by C. J. Birch
“It wasn’t so much an attack but the creepiest way to wake up. Ever.”
Lauren stepped close and peered at her lip. “He doesn’t have rabies, if that makes you feel better.”
At that moment, Jerkface appeared, stalking out of the bedroom and meowing loudly. He hopped onto the counter and swished his tail at Lauren’s toast. She shoved him off the counter. “Go. You crazy cat.” She turned to Hayley. “He likes to mark his territory with hair. Be forewarned you will be covered in copious amounts of hair before you leave. You’ll see one of those sticky clothes brushes by the door. Feel free to use it. Coffee?” She pulled down a mug from the cupboard and handed it to Hayley. She had to get on tiptoe to reach the shelf, and Hayley couldn’t help herself. She watched as the robe rose to reveal the back of Lauren’s thighs. She inwardly groaned at the image vying for attention and physically turned to view the apartment.
It was fairly large. It encompassed the footprint of the diner. She hadn’t seen the size of Lauren’s bedroom, but the spare was big enough for a desk, a double bed, and a corner stacked with boxes. The kitchen was small but made up for it with a large living room and dining area next to the kitchen.
The place had a rain-forest feel. Plants were everywhere—on shelves, in the windows, hanging from the ceiling. The artwork on the walls was contemporary though. A lot of black-and-whites of places around the city. The kitchen was outdated but in a way that was very retro and coming back into fashion.
Lauren took her toast to the table off the kitchen, and Hayley joined her with a full cup of coffee.
Lauren crossed her legs and picked a couple of hairs out of her toast before taking a bite. “One thing’s been bugging me since last night. How did you get into the diner? I had the alarm set.”
Hayley sipped her coffee. Should she lie? She didn’t see much point. It wasn’t like she was some mastermind criminal. “I never left. There’s a place behind the stairs that’s a good spot to hide. After my shift I went down to the basement when no one was looking and never came out.”
Lauren paused. “How many nights have you been sleeping there?”
“Last night would’ve been my second. I got locked out of my room and was kind of desperate.”
“I wish you’d come to me.”
Jerkface jumped onto the table and waved his bushy tail in Hayley’s face. When he moved on to Lauren, she had several more hairs in her coffee.
“I take care of myself.”
Lauren was silent, staring at her over her coffee.
“I really appreciate you letting me stay here last night. I’ll try to be out of here as soon as possible.”
Lauren set her coffee on the table and pushed her toast away. She’d obviously given up on picking the hair out. “Look, rent is expensive, and finding a decent apartment is hard. Don’t feel like you have to settle on something just to get out of here. This apartment has housed many people who’ve needed help. When I came to work at the diner, Greta helped me out by letting me stay with her. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. And I’d like to pass that forward.”
Hayley swallowed what she was about to say. She usually rejected any help. She didn’t like feeling obligated to anyone, and this was really huge. This wasn’t someone lending her money or letting her go ahead of them in line. This was coexisting with a virtual stranger. “You’re going to let me stay with you? But you don’t even know me.”
“I know enough.”
Hayley raised a brow as she took a sip of her coffee. “Like what?”
“You love old video games, you’re obsessed with the eighties—”
“I’m not obsessed.”
“From where I’m sitting it looks like a bit of an obsession.”
Hayley would’ve liked to argue that fact a little more, but she was actually enjoying the teasing. Where she was from, you teased only people you were fond of. It also showed that perhaps Lauren had noticed her as much as she’d noticed Lauren. “Go on,” Hayley said, cradling her mug between both hands.
“You respect people’s time, you don’t always think before you act, and everyone at the diner likes you. I can’t think of a better recommendation than that.”
Hayley was left speechless. She wanted to say yes because why wouldn’t she? A room above where she worked with a beautiful woman. However, that was the hitch in the plan. She had a crush on that beautiful woman, and this situation could end up being torturous for her.
