The Cantina was a Mexican restaurant Paul and Simone liked, and probably ate there once a month. The food was always fresh and delicious. Simone liked it because it was a no tipping eatery, Paul liked it because the food was always great. Eleni had never been there, and now it was her turn to be delighted with a different food regime and better company. Eleni was surprised that some of the prices seemed higher than usual, but Paul explained that staff were on a much more consistent and higher wage, and the service was actually better.
The conversation seemed a little stilted at first, but after a bit of discussion about how the summer break was going, they started in the relaxed mode that leads to real companionship. Laughs became much easier, Eleni’s skill at developing a pun became obvious and that, in turn, led to both Simone and Paul trying to outdo each other, much to everyone’s delight. Eleni started with,”Oh, the lobster burrito looks nice, but I am not sure I want to shell out that much for it.”
Paul picked up on it and said, “Might be a bit fishy, you think?”