by W.J. May
Chapter Ten
Three hours later, I sat across from Rosie, who’d inherited Ruth’s diner from her mother several years back. As she looked over my job application, I studied the rail-thin, bleach-blond woman and gathered she was somewhere in her sixties because of her weathered skin. She did have a cigarette resting behind her ear, so she could have actually been younger.
“You’re new in town?” she asked in a gravelly voice.
“Yes, we just moved here a couple of days ago.”
“Have you ever waitressed before?”
I sighed. “No. I worked at a boutique, though, so I’ve used a register before and have experience with customers.”
She nodded. “You’ll be on your feet a lot. Do you have any problems with that?”
I shook my head.
“Are you available to work nights?”
I bit the side of my lip. “I’d prefer days, if that’s possible.”
She studied me. “To be honest, I really need the help at night. I don’t expect you to work past midnight, but my second shift is really hurting right now. I’m even willing to pay you an extra dollar an hour.”
I sighed. “That’s fine. Is there a chance that I can switch to days in the future? When school starts, my mom won’t want me working past ten.”
She nodded. “We won’t make you work past nine during the week, but we’d need you until midnight on Friday or Saturday. Would that be an issue for you?”
“No,” I answered.
She asked me a few more questions then hired me on the spot.
“Wow, that was fast,” I blurted out.
She smiled. “We need the help, desperately. Can you start tomorrow?”
I nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You’ll be training with Susan. So, we’ll see you around four, tomorrow afternoon?”
I agreed and then she found me a uniform, which wasn’t easy with my short frame. When it was all said and done, I left the diner so giddy that I wanted to scream.
“Let me guess, they hated you,” smiled Nathan as I got into his Mustang. He’d been listening to the stereo and waiting for me in the parking lot.
I held up my hand. “I start tomorrow.”
He slapped it. “Good job. I also have awesome news; Sonny called my cell phone and I start next Monday. Pending a drug test. I’m sure Duncan had everything to do with it, but I’m not complaining.”
“That’s great!” I said and then swore. “So, how are we going to work this out? I need a ride to and from work until I’m able to get a car. They want me working second shift.”
“If I’m at the marina, I’ll try and work something out with Sonny. Maybe I can take my lunch break and pick you up at the cabin? I’m sure he’ll be cool with that. It’ll just be for a little while, anyway.”
I smiled. “Thanks. I know it isn’t easy driving me around everywhere.”
“Yeah, you’re kind of a pain in the ass,” he smirked.
I smacked him in the shoulder again. “You are an ass so I guess it kind of makes sense.”
He rubbed his arm. “I must have a permanent bruise there from you beating up on me all the time. Show your brother some love,” he pouted.
“Shut your yap and you won’t get hurt.”
“Ho, ho… big words from such a little twerp,” he said.
I raised my fist again. “You don’t listen very well, do you?”
He snorted and shook his head. “You’re so violent.”
I smiled. “Just remember that.”
“So, let’s head over to the marina and check out the surveillance equipment,” he said.
“Okay.”
Nathan gave me a sideways glance. “Although I’m sure Duncan will be monitoring someone else.”
“What?”
Nathan smiled. “Oh, come on. You know he has the hots for you.”
“Whatever,” I said, looking out the window.
“He does, but that’s okay because he seems like a decent guy. I think you should go for it.”
I snorted. “Go for it? Look, I’m not interested in going for anything right now.”
“Right. That’s why you blush every time he looks your way.”
“I do not!”
“You’re face turns as red as a tomato.”
I could feel it burning right now as he teased me.
“See!” he laughed.
“It’s just a sunburn!”
He shook his head and gave me a knowing look.
I turned up the radio and tried avoiding his smartass grin.
When we arrived at the marina, we walked over to the cabin next door, where Duncan was adjusting his surveillance equipment.
“All set?” asked Nathan.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got cameras set up all around the perimeter of this place. There’s no way I’ll miss this guy if he comes back.”