“Just say yes. I mean, where else are you going to go?” Lauren sipped her coffee, holding the cup with both hands. The sight was so inviting Hayley was finding it hard to argue all the reasons why this was a bad idea. But she had only one reason to say no, and she couldn’t tell Lauren that.
Hayley had exhausted all other options, besides the park, but with November a week away, that wasn’t possible. Not if she valued her limbs.
“Okay. Yes. But as soon as I save up enough money, I’ll look for something else.”
Lauren smiled. “Is the prospect of living with me that horrible?” She grabbed her plate and mug and placed them in the sink.
“I don’t know. What kind of roommate are you?”
Lauren leaned back against the counter. “Let’s see. The good: I’m clean, quiet.” She began counting on her fingers. “I always remember to put the toilet seat down. In fact, there’s even a lock on it. I don’t watch obnoxious TV, smoke, drink excessively, or hoard my own hair. The bad.” She picked up Jerkface and cradled his pudgy, hairy form. “How do you feel about cats? He sadly happens to be the most high-maintenance cat on the planet.”
Hayley laughed. She hated cats, but the look on Lauren’s face as she said it almost made up for the fur ball in her arms.
“Now you,” she said as Jerkface scrambled from her arms.
“Me?” Hayley looked to the ceiling, thinking about all the complaints she’d heard over the years. “Well, the good: I don’t have any annoying hobbies, I don’t shed, and I’m quiet.”
“And the bad?”
Hayley shrugged. “There is no bad. I’ve been told on multiple occasions that I’m awesome.”
“Well, on that note, I’m not scheduled to work until this afternoon. Do you need help moving your stuff over? Do you have a lot of stuff?” Lauren looked around her apartment. While not tiny, it wouldn’t accommodate too much more. Again, Hayley was first inclined to say no. But it would probably take her two trips without the help, so she had to weigh her default reaction against her better judgment. “I’m going to infer by that pause, you’re saying, ‘Yes, Lauren, please help me.’”
Hayley scrunched her face up. “Thanks.”
* * *
Lauren had passed by the Palace Arms so many times it had become background noise. But now, confronted with the peeling paint, she could see it for what it was, a dump. Her heart broke a little to think that Hayley had been staying here. The idea that she had nowhere else to go but this horrible excuse for affordable housing was a punch to the gut. That’s what was wrong with this city. You had to be rich to live here, except most of the rich people preferred to live in the suburbs, where they could lay their wealth out like expensive carpets.
When they entered, a man in a Hawaiian shirt came out from behind the sealed front desk. “You owe me three hundred dollars.”
“I know, you kicked me out of my room, remember? I’m just here for my stuff.”
The man, who was doing a good impression of Christian Bale from American Hustle minus the moustache, folded his arms and blocked the stairway. “Not until you pay what you owe.”
“Ask Alan where your money is.”
“Alan paid his rent.”
“Of course he did, Ed, with my money. Can you get Dunne for me?”
Ed shooed her away. “I’m not the butler here.”
Hayley huffed. She looked ready to curse Ed out, which probably wouldn’t help their situation. “You said she owed three hundred?” Lauren stepped in front of Hayley, redirecting his fire.
; Ed looked her over, as if he’d just noticed her. “Yeah. Two weeks’ rent.”
“What if I pay it?”
Hayley grabbed her arm. “No, forget it. He can’t hold my stuff ransom.”
“Hayley, you can’t go around in what you have on until you get paid. You can owe me the money instead, okay?” Lauren didn’t care how much money she had to shell out. If it got Hayley out of this hellhole, all the better.
Hayley looked almost offended that Lauren thought she wouldn’t pay her back.
In the end Lauren considered the money well spent. They wheeled Hayley’s suitcases down the sidewalk in single file. The weather was decent enough for this time of year, overcast but mild. In a few weeks all the leaves would be gone from the trees, and the city would look drab and grey. Lauren hated winter. It really felt like the city died for six months of the year, especially when you lived across from the park.
