Just One Taste

by C. J. Birch

  “No big deal.” But Hayley felt like it was a very big deal. She grabbed a toilet-bowl brush—the only thing she could find—and took up position blocking the stairs. Lauren worked her way toward the furry, hissing bandits. She’d tied her hair up in a messy bun earlier, and Hayley thought she looked like those women warriors from myths who strode into battle without fear of the consequences. Okay, maybe that was going a bit far. No one here was going to die, unless they got rabies, and even then, Hayley wasn’t sure if you could die from rabies. But Lauren was doing all sorts of things for Hayley right now.

  Hayley mentally slapped herself. Lauren was her boss. Lauren was straight. And Hayley didn’t lust after straight women. She’d been down that road, and it was littered with broken hearts, booby traps, and land mines.

  Hayley inched back, ready to act as the cheerleading section when needed. And she hoped that’s all she’d be needed for. Unfortunately, the racoons had different ideas. One of the babies fell off the boxes and panicked, running toward Hayley. She shrieked in a way she was sure would’ve gotten her kicked out of the strong-ass-women club and threw the toilet brush at it. The racoon, which couldn’t have been bigger than a teapot, squealed and ran in the opposite direction back toward its family.

  Lauren pushed the broom toward it to corral it into the corner, where she was trying to coax them up a pipe next to the basement window.

  “Should we call animal control?” Hayley’s sole experience with racoons was when her dad had accidentally hit one while driving home from one of her school plays late at night. It had been a quick thud, but the next day she’d seen the crumpled remains on the side of the road. It looked like someone had dropped their teddy bear and forgotten it.

  Lauren slammed the door to the storage closet shut to keep them from escaping into the enclosed space. “It would take forever for them to get here. This is easier.”

  “I take it this isn’t your first experience with racoons.”

  Lauren laughed. “I grew up here. You name it, I’ve dealt with it. They’re intelligent, tenacious, and a pain in the butt.”

  Evidently deciding they’d had enough, one of the parents lifted the closest baby onto her back and began to scale the pipe. Seeing this move, the other adult racoon followed suit, and soon the basement was quiet. A mess, but quiet.

  “Well, fuck. That was new.” Hayley bent to pick up the toilet brush and place it back in the washroom.

  Lauren only nodded, busy assessing the damage. She looked lost and tired and completely drained.

  “Since you already have a broom, I’ll go get the dustpan.”

  Lauren waved her off. “It’s okay. You don’t have to stay and help clean up. I’ll take care of this.”

  “By yourself? That’s hardly fair.”

  “Seeing as how Aaron would kill me if I let you go into overtime…I don’t have much choice.”

  “Are you saying I’m off the clock?” Hayley grabbed the broom from Lauren.

  Lauren checked her watch. “Your shift ended about five minutes ago.”

  “And I’m sure yours ended around the same time.” Hayley knew Lauren had been there since the morning shift, and she doubted Aaron okayed her overtime. Even if she was paid more, it still wasn’t fair to make her clean up the mess by herself. “Seeing as how I’ve got nothing else to do tonight, why don’t you just say, ‘Thank you, Hayley. I would love the help.’”

  Lauren’s smile was tired but brilliant all the same. “Thank you, Hayley. I would love the help.”

  Chapter Ten

  “He hates me.”

  Theo gave an exaggerated eye roll. “Ezra hates everybody.”

  “But he hates me more.”

  This was only Hayley’s second time working with Theo, but you’d never know it. The two had bonded over Donkey Kong and Super Nintendo’s Super Buster Bros ten minutes into working together, and it was as if they’d known each other for years.

  “I spilled hollandaise sauce on his shirt.” Hayley was getting much better in the kitchen; she’d almost mastered the entire menu, although the close quarters were still a challenge. Yesterday she’d turned when she should’ve pivoted, and Ezra’s shirt was one of the casualties of that mistake.

  “Ouch. He’ll hate you for life now.”

  She punched him playfully on the arm.

