I drove across town to Denny’s and ordered the salad I’d been desperately craving. I even ordered a Coke instead of water. I was a splurging fool tonight.
I glanced up from my salad and noticed two guys watching me from a few tables over. Both of them were good-looking, and they appeared to be around my age. I guessed they were probably students at West Virginia University. Morgantown was a college town through and through, and the streets were usually crawling with kids. I assumed that these two were local since most of the students had packed up and headed home for summer vacation.
One of them noticed me staring, and he gave me a smile that sent my heart racing into overdrive. Suddenly embarrassed by my gawking, I looked away and used my blonde hair as a shield between them and me.
I’d had a few dates in high school but nothing to get excited over. I wasn’t a virgin. I’d lost that to Scott Marks my junior year. One time in the backseat of his dad’s Ford truck hadn’t really taught me everything I needed to know—or anything I needed to know really. I definitely wasn’t skilled when it came to the opposite sex.
I quickly ate my food and paid my bill without looking over at the guys’ table again. My life was a disaster as it was. Adding a guy would only complicate things more.
I walked out to my car and unlocked the door before climbing inside. Once the doors were locked again, I started the engine and pulled away from the lot.
I couldn’t help but grin as I remembered the guy’s smile. From what I could tell, he’d been cute. His dark brown hair was shaggy, but it wasn’t so long that it looked messy. His arms were toned, probably from playing football or basketball. Those were the only two sports people really cared about around here, and football was the favorite. Once football season hit, that was what everyone would talk about. I wasn’t a big fan of sports, but even I cheered for the Mountaineers.
I drove back to the restaurant and parked, trying not to think about the cute guy or his smile. I yawned and reclined my seat. Yeah, there was no way in hell I could think about boys right now.
I sat up straight when I heard someone tapping on my window. Terrified that it was the cops, my heart started racing as I looked over. Relief flooded my body when I saw Junie.
I turned my key, so I could roll down the window. “Morning,” I mumbled.
“Hey, I thought I’d wake you up. Our shift starts in ten minutes.” She frowned down at me.
“Shit,” I mumbled. I rolled my window back up and pulled my key from the ignition. I grabbed my purse off the floor and stepped out.
Junie waited as I popped my trunk and pulled out fresh underwear, a bra, and my work uniform. I had three work uniforms. After today, only one would be clean, so I made a mental note to stop at the Laundromat tonight after work.
Junie shook her head as she watched me throw my clothes into my oversized purse. I pretended not to notice her reaction as I closed my trunk. Walking toward the diner, I didn’t look at her, and I headed into the restroom. After making sure that the door was locked this time, I stripped down and started washing my body off. Once that was done, I soaked my hair in the sink and scrubbed it quickly. I brushed it out and tied it up in a high bun, so no one would notice that it was wet. I brushed my teeth and then shoved my dirty clothes and toiletries back into my bag.
I glanced at myself one last time to make sure that I was presentable. I was ashamed that I’d been reduced to washing my hair and bathing in a sink. Adding in the fact that I was homeless, I was quickly on the verge of tears. I wiped my tears away and straightened my outfit before unlocking the door and stepping out into the diner.
Junie watched me, her eyes sad, as she made coffee. I gave her a small smile before disappearing into the back room and shoving my purse inside my locker.
When I reemerged, she was nowhere to be seen. The diner door dinged, and two men stepped into the room.
I smiled warmly as I walked over to them. “Two?” I asked.
They nodded, and I grabbed two menus.
I motioned for them to follow me. “This way, please.”
I led them to a table in my area and handed each one a menu. After taking their drink orders, I headed over to the coffee pots to fill them and returned to their table. Once they placed their orders, I handed them to John, our cook.
Junie finally appeared a few minutes later. She led a young couple to a table on her side and got them their drinks. I passed by her as I was delivering food to the two men at my table, but she refused to look at me. I frowned but said nothing.
The diner grew busy after that, but it wasn’t so busy that I didn’t notice the way Junie was avoiding me. By lunchtime, I was seething. I had no idea what I’d done to upset her, but she was obviously mad at me. Normally, we would chat when we had time, but today, she was making sure to stay away from me.
I was relieved when my shift was finally over. As I was leaving the back room, Bob caught me.
He stuck his head out of his office and motioned me over. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Um…sure,” I said as I walked into his office.
I had no idea what he wanted to talk to me about. I thought about the customers I’d had this morning. None of them had seemed upset, so I doubted if they’d complained about me.
“What’s up?” I asked once I sat down in the chair across from his.
“Is everything okay with you, Claire?” he asked as he sat down.
“Yeah, why?”
He wrung his hands together, obviously uncomfortable. “Well, I talked to Junie this morning, and she’s worried about you.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. I quickly changed from surprise to anger. I’d trusted Junie, and she’d sold me out. It was no wonder she’d been ignoring me all day.
“Look, I have no clue what she told you, but I’m fine. I promise.”
“So, you’re not sleeping in your car and using the restroom as your own personal shower?”
I looked away as shame filled me. “I promise you, I’m fine. I’ve hit a rough patch, but I’m working on it. I’m trying to save money, so I can get an apartment.”
