaning he was still looking this way.

"Marjorie!" I chastised.

She snorted and walked out to the display of cakes, grabbed a full box out then thrust a black marker at me.

"Go on then. Phone number on the box. I saw the way they liked your cake."

"Marjorie," I said with a thin laugh, then sighed dejectedly and wrote the numbers on the cardboard above the clear window. I went to reach for the box and she side stepped me.

"Nu uh uh," she scolded. "I'm going to see who this man is you finally agreed to talk to." She headed right to the wolf table. "Hi, I'm Marjorie. You're Nate?" She questioned like a watchful big sister.

He nodded with satisfaction eyeing me shuffle in behind her.

"Well, aren't you just the most handsome man on the block." She handed him the box. "This is for you. And I can't believe you got that." She nodded to the scribbled digits across the top. "She hasn't given her number out for as long as I can remember."

He grinned, "Is that so?"

"Well, don't you go telling her but," she stated, but I rolled my eyes as I was clearly standing right behind her, "she needs a handsome fella like you. You know she hasn't been on a date since she was fourteen? Ten whole years!"

Adam, the one with the stubbled chin and light brown hair gasped, but the others at the table grinned with amusement. Jeff even asked me out yesterday. Talk about humiliating!

My answer was total embarrassment and thoroughly heated cheeks, "Marjorie! They didn't need to know that!" My hands came up to cover my whole face as I heard rounds of hooting.

Nate spoke with pleasure, "Marjorie, Ma'am. It's just a number. She's agreed to nothing else."

"Well, how could she refuse a face like that. You keep working on her."

"Marjorie!" I laughed pitifully throwing my hands down, then pointing. "Please. Back to the kitchen."

"Well excuse me y'all," she snickered and turned. "I gotta head back to my station. I've got lettuce that needs to be chopped." She twisted back, "keep working Nate, you'll get her!"

I stared at the tickled glances around the table, verses the straight faces of Cassandra and Adam. I could only say, "Uh, sorry. Well, is there anything else I can help you with tonight?"

Lame.

Nate chuckled and looked down to his precious cake. "I think we're good. We'll get out of here before we cause you more problems." He winked back to me and then slid out of the booth with his box. "Good cake Elise. I wasn't disappointed."

"Thanks," I said idiotically.

I felt trampled by a steamroller. What just happened? I stood there stupidly until they all walked out, Jeff turning his head back in my direction just before he left with a twinkle in his eye. I then huffed a breath and ran back to the kitchen.

"Marjorie!"