  “No. I’m serious. You’re in his shit books for good now.” He laughed and dodged her next swipe. Theo laughed a lot. Like Ramiro, he had this easy-going nature about him. He didn’t sweat the small stuff, as Hayley’s dad liked to say. Besides Ezra, most of the kitchen staff had an easy-going nature, and she had a feeling Ramiro liked to hire with that quality in mind. It’s probably why he decided to take a chance on her. Hayley’s optimism had helped her out more times than she could remember.

  They worked side by side happily. Theo was the best because he gave her the most to do. Ramiro wasn’t bad, but he tended to hover and teach too much. She preferred Theo’s method. He let her screw up first and then let her figure out how to fix it. That method was slower, but she learned more.

  Hayley watched as Theo dropped two waffles out of the waffle maker by turning the handle quickly and tapping the top with a spatula. One day Hayley wished she could be so smooth. “So how long have you worked here?”

  Theo shrugged. “Dunno. Since high school. My sister used to be a server here and helped get me the job. But then she went on to university, and I stuck around here instead.” He smirked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “School and I don’t mix.”

  A kid squealed from up front, followed by a loud crash.

  Lauren stepped into the kitchen and grabbed a broom. Hayley’s eyes lingered a little too long on Lauren’s back as she rushed back out. She’d had a dream about Lauren last night. The naughty kind. Ever since their encounter with the raccoons the other evening, Lauren had been in her thoughts a little too often.

  “So what’s the deal with Lauren?” Hayley asked as she plated a chicken burger. Her patty missed the bun and flipped onto the counter.

  “Oh, so are we going to do the girlfriend thing now?” Theo fixed his beanie and arranged his facial features in a vaguely feminine way, fluttering his eyelashes, puckering his lips, and feathering nonexistent hair. “Okay. I’m ready. Go.”

  Hayley raised her eyebrows in question.

  “You’ve got a thing for Lauren. Dish.”

  Hayley’s face pinked. “I don’t have a thing for her. I was just wondering what her deal was. That’s all.”

  “Give it up, girlfriend. She’s straight.” He paused and looked up at the ceiling. “At least I think she is. She’s never dated anyone as far as I know. But Lily’s always trying to set her up with men. So ditch any ideas you have of swooping in and wooing her.”

  Hayley placed the tongs she’d been using to add sauerkraut to a plate of bratwurst on the counter and turned to face Theo fully. “First of all, I don’t have a thing for Lauren. That’s like shitting where you eat. And second,” she waved a finger at him to emphasize her point, “I’ve learned the no-straight-girls lesson the hard way, and that’s like going into a burning casino to gamble with paper money.”

  Luna slammed her hand on the windowsill. “Where’s my German farmer out to sea?”

  Theo reached around Hayley and glided the plate of bratwurst toward Luna. “Here you go, bossy.”

  “It’s getting busy, so you’re going to have to start picking it up.” She grabbed the plate and twirled away.

  When Theo turned back to Hayley, she was grinning at him. “What?” he asked.

  “You two are screwing.”

  “Ugh. First of all, we’re not. And second, screwing is such a filthy term. You need to come up with something better.”

  “Like fucking? Doesn’t matter what term I use, you two are doing it.”

  Theo slapped his hand to his chest. “A gentleman—”

  “Which you are not.”

  “Never tells.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” H
ayley wasn’t convinced. She stepped over to the fryer and loaded a batch of fries into the basket, smiling the entire time. She even started humming the tune to The Love Boat, which seemed to aggravate Theo.

  He caved in less than thirty seconds. “Okay. We hooked up once. After last year’s staff Christmas party. It was a one-time thing, so believe me when I say sleeping with people you work with is not a good idea.”

  Hayley set the timer for the fries. “Duh. But from the looks of things, you enjoyed it and want to hit that again.”

  It was Theo’s turn to smack Hayley in the arm. “What are you? A locker-room jock?”

  Hayley laughed loudly. “Are you one of those guys who uses the term ‘make love’? Please tell me you’re not.”