He sighed. “Why didn’t you come to me, Claire? You know I’ll help you.”
I glanced up at him. “I don’t need help, Bob. I’m fine. I’m used to looking out for myself.”
“So, you won’t let me give you money to get an apartment?”
“That really means a lot, Bob, but I won’t let you do it. You’re a great boss, and you’ve always been kind to me, but my life is my problem.”
“I can’t let you live in your car, Claire. I just can’t. What if someone mugs you or worse? It isn’t safe for a young girl to stay in a parking lot alone in the middle of the night. If you won’t let me help you find an apartment, at least let me do something. I own the gym a few buildings down. It’s within walking distance from here. The locker rooms have showers, and I have an office with a couch. I want you to stay there.”
I shook my head. “I’m okay, Bob. I already have a hundred bucks saved up. I’ll have an apartment in no time.”
“Then, stay at the gym until then. Please, Claire. I’ll worry about you if I know you’re still sleeping in your car.”
I hesitated. It would be nice to take an actual shower and have a safe place to stay at night. My car wasn’t exactly the most comfortable thing in the world.
“I don’t know, Bob,” I said, feeling conflicted.
“I want you to stay at the gym. I won’t take no for an answer, so you might as well save yourself the trouble and agree to stay.” He frowned at me from across the desk.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll stay at the gym, but I want to at least pay you something.”
He shook his head. “You work your butt off here. Truthfully, you’re one of the best employees I’ve ever had. You’re staying for free.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome.” He opened his desk drawer and pulled something out. “Take this pass over to th
e gym. They’ll let you in. My office is on the second floor. I’ll call over and have them show you where its at. Get settled in, take a shower, and relax. You deserve it.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had no idea what I’d done to deserve a boss like Bob, but I wasn’t complaining. I took the gym pass from him and shoved it in my pocket. After another quick thank-you, I left his office and hurried outside. I walked past my car and down the street to his gym.
When I entered, a young girl stood at the reception desk, talking on the phone.
“She just walked in. I’ll take care of it.” She hung up and smiled at me. “You must be Claire. I’m Sam. I’ll show you where Bob’s office is.”
She grabbed a set of keys and walked through the gym. I looked around to see several exercise machines occupied by men and women. They paid us no attention as we passed them. We reached a set of stairs that I wouldn’t have noticed if I’d been by myself, and we walked up to the next floor. At the top was a single wooden door.
Sam unlocked the door and held it open. “Here you go. If you need anything, just let me know. Oh, and here’s the key. Bob said he’d drop off another one for me.” She pulled a key off the key ring and handed it to me.
“Thank you.” I entered the office and looked around.
“You’re welcome. I’ll leave you to get settled in.” She closed the door behind her.
The office was bigger than I’d expected. A large desk sat across the room. Just like Bob’s desk at the diner, it was covered in papers. A leather couch was against the left wall, and I made a mental note to purchase a sheet to put over it. A television was directly across from it on the right wall. Below the television sat a stand that had a microwave on the top shelf and a tiny refrigerator on the bottom shelf. I clapped my hands together in excitement. I could buy cheap TV dinners and noodles to eat for dinner. Neither would be much better than the fast food I’d been living off of, but it was nice to know I had options.
A door was behind the desk. I walked over and opened it to see a small bathroom. It didn’t have a shower, but Bob had told me that I could shower downstairs in the locker room.
I moved across the room and plopped down on the couch. I smiled. For the first time in days, I had hope. Things were far from perfect, but this was a step in the right direction.
My next goal was to get everything legal on my car, so I wouldn’t have to worry about my car being towed and getting stuck with a bunch of fines. After that, I would start looking for cheap apartments nearby. Hopefully, I’d have enough money saved up to rent one of them. I made a mental note to ask Bob if I could pick up extra hours at work.
I stood, wincing as my legs stuck to the couch. Yeah, I definitely need to buy a sheet. I dug through my purse to find my keys and added Bob’s office key to my key ring so that I wouldn’t lose it. That would be my luck.
I locked up the office, tossed my keys back into my purse, and headed downstairs. I gave Sam a smile as I passed by the front desk and walked outside.
I walked a few blocks to the dollar store and went inside. After grabbing a cart, I headed for the bedding aisle first and grabbed a sheet, a thin blanket, and a pillow. After shoving them in my cart, I walked over to the personal care items and stocked up on those as well. I also picked up two small tote bags—one to take with me when I showered at the gym and the other to shove my dirty clothes in. It would be easier to carry a bag around instead of my suitcase. I also got a few bottles of water, a few noodle cups, and a box of Pop-Tarts.
After paying for everything, I walked back to the diner parking lot and unlocked the trunk of my car. I threw my dirty clothes along with the sheet, blanket, and a clean pair of clothes into my new tote bag.
I ran inside the diner and changed in the restroom before heading to the Laundromat. I threw all the dirty laundry into the washer. I was sure most women would have looked at me in horror for mixing whites with colors, but I didn’t want to spend the extra money on two separate washes. While I waited for my clothes to wash and then dry, I relaxed in a chair and read one of the books I’d borrowed from the library.