Hayley had her face to the sky, her blue hair cascading down her back. She was wearing the same thing she’d been wearing for the last two days, dark-grey skinny jeans and a blue hoodie under an old leather jacket. And for the hundredth time that day Lauren asked herself why she was going to so much trouble to help Hayley. The employees at the diner were pretty tight-knit, and she’d like to think she’d offer her spare bedroom to anyone who found themselves homeless, although Luna might try her patience after a couple of hours. But she wouldn’t have offered to go get their stuff with them or pay their lapsed rent. Yet she wasn’t sorry she’d done it.
“Don’t you just love fall?” Hayley asked from up ahead.
“Fall’s okay.” Lauren brushed a pile of red leaves aside. “It’s what comes after that I dislike.”
She breathed in deep. “I don’t know what it is about decomposing leaves, but the smell is comforting.”
Maybe Lauren didn’t mind helping Hayley out because she always had such an upbeat attitude about everything.
Chapter Fourteen
Hayley scraped the griddle before turning it off. It had been a long day, but a good one. Theo had shown her a few more items on the menu so that she had it pretty much covered. She’d yet to actually man the kitchen alone though, but she was confident she could cook most of the breakfast and lunch items. The cooking part wasn’t hard; it was memorizing the stupid names of everything.
Lauren had just shut the door for the night and flipped the sign. She looked more tired than usual. They’d had a busy dinner rush. In fact, Ramiro had stayed longer to help them through it, but Lauren was on her own for most of it.
Hayley wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen. “Have you eaten anything lately?” she asked.
Lauren plopped down on one of the stools and rested her head on her hand. “I was just going to make myself some toast when I got home.” She pulled her hair elastic out and massaged her scalp. “I’m too tired for anything more serious than that.”
Hayley spread her hands instead of saying, Duh, you’re in a restaurant. “Let me cook you something—anything you want.” She went over and took a seat on the stool next to Lauren. “It’s the least I can do for what you did for me today. And by your rules, when you’re working, you can eat meals here, so it’s not like we’d be stealing food.”
Lauren untied her apron and folded it in her lap. “That’s…” She looked up at Hayley. “That would be amazing. Thanks.”
Hayley stood, her energy still at seventy-five percent. “What do you feel like?”
“Surprise me.”
“Mind if I turn up the music a bit?” Hayley called from the kitchen.
“Go for it.”
Hayley plugged her phone into the stereo system and scrolled down until she found the playlist she was looking for. She hit shuffle, and Dinosaur Jr.’s cover of “Just Like Heaven” came over the speakers. With the soundtrack set, she pulled open the fridge and surveyed her options. She wanted something fast and easy but with enough of a wow factor to impress Lauren. And definitely nothing from the menu. She was sure Lauren had tried everything a million times.
She spotted a container of panko on the shelf next to the fridge and had the best idea ever. She pulled a bowl of eggs out of the fridge and got to work.
By the time she set two plates down in one of the booths, Sure Sure was covering “This Must Be the Place.”
“God, that smells good.” Lauren stopped filling the ketchup containers and rounded the corner. “What is this?” she asked, taking a seat across from Hayley.
“It’s eggs benny with a twist. I coated the eggs in panko and deep-fried them after I poached them.”
Lauren cut into her egg and watched as the yolk spread over the tomato and English muffin underneath. She dunked it in hollandaise sauce before taking a bite. Her eyes closed and her head dipped up. “Holy crap, that is next level. Where did you learn to cook like that?”
Hayley sat back and watched the show. She loved how much Lauren was enjoying it. “My mom and nana are big on cooking, and I love playing around with flavours. I had an ex who was into experimenting quite a bit, and she kinda got me hooked.”
Lauren only nodded, her mouth full. Hayley hadn’t tried this in a while, and she was really happy how it had turned out.
“So what job did you come here for?” Off Hayley’s confused look. “You said you had a job lined up but got laid off. What was it?”
“Oh.” Hayley shook her head, sending blue hair over her shoulder. “Nothing special. It wasn’t so much the job, more the…escape?”
Lauren speared a home fry and dipped it in hollandaise. “That sounds so ominous.”
