Go searching for something to eat*

You groggily get up out of your seat and decide that you’d probably go and find something to eat on the train. You eye your bags in the rack and decide that if someone wants to steal them then they can have them and walk off.

You wander for several minutes through mostly empty train car after train car, trying not to make eye contact with any of the other passengers. Despite your best attempts, you inevitably make eye contact with some frowning elderly lady.

“You should try smiling.” She states to you as you pass her.

“Sure.” You reply, a little bewildered by her statement. You wander on.

Eventually, you open the door to the next train car and are relieved to see the words “CAFE CAR” in big letters on a sign. You wander up through the seating to the little kiosk at the far end of the car where the food is actually sold. There’s a little menu beside the kiosk that you peruse, looking over various options: a slice of pizza, hot dog, various sweets, coffee, popcorn, and even a few alcoholic drinks. Your stomach pains with hunger, revolting at the poverty rations that you have been feeding it the last few months.

“May I help you?” Flatly asks the short lady at the window in the kiosk in a rumpled blue uniform, checking you up and down.

“Oh,” you reply, “I’d like to order some food please.”

She sighs. “What would you like?” She asks.

“Oh, maybe a hotdog and some coffee?” You answer, just picking the first thing that catches your eye on the menu.

“Hotdog and coffee coming up.” She repeats. As she turns away to make you your meal you steal a better look at her. She’s a short Asian woman, maybe 5’1 or five foot nothing, her black hair done back in a tight ponytail with a hairnet over it. She wears a thick pair of glasses that seem to be constantly slipping down the bridge of her nose. As well, either her outfit is particularly unflattering or she is carrying a little extra weight around her midsection. She’s cute in a homely way you think as you look back over to the menu.

Then your eyes start bulging. 12 dollars for a hot dog‽ Five dollars for a cup of coffee‽ That’s highway robbery! Train robbery! More importantly, it's more than you have on hand, you’re quite sure. You start digging through your pockets: a quarter here, a nickel there―

“$19.14 is your total. Cash or card?”

“What?” You ask, looking up from your money search.

“Are you paying with cash or card?” The lady repeats, sounding exhausted already.

“Um,” You grimace, “cash?” You proffer up the small pile of loose change and bills to her.

“You’re joking.” She states flatly.

“Sorry, it’s all I have,” you say, “listen I’m starving, out of time and out of luck. I dunno if there’s something that I can do to repay you but I promise that I will. I just really need to eat.”

The lady stands there, still looking you up and down sharply for an infinite moment. Her black eyes bore into you, meticulously looking over your chest and torso.

“Are you checking me out?” You ask, confused.

“You’ll do something for me?” She replies, completely sidestepping your question.

“Yeah.” You reply. You watch as she digs her wallet out of her uniform pocket and produces a crisp 20 dollar bill from it.

“What kind of something?” She asks, setting the bill down between the two of you.

“Uh―” You reply, not exactly sure where she is going with this. Her eyes narrow again at you.

“Well?”

“I dunno. What would you want me to do?” You reply. You see her eyes dart down to your chest again and then back up to meet your eyes. Her face is turning red, a bead of sweat appearing on her forehead.

“Depends on how **** you are for this cash here.” She replies, licking her lips and tapping the fresh 20.

Your stomach makes its presence known, loudly growling and groaning for a second.

“Oh.” The woman states. "That bad huh?"

“Yeah, I’m starving.” You sigh, irritated. “So what do you want me to do?”