Lag (The boys of RDA #2)(37)
The biggest secret I’ve kept while living the high life in New York? I did it pay check to pay check. The company paid for me to move to San Francisco, but I used the small amount of savings I had as a security deposit and first month’s rent. Now I owe them for October and November's rent, late fees, and early termination fees for breaking my lease. Basically, I’m screwed. And not in a good way.
The kitchen door swings open and Jamie exits carrying a tray with two sandwich platters. “Think you can handle getting these to table six?” He slides the tray on the counter between us.
“No problem.” I pick the two round white plates up in my smooth attempt to avoid using the big black tray and head out to the main floor.
Table six sits along the back wall away from the main area of the small diner. The couple is young, maybe late teens, and they lean in toward one another whispering together. It’s four o’clock, almost quitting time, not that I’ve been counting down or anything, so I assume these two came here from school. The girl giggles at something her companion has said and I sigh at the cuteness. I miss young love.
The bell over the front door rings as someone new enters the diner.
“Go ahead and seat yourself and one of us will be right there.” Jamie’s voice booms between the four walls, but I don’t turn to look.
My replacement should be here any minute and hopefully they’ll be ready to take this table because my feet cannot handle one minute past four.
“If you two need anything else, just let me know.” I smile at the couple as I place their plates on the table. It’s a lie. If they need anything else, they best ask someone else. Like anyone else.
They don’t address me, which takes away some of their cuteness factor. What happened to manners? I turn back toward the kitchen repeating, “Twelve thousand dollars. Twelve thousand dollars,” to remind myself of why this job is my financial life saver.
I stop at the counter as Jamie closes the cake case and stands. “Ben and Lori aren’t here yet. Can you grab the new couple? They’re at table one by the window." Jamie points to the front window and I sigh.
“Sure.” I hope this doesn’t mean I have to stay until they’re done eating.
“Thanks.” He bends behind the counter again, but pushes back up quickly. “Hey, do you need a ride home? I’d hate to have you walk on those feet.”
I blush at his question and immediately look to the floor. Oh my God, it’s not high school. I shouldn’t react to this kind of shit. If only he wasn’t so young. There is no way Jamie’s over twenty-two. I have nothing against younger men, but I’d like to reach cougar status before I test the waters.
I bend to pick an imaginary item off the floor hoping he’ll think I was looking at that rather than having an internal fight with myself. “I’m actually only like two blocks away."
“Well, it’s an easy yes then.” He smiles down at me and I smack my lips at his straight teeth. How old before I reach cougar status?
“Okay.” I grab the note pad off the counter and walk to table one in a daze over exactly what I agreed to.
I’m still halfway in my mind and smiling over Jamie when I reach the table where I need to take an order. “What can I get you today?” My eyes move up to acknowledge my newest customers and my mouth falls open while my feet lock up, jolting me with the loss of momentum.
“Simone?” Trey looks to me from his seat at the table with a puzzled expression. From his confusion, I could lie and say my name was Jane and he might fall for it. I suppose it’s not like he’d expect me to be his waitress in a Pacific Heights diner.
In the seat across from him sits Mari. Unfortunately, with her black business suit and red hair tied back in a loose bun, she looks better than your average bimbo. On the floor next to her, a black bag large enough to fit a small poodle leans against her chair and I almost trip over it as I stand next to their table.
“Oh, do you two know each other?” she casually asks.
Trey balks at her question and I want to jump across the space and hit him. A small part of my brain set on revenge wants to tell her exactly how we know one another, but I don’t have it in me to ruin their relationship. Even though she needs to know her boyfriend is an *, this is not the place to tell her.
I recover more quickly than Trey and answer her question. “I’m friends with Aspen.” I smile in her direction and it seems to work.
At least until she sneers at hearing Aspen’s name. “Oh, her. Yes, well doesn’t perky little Aspen get around then.”
My mouth falls open again at her blatant disdain toward someone I’m already considering a best friend. She did not just talk shit about the woman whose boyfriend helped move my ten boxes of shoes and then opened her apartment to me, did she?
“I didn’t realize you were working here,” Trey says with a bit of hesitation.
His comment makes me move my eyes to him. The distraction saved his girlfriend from losing a clump of hair. When did I get so violent?
“Yeah, well it’s a long story.” One I refuse to hash out with him. Trey doesn’t deserve to know anyway. Obviously Aspen and Finn haven’t shared and I’d prefer it stayed that way.
“Simone, I’m ready to go whenever you are.” Jamie’s deep voice carries over the space and a slow grin makes me cast my eyes to the floor. If I didn’t love that man before, I do now for his timely rescue.