She got his tea and went back for the order. “I think I’ll have scrambled eggs and sausage …” he twisted his head in an attempt to read her name badge. She turned it so he could see it better. “…Dineo.” And there was that smile again.

“OK, it’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

She gave Claudio the order and Mimi rushed up behind her. “So?”

“So what?”

“The guy? What’s his story?”

Angelica looked up from doing yesterday’s accounts. “Ah you girls! Always searching for love.”

“I’m not searching for love,” Dineo disagreed.

“Just a little fun,” Mimi said, lowering her voice, hoping Angelica wouldn’t hear.

“Fun? You young people, never serious. Fun? Love is serious business. The heart is not something you want to take lightly,” Angelica warned. “A broken heart is not easily mended.”

Table 7’s order was up and Dineo snatched it out of the service hatch and headed to the dining room. “There you go. Can I get you anything else?” Dineo said, beaming her best smile.

He looked around the table. “Nope, I think I’m good.”

Table 7 ate his breakfast under the sly scrutiny of Mimi and Dineo, positioned at the kitchen door’s tiny window.

“No wedding ring. That’s a good sign,” Mimi said.

“He sure knows how to wear that suit. Jeez! And I like that his cellphone is nowhere to be found. I hate a man always checking his cellphone,” Dineo said. “But it doesn’t matter, I’m too busy for a man.”

“No-one is too busy for a man like that,” Mimi said.

Table 7 finished, paid the bill of R65.30 – and left a tip of R30. “Tips say something,” Mimi said. “You should have asked him his name.”

“Yep, tips say something. To me this R30 says I now have enough to pay my rent,” Dineo said, laughing as she carried Table 7’s dirty dishes back to the kitchen.

*****

The leader of Kaleidoscope, Fezile, came rushing into the studio where they were working on a new piece. “Guys, listen. I’ve got news!” he said excitedly. “They’re doing a production of The Lion King, here at Artscape – an international production. You get a spot, you are in for a world tour. They need some leads and lots of other dancers. All of us could get in; we need to all try out.”

Belinda went to where Fezile stood, to get a better look at the paper he held giving all of the information. “This could be fantastic for us. Imagine! They say here they have the tour finalised with stops in Rome, Sydney, Copenhagen, Paris, New York and Tokyo. Amazing!”

Just thinking about the possibilities and Dineo was nervous. “When are the try-outs?”

“Two weeks from now,” Fezile said. “I say we drop everything we are developing, and we all help each other to prepare for this. It’s too important not to.”

It was agreed. Suddenly Dineo’s life seemed filled with possibilities – she was excited and scared in nearly equal measures.

***

Tell us: Is Angelica right that ‘love is a serious business’ or do you believe in having romantic, light-hearted fun?