  Theo sighed, plating a burger with a side salad and placed it on the sill. “I know she seems—”

  “Like a stuck-up bitch?”

  “Hey. I wasn’t going to say that.”

  “You didn’t, but I did.”

  “She’s just shy.”

  “Oh, don’t give me that bullshit. She thinks she’s better than everyone. I see nothing but heartache in your future, my man.”

  Theo plopped two patties on the griddle. “Funny. I see the same outlook in your future.”

  Hayley rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

  But now that she was aware of her crush, everything about Lauren was enhanced. The subtle florals of her shampoo filled her senses when she walked past her to start her shift. The way she flicked her bangs to the side as she took a customer’s order. How she bit down on her lip when she was thinking about something. During lulls, Lauren would sit at the back booth and do the crossword in the Globe, twirling the pencil between her thumb and forefinger and biting down on her lip. Hayley would watch from the kitchen, mesmerized.

  She was aware it would never lead anywhere. She needed this job, and besides, Lauren was most likely straight, and she didn’t want to be that girl. She’d decided it was a harmless crush, but in the meantime, there was no harm in admiring from afar.

  * * *

  “Lauren,” Vic called. “You’ve got a gentleman caller.” She wiped her hands on a cloth and pointed to the stiff in a suit standing at the register in front of her.

  Lauren dropped off the plates she was carrying to the couple in the middle booth and headed to the register. A heavy weight settled in the base of her stomach as she neared. One glance at him, and she knew he was the inspector Aaron had sent over. He had a look about him, barely over the age of thirty and already bone weary. Everything about him was generic, from the black tie to the cheap black suit and white-collared shirt, even the clipboard tucked under his arm.

  He stuck his hand out for Lauren. “Civan Keyzer. You must be…” He checked the paper on his clipboard. “Lauren Hames.”

  He pumped her hand a few times, then let his fingers slip out. His hands were sweaty. “That’s me.” She pulled him farther into the diner, out of the way of traffic. “Aaron said you wanted to inspect the building. What is it that you need from me?”

  He looked around, almost nervous at being in such a busy place. He brushed at his upper lip. “For the diner, almost nothing. I prefer to look around on my own. However,” he wiped his palm on the front of his tie, smoothing it down the front of his shirt, “for the apartment above, I would need access to that. It’s my understanding that you live there?”

  “My apartment? Why do you need to see my place?” Aaron hadn’t said anything about letting a stranger poke around her things.

  “It’s part of the building. I need to inspect the entire thing if I’m going to create a report.”

  Lauren bit the inside of her cheek. Aaron owned the building, which made him her landlord. She couldn’t refuse. He had a right to inspect the place, and he’d given her fair warning that the man was coming. “All right. Can you do the diner first? We’re finishing up the lunch rush, and I’m needed down here for a bit longer.”

  He looked around, observing the busy tables and general hubbub. “I was hoping to do your apartment first. It’ll be much easier when less people are around.”

  Lauren huffed. Vic could probably handle the place for a few minutes. She waved at Vic to get her attention. “I gotta step out. He needs to take a look at my apartment.”

  Vic raised her eyebrows. “Whatever they’re calling it these days, honey, it’s none of my business.”

  “Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. I’ll be back soon.”

  “I’ve had men take less time.”

  Lauren’s cheeks flamed red. Vic always managed to embarrass her somehow. Didn’t matter how long they’d known each other, Vic always found a way.

  From top to bottom the entire inspection had taken a little over an hour. When he was at the door about to leave, Lauren asked, “Is Aaron planning on selling the building?”

  Civan clicked his pen and placed it in the top of his clipboard. “I have no idea.”

  “But that’s usually why people get inspections done.”

  “Yes, that is one reason, but people also have their places inspected before doing renovations. Aaron didn’t confide his reason for the inspection. Sorry,” he added before letting the door close.

  Damn. The idea of Aaron wanting to renovate this place was about as likely as the Leafs winning the cup this year.