Hayley’s laugh echoed through the diner, mingling with the happy, upbeat music coming from the kitchen. “Not even. My life is so boring. At least it was until I came here.” She looked around the diner, contemplating whether she would share this tidbit with Lauren, figured why not, and continued. “I got dumped in a small town and was tired of seeing my ex parading around with her new man. Small towns suck for that sort of thing.”
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. What a bitch.” Lauren popped her hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that, unless she was—in which case, I did.”
Hayley was heartened that Lauren would take her side. “No worries. She is.” Hayley grinned and swirled the last of her egg in ketchup before popping it in her mouth.
The last chords of the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” finished playing, leaving the diner in silence. Beyond the locked door the sounds of traffic and streetcars filtered in. A woman was yelling about pizza toppings from across the street. When Lauren peeked around the booth, she saw the woman standing next to a tree yelling into one of its large knots, as if she’d mistaken the tree for a take-out window.
Lauren pushed her plate forward and leaned back. The lukewarm coffee sitting in front of her was her sixth cup of the day, and she was reluctant to finish it. Comfortable sitting here across from Hayley, she wasn’t sure if the good food, or the quiet diner, or the company had affected her this way. Whatever it was, she shouldn’t overthink it like she usually did.
Hayley yawned, stretching her arms in a move very reminiscent of a cat. Lauren’s gaze drifted to her chest, which stretched a circular yin yang across her breasts.
Hayley looked down too. “You like it? Found it in Kensington Market.”
Lauren’s cheeks burned, but she focused on the design. “What is it?”
“You’re kidding. This is a Boo and Bullet Bill from Mario wrapped in a yin yang. Oh, right. You mentioned you never played video games as a kid, which, by the way, I think is a serious violation.”
Lauren shook her head. “My mom was big on school and academic clubs, which didn’t leave a lot of time for sports or games.”
“That’s a shame. I grew up on Mario Kart. It’s why I’m such a good driver now.”
Lauren raised her eyebrows. “Is that a racing game?”
Hayley’s hand went to her heart. “You’re killing me here. How do you not know Mario Kart?”
> Lauren shrugged. She couldn’t understand why it was such a big deal. Pete used to make fun of her all the time when she couldn’t name what movie they were talking about or missed a pop-culture reference. It was different when she was younger. Not knowing what the kids were talking about had made her feel like an outsider.
“Video games weren’t a big part of growing up for me. My parents thought it was better that I focus on school instead.” Her mom had been relentless about homework and after-school programs. By the time she started university she was so tired of school she wanted nothing to do with it. “And it’s a good thing too.” She smiled and raised her hands to encompass her surroundings. “Because if I hadn’t been so diligent, I might not be in charge of this fine establishment.”
“Hey, don’t play down what you do. Running a business isn’t easy, especially when it deals with entitled customers.”
Lauren laughed out loud. They’d had a customer in earlier who threatened to have them shut down because they’d run out of dark rye bread. “True.”
In the few weeks since Hayley started at the diner, she’d quickly become one of Lauren’s best cooks. She wasn’t slow like Theo and didn’t complain about everything like Ezra. And she liked working with Hayley because she didn’t have to worry about her. Hayley was like a female version of Pete. Lauren sat back and almost dropped her coffee at the thought.
Hayley looked up. “You okay?”
Lauren shook herself. “Yeah. I’m just tired.” She sat back, kind of stunned by the revelation. She never thought she’d be able to replace Pete. But sitting across from her was someone who’d fit into her life almost seamlessly.
Hayley stood and grabbed Lauren’s plate.
“No. Let me do the cleaning. You cooked.” Before Hayley could object, she added, “I insist.” Lauren grabbed the plates and stacked them as she headed toward the kitchen, Hayley close behind.
The kitchen was a bit of a mess. Lauren was learning that cleaning as she cooked was not one of Hayley’s skills. “My nana always told me I leave a kitchen like the Tasmanian Devil tore through it looking for lunch.” Hayley ducked her head in embarrassment.