“You still want to do our cabin, too?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll follow you in my truck. I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Shoot, I just remembered, I have to pick up mom’s dry cleaning. Is it okay if Nikki rides with you and shows you where we live? I’ll meet you both at the cabin as soon as I’m done.”
My eyes narrowed, I didn’t remember her requesting anything like that. In fact, she was supposed to drive into town herself sometime today. I didn’t mention any of this, however. I didn’t want Duncan to think Nathan was trying to play matchmaker.
“Sure,” replied Duncan. He looked at me. “Should we get going?”
I nodded and then followed him to a white pickup truck with “Sonny’s Boat Repairs” on it.
Duncan apologized. “Sorry, it’s nothing fancy but it gets me places.”
I smiled. “It’s better than what I have, which is nothing.”
He turned the radio on and glanced at me. “You look nice. How did your interview go?”
I smiled. “I got the job. In fact, I start tomorrow evening.”
“See, I told you, you’d get it.”
I looked down at my clothes. For the interview, I had worn a peach silk blouse and mid-length black skirt with heels. My feet were already killing me.
“I guess I know where I’ll be eating dinner from now on.”
I laughed. “It’s your stomach. I’m not cooking, you know, I’m only serving.”
He shrugged. “That’s okay. I’ll come in and be one of those annoying customers who sits and drinks coffee all day long, but I’ll leave a much better tip.”
“As long as you tip, I’ll save you a booth.”
“So,” he said, changing the subject. “Do you remember anything about the face you saw in the window?”
I shook my head. “No, it left so quickly. I know it wasn’t an animal like the sheriff suggested.”
“You called the sheriff?”
“He came over for dinner. He has the hots for my mom.”
He laughed. “Boy, he works fast.”
“My mom is already looking at engagement rings.”
He raised his eyebrows.
I laughed. “I’m just kidding.”
“I was going to say...”
“No, but she certainly likes him. Anyway, he went out and looked around for a while, but figured it was just a raccoon.”
“But you don’t believe it?”
“No,” I said. “There wasn’t any fur on the face that I saw.”
I then explained about the feeling of being watched when we were on the deck and the shadow that flew into the trees. As I went on, his face darkened.
“What?” I asked.
“That’s happened to me before, too. I thought I was imagining it and made excuses, thinking it was a large barn owl or something.”
I could feel the goose bumps traveling up my arms again. “This thing that I saw stood as tall as you. I couldn’t make out what it looked like, but it was something much larger than a bird.”
“Hopefully, these cameras will pick something up. They
have a range of one hundred feet. I’ll make sure some of them are pointing towards the woods, too.”
When we made it back to the cabin, it was almost five o’clock and my mother was gone.
“Wow, nice place,” said Duncan.
“It is. Too bad I’m not enjoying it because I’m so freaked out at night.”
“I don’t blame you.”
I showed him around the cabin and then he started unloading the truck.
“Um, is there a way that you can put a camera near my bedroom balcony?” I asked.
“Have you seen someone looking through it?” he asked, incredulously.
“Actually, I thought I saw someone staring at me through the window in my bathroom when I was getting out of the tub.”
He raised his eyebrows. “He actually saw you naked?”
My face turned pink. “I think so.”
Duncan smiled wickedly. “I guess it would be inappropriate for me to say, ‘Lucky man’?”
My jaw dropped and I smiled. “Uh, yeah!”
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”
“Right.”
“I’m sorry, that was uncalled for; a feeble attempt to flirt.”
“You were trying to flirt with me?”
His gray eyes burned into mine. “I was. Did it work?”
I shivered in pleasure. “Well, I…”
Thankfully, Nathan pulled up in his car at that moment and I was saved from having to answer anything.
“Hey, guys,” he said, slamming the door.
“Hi,” said Duncan, walking past him. “Nikki just gave me a tour of the place, so let’s start getting these things set up before it gets dark.”
“Sounds good,” replied Nathan.
“Where’s the dry cleaning?” I whispered.
He smiled sheepishly. “Oh, I must have forgotten it.”
“You did that on purpose. Thanks,” I said, sarcastically.
“You’re welcome. Did you guys make out, yet?”
I punched him in the shoulder.