  * * *

  Hayley’s rent was due tomorrow. Three hundred dollars. And she didn’t have it. She wasn’t even close. The most she’d been able to save in the last few days was sixty-five dollars, and that was only because she hadn’t bought anything since last week and they’d had a really great tipping day yesterday.

  She ate at the diner only when she worked, which meant on her day off she had nothing unless she smuggled out some day-olds and cheese. Part of her was so stressed and worried that she would be on the street in a couple of days, and another part was wondering why she was putting up with this. She had an easy solution. She could go back to Casper Falls. But the idea of failing before she’d even started was scarier than living on the street.

  She had one last option. Asking for an advance on her first paycheque. She hated even the idea. Her mom used to complain about that at the store. It sent such a horrible impression, but she had no choice.

  “Lauren?” Hayley approached Lauren, who was sitting in the last booth working a crossword puzzle. She was back on morning shift, and it was their first lull of the day. Lauren bit the inside of her cheek as she gazed up at Hayley, who wasn’t sure if the butterflies in her stomach were from the way Lauren’s eyes looked in this light, like chocolate-coloured glass, or from what she was about to ask.

  “You know video games, right? Luigi archrival? Seven letters, second letter A.”

  Hayley dropped into the booth across from her. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

  “I never played video games when I was a kid.”

  Hayley slapped her hand to her chest. “What kind of childhood did you have? Were you locked in a closet?” She paused, horrified with what she’d just said. “You weren’t, right? Please tell me you weren’t.” This was not a good start to asking for money from your boss.

  Lauren laughed. “No. And I had a perfectly normal childhood without video games.”

  “Debatable.” Hayley flipped the crossword around and held out her hand for the pencil. “May I?” When Lauren nodded and handed her the pencil, she filled the word “Waluigi” in the boxes.

  Lauren peered over at the answer. “Yeah. I’d never have gotten that. I’ve never heard of Waluigi.”

  “He’s Wario’s doubles partner in Mario Tennis.”

  “That sounds like important information to know.” Lauren smirked and slid the puzzle back in front of her.

  “It sure is. Your puzzle would’ve gone unfinished without it.” She had just a hint of flirtation in her voice. She placed Lauren’s pencil in front of her and rolled it toward her.

  “True.” Lauren pushed her crossword puzzle aside. “So, did you just com
e over here to save my puzzle, or do you have an ulterior motive?”

  Hayley drummed a beat on the tabletop, building up her nerve to get out what she wanted to ask. She’d rehearsed it a couple times in the kitchen, but now that she was sitting in front of Lauren, she was finding it hard. “So here’s the thing. I was wondering if it were possible to get an advance on my first paycheque.” She looked up with hope. “It’s not something I normally would ask for. It’s just that my rent for this week got…I had some bad luck this week. That’s all.”

  Lauren placed her hand on the table between them. “I’m sorry you’re having bad luck this week. And if it were up to me, I would. But Aaron handles the cheques for payroll, and he’s really strict about advances. I’m sorry.”

  Hayley nodded quickly and stood looking away. Her eyes prickled with tears, and she didn’t want Lauren to see her tear up. “Okay. I understand. Thanks.” As she walked away she could’ve sworn she heard Lauren groan, but she didn’t turn around. Instead she made a beeline for the kitchen.

  She was working with Ezra today. He was wearing a dark-blue shirt that was so tight Hayley wondered if he had his clothes tailored.

  Later, as Hayley was finishing her shift, Lauren tapped her on the arm and pulled her aside. “How much do you need for rent? Maybe I could loan you some money.”

  Hayley backed away. “No thanks. I’ll be fine.” She’d rather be homeless than take a loan from her boss. It was different when it was an advance. That was something she was earning. But she’d never feel she’d earned a handout.

  “No, really. If I can help, I’d like to.”

  Hayley grabbed her bag. “I’ll manage.” She slipped past Lauren. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dunne caught Hayley as she was coming around the corner. He was in his going-to-grab-a-pack-of-cigarettes uniform, ratty old jeans, a grey cardigan with holes in the elbows, and a ripped leather jacket.

  “Ed’s looking for you.”