It isn’t a far walk to any of the small shops in town. The air is dry and the sun beats down, creating a blazing heat. I silently thank myself for my “I don’t give a shit” outfit today, even though I’m bound to break out into a sweat within a second.
I walk into two small boutiques and a coffee shop and leave empty-handed. All three told me the same thing: they’re not hiring right now and to check back closer to the holidays. After the last store, I begin to wonder whether or not it has to do with my appearance or if it’s a coincidence with everyone being back for school. Lost in my own thoughts, I wander past the next few stores without a second glance.
I walk till I get to the end of the block and stand at the intersection, waiting for the light to change and the do not walk sign to turn. Diagonal to my left, I see a diner on the corner and my stomach grumbles at the sight. It has to be past lunchtime by now and I haven’t eaten since sometime yesterday. I guess I’m going to have to remember to feed myself now.
When the light finally changes, I shuffle across the street with a small group of people I hadn’t noticed before. The streets are busy, so I wait for the next one to change rather than taking my chances of getting hit by a car. I’m hungry, but not that hungry.
That’s a lie.
I glance back and forth down the street before taking off into a sprint. I don’t stop running until I’m pulling open the front door to Gracie’s Diner. I look around at the old-fashioned booths and the bar area with the old-fashioned register. It’s warm and homey, with the strong aromas of comfort food. The diner is fairly empty, but I take a seat at the counter since I’m alone.
A girl around my age walks over, sliding a menu in front of me. “Welcome to Gracie’s; I’m Sloane. Can I get you something to drink?” She says it all in a rush, barely pausing to breathe, with a nervous smile plastered to her face. She pulls her thick brown hair over her shoulder and absentmindedly smooths the braid while she waits for my response.
“I’ll take a Coke.” I try to give her a warm smile, although it probably looks like I’m constipated or something. I’m the most socially inept person known to mankind.
Her gray eyes light up. “Coming right up!” she says in an excited voice, spinning on her heel to fetch my drink. Since the diner isn’t busy, it doesn’t take her long to come back with my soda and I’ve barely looked at my menu.
“Did you need more time?” Her tone is more relaxed as she sets the glass down in front of me. I close the menu, not needing to look through it all. It’s a diner; most of the food is standard and then they all have their specialties. I go with my go-to.
“Nope, I’m good,” I tell her. “I think I’m gonna go with a BLT and fries.”
She nods her head as she jots it down on her notepad. “You can never go wrong with some bacon,” she says with a smile. I return the gesture and she walks over to the window by the kitchen, clipping the sheet of paper to a line strung across for the cooks. I pull my phone out and quickly reply to a text my dad sent last night, letting him know I’m safe and job hunting. Setting it down on the counter, I watch while Sloane messes around at the cash register.
“Hey,” I call over to her. She looks up, slightly confused and slightly worried. A fake, trained smile takes over her face as she walks back over to me. “Do you guys have a newspaper or anything?”
Now she looks even more confused. “I think we have a few,” she says as she walks to the end of the counter. She hands it to me on her way back to the register.
I quickly flip through it until I reach the back where the wanted ads are listed for jobs. My eyes scroll down the list, finding nothing of interest to me. I sigh, closing the newspaper and folding it back up.
“Are you looking for a job?” Sloane asks out of nowhere. I look up at her and raise an eyebrow. “I wasn’t trying to be nosy, but I noticed you looking at the ads,” she says with a small smile.
I nod. “I need a little extra money while I’m in school but I haven’t had much luck yet. I went to a few shops around town but no one is hiring.” I give her a small shrug. “I’ll find something sometime here.”
“Most of the jobs around here get scooped up pretty quick when school starts. But today might be your lucky day.” She pauses. “We actually just lost one of our servers and my boss, Matt, is looking for someone.”
A spark of hope flickers inside. Maybe now I won’t have to keep going into all these dreadful stores, pathetically asking if they’re hiring only to get turned down. “That would be awesome!” I say, excited. “Do you have an application I could fill out?”
The bell at the kitchen window dings and my plate of food slides onto it. Sloane turns around and grabs it and sets it in front of me. “Matt’s back in his office now, so I’ll just go grab him instead.” She smiles and heads to the back of the diner. I stare down at my food and wince at my sudden loss of appetite and the anxious feeling building in the pit of my stomach. Quickly, I grab my purse and dig around until I find my little bottle of blue footballs. I wash two down with some Coke in a hurry, hoping they kick in soon.
They don’t kick in soon enough.
Sloane reappears in no time with a tall blond-haired guy, dressed in khakis and a deep blue polo. I look back down at my untouched food and take a few deep breaths in an effort to compose myself. This on-the-spot interview is throwing me off, and I don’t particularly care for it. I force my lips into a smile and look up as they step in front of me.
“Hello,” he says in a deep voice that takes me by surprise. “I’m Matt.” He extends his hand and I take it and give it a small shake. “Sloane tells me you’re looking for a job.”
“Yep!” My voice squeaks and the heat creeps up my neck and into my cheeks. I clear my throat and try again. “I’m looking for a part-time job while I’m in school.”
“What are you going to school for?” His amber eyes stare into mine quizzically. I hadn’t noticed how attractive he is until now. The color of his eyes contrasts with his short blond styled hair. He’s not much taller than I am, but his body seems solid and fit. He only looks to be a few years older, maybe twenty-five, but with his preppy clothes, he has the total frat boy look going on.
Pass.
“I’m in the nursing program,” I say, resting my hands on top of one another on the countertop.
“No way!” Sloane cuts into the conversation. “So am I!”
“Really?” There goes that spark of hope again. I’m not here for friends, but I wouldn’t mind one or two. “We’ll have to compare classes then.” The Xanax has definitely started to kick in now, as I start to feel more relaxed and my lips become a little looser.
I look back over at Matt, who is smiling at both of us. “When do you think you can start?”
My brow furrows and I frown slightly. “That’s it for the interview?”
“I think I know everything I need to for now,” he says, nodding.
“But you barely asked me anything,” I counter, mentally telling myself to shut the fuck up and take the job.
“I like to think I’m a good judge of character.” He pauses and scratches his chin. “You’ll fit in perfectly.”