And another one from the writer prompts....

This one had to do with finishing a nice lunch and, having picked up the check, noticed a message written on the check--write this scene.

We were just finishing our lunch when Jennifer, our waiter brought the check. As I glanced up to thank her for being a gracious hostess I noticed her somber mood--quite different from her usual cheeriness.
"Thank you." she said as she cleared away our dishes and nodded toward the check.
I picked it up curiously and found a message had been written in short-hand!
"Cheryl, we gotta go."
"Let me just finish ..."
"NOW!"
"Alright! I'm right behind you." As she gave me that "What gives?" stare.
Rushing out the front door after paying I broke into a dead run around the back of the building.
"Em!" "What the hell is going on?"
"Cheryl, that check had a message in short-hand written on it. Jennifer and I both took short-hand in high school. In short, they are being robbed and they have one hostage in back in need of medical attention. Call 911 for ambulance service while I call for back-up."
After calling for back-up I got my weapon from my inside jacket pocket and went to assess how grave the situation was.

My name is Emma and I work as an undercover narcotics officer for the Arizona state task force. I would say I'm quite good at what I do as my physical features belie my age and abilities--both mentally and physically--and allows me to go places the rest of the unit can't. Today just happens to be a day where the bad guys assumed Cheryl and I were just a couple of friends enjoying lunch--harmless.
"Cheryl!, are they on the way?"
"Yeah." "How do you remember short-hand from high school?"
"I still use it to take notes on work sites."
"You're not right Em--you're still a geek!"
"And that is why you love me as a friend--good,geeky, and great!"
"You OK?"
"Yeah, go on, get back out of here. I don't need to protect anymore than I have to."
"Call me!"
I saluted her and went back to scouting out the back parking area behind the restaurant. Back-up came in silent as I had requested and went into position. Two snipers were set at strategic locations. I had an inkling that the note Jen had written had more between the lines than could have been noted--could this be our lucky day? Could this be the drug bust I'd been working toward? It wouldn't be all that unusual really. I'd seen many of the suspected players in and around the restaurant on several occasions.
"Em."
"Go."
"We've got a lock on the one perp holding the hostage and Mike just went through the front door."
"Any in a harmful position in the main room?"
"No. All clear and the two scouts are...resting comfortably!"
"On my count then." I reached the back screen door and grabbed the handle.
"Three...Two..One--GO! GO! GO!"
Everything went into a tail spin of activity with some food thrown in for special effects. The bad boys were finally suffed and hauled away leaving a very upset but grateful staff. As we were being congratulated I stepped up and announced the real hero was Jennifer.
"Jennifer!?" someone hollered in disbelief.
"How?" came the same voice.
"If it hadn't been for her swift thinking and being able to get a message to me via a table check this could have gone a whole lot worse than it did. Three cheers for Jen!"