Once everything was dry and folded in my tote bag, I headed back to my car. I grabbed my suitcase from the trunk and wheeled it down to the gym. Getting it up the stairs to Bob’s office was a pain, but I didn’t complain once. I knew how much I owed Bob. Things were looking up, and I wasn’t about to whine about trivial things.
I stashed all my belongings in the corner next to the couch. I laid the sheet out on the couch and then threw the blanket and pillow on top of it. Once I was satisfied with my new bed, I sat down and looked around the office. It was still early, and I hated to go to bed just yet, especially since I wasn’t scheduled to work the next day.
I stood and looked out the door window to the gym below. I didn’t think that Bob would mind if I worked out at the gym while I was staying here. I bit my lip as I debated on whether or not to go down. The gym wasn’t super busy at the moment, so I wouldn’t have to worry about making a complete fool of myself. I could use the exercise to tone up a bit. I wasn’t fat by any means since Rick had made sure that we had just enough to eat.
Decision made, I walked over to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of plain black shorts and a tank top. After changing quickly, I headed downstairs. Once I reached the bottom, I wasn’t sure which way to go. The only thing I knew about exercise was what I’d been forced to do in gym class in high school. It wasn’t like any of my foster parents would have coughed up enough cash for me to join a gym.
“Are you lost?” a voice asked from behind me.
I spun around to see a man standing a few feet away.
I clutched my chest as I willed my heartbeat to settle. “You scared me to death.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just saw you standing here, looking around, and I thought you might need some help.”
“It’s okay,” I said, feeling stupid for my outburst.
He smiled at me. “Is this your first day here?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Is it that obvious?”
“Just a little. If you’re not sure where to start, why don’t you join me on the treadmills for a bit?”
I studied him for a moment before nodding. “Sounds good to me.”
He was older than me by several years. If I had to guess, I would say he was either in his late thirties or early forties. Our age difference didn’t stop me from noticing just how attractive he was though. His hair was mostly brown with only a tiny amount of gray around his temples. His eyes were a rich chocolate brown. He had a few laugh lines, but it wasn’t so much that they aged him. If anything, they added to his attractiveness.
As I watched him walk toward the treadmills, I noticed that he was also extremely fit. I blushed as I realized that I was checking out a man who was probably twice my age.
“Here we go.” He stopped in front of two unoccupied treadmills sitting side by side.
He stepped up onto one as I stepped onto the other. I started my machine, making sure to keep it on a setting that would let me walk. It had been a while since my body saw any kind of exercise—unless I counted waitressing—and I didn’t want to pull something.
I stared straight ahead, wishing that I could afford an iPod, like most of the people around me had. I wasn’t good with small talk, and I was pretty sure I would blush if the man beside me tried to speak to me again, especially after I had checked him out.
“So, what’s your name?” he asked.
I looked over to see him watching me. “Claire Reynolds.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Claire. I’m Robert Evans.”
“Um…likewise.” I looked away.
He chuckled. “You’re not much for small talk, are you?”
I laughed nervously. “Is it that obvious?”
“A little bit. I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable. I can leave if you’d like.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m just not good with strangers,” I said.
; “Well, you know my name now, so technically, I’m not a stranger.”
“I guess that’s true,” I said thoughtfully.
“Why don’t I tell you a little about myself? Then, if you’re comfortable, you can tell me something about yourself as well.”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
He smiled. “All right then. Let’s see…I’m forty-two. I love Chinese food. I live a few miles away from here in the new housing development. I’m a lawyer. I have a son named Cooper, and I’m also a widower. I lost my wife in a car accident last year.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Robert. I can’t even imagine,” I said, feeling horrible for him.
“It’s all right. It took me a long time to come to terms with Marie’s death, but I’m trying to move on. My son has had a much harder time with it. He was very close to his mother.”
I imagined a tiny version of Robert running around his house, searching for his mother. It reminded me of my first few years in foster care when I’d kept waiting for my mom to reappear and take me away.
“I lost my mom when I was little. My dad wasn’t around, so I spent pretty much all my life in foster care,” I said.
“That’s rough. I’ve seen some really messed-up cases when it comes to foster parents. I can’t imagine being a part of the system.”
I shrugged. “They weren’t all bad. I mean, yeah, a few were pretty bad, but most of the families took care of me.”
“Are you out of the system now? I’m not trying to be nosy. It’s just that you seem very young.”
“You’re not being nosy. I just turned eighteen a few days ago, so I’m out of the system now.”
“Well, congratulations! You must be glad to be on your own.”
I shrugged again. “Yeah, it’s okay I guess. I’m still getting used to it.”
“What are your plans now? Will you be attending WVU?”
“Probably not—at least, not right now. At the moment, I’m just trying to get settled and save up some cash,” I said, not wanting to say any more.
Robert seemed like a really nice guy. Plus, he had to be loaded if he was a lawyer. I didn’t want to admit that I was practically homeless and barely hanging on.
Deception Page 2