Chapter 8
RORY
Working the morning shift is very different from the later shift I’ve gotten used to. Wet mopping, setting the chairs down, wiping all tables, and generally checking that everything is right for the day.
Shelby opens the door and turns to me. “Get ready for the rush. Any minute, our breakfast crowd is going to rush through the door wanting coffee and their first meal of the day.”
“Okay, Shelby, I’ll be ready.” I quickly head to the serving hatch and shout to Tracy who is the cook this morning. “Are you ready, Tracy? Shelby is going home in a minute, and Jill is late.”
“I’m ready, and I’ll not get behind today…I hope!” Tracy grimaces, and I giggle because Tracy works hard, but she’s not the best person for being organized.
“I’ll leave as soon as Jill arrives, Rory,” Shelby says annoyed. “This is the third time she’s been late.”
“Maybe she’d be better as an afternoon or evening employee?” I do my best to calm Shelby who I can see is gritting her teeth.
“Maybe she is best being replaced, Rory.” Sighing Shelby shakes her head. “She took the job on, knowing the hours she’d have to work. The shift is a shorter one than the late shift you have been working. It’s only five hours, and it is a decent salary I’m paying…”
Before Shelby can say more, the door opens and Jill rushes in, red-faced and looking sorry. “I’m sorry, Shelby. I had to get my brother's things ready for him and my mother…”
“I don’t want your excuses, Jill. If you can’t be here on time, it’s maybe not the right job for you.” Before Jill can respond, or for that matter I can say anything, Shelby is out of the diner slamming the door behind her.
I look at Jill, and I can see she’s close to tears. I’m just thankful that nobody has come in for breakfast yet.
“Are you okay?” I ask tentatively.
“Personally, I’m fine. But my mother has been having issues since she had her accident six months ago. She isn’t recovering as she should, and I have to look after my brother. It’s hard when I have everything to get done before I come to work.”
Shit, I’m thinking, should I ask or not? “What about asking if you can have an afternoon or evening swap? Would that make it easier?”
“Not really. The mornings I have to get Grady ready for school, make sure he is organized. In the afternoon I have to be around when he comes back from school, and I have to be there in the evening. I just don’t know what to do, Rory.
What I’m earning is only just keeping us afloat, and now medical bills are piling up.
” Jill has tears tracking her cheeks, and I step closer, give her a hug and send her to the staff area to clean up.
The morning progresses well, and Jill is a good worker. She’s fast and efficient. My mind is ticking over what she has said, and I’m wondering if there is any way that I can help. But the hours on the working shifts are not good for Jill’s situation.
I have an idea how we could help Jill, but it would mean all the shifts being agreeable. I’ll have to put it to Shelby first.
I’m surprised how many men from the biker club come in for breakfast, and I ask Tracy why, since Jill told me a few minutes ago that they have two cooks at the clubhouse.
Tracy gives me a beaming smile. “Well, I’m a better cook I suppose.”
A burst of laughter takes me by surprise, and I shake my head at her. “Oh, you are so modest, sweet Tracy,” I respond when I get my laughter under control. The comment earns me a wink from her as she turns back to cooking a mountain of pancakes.
“Morning, Jill,” a biker with Bowie on the front of his leather vest greets, and he does it with a sparkle in his eyes. I look at Jill and see that she is giving him a cutting scowl. Not my business, and I’m not asking!
Nine-thirty and the initial rush is over. The bikers have all gone, they work at the roll off/dumpster business from the conversation I overheard. Turning to Jill, I can easily tell she’s relaxed since they left.
I clean tables, pass dishes through the serving hatch to Jill who is helping to fill the dishwasher, and clear the kitchen mess that Tracy inevitably has after the morning rush.
I’m filling the salt and pepper shakers when the door opens, and a lady walks into the diner with a young child in a stroller. A pretty baby girl from the abundance of pink that surrounds her.
As she takes a seat, she pushes the stroller as close to the wall as she can so it’s not in anyone’s way.
I walk over to the table and take a peek inside the stroller, then turn to the woman. “Oh, she is gorgeous,” I look at the woman and give her a huge smile.
“She sure is. I’m Cilla. I used to work here, before I had Ayla that is.”
“Oh, hi Cilla. I’ve heard such a lot about you from Shelby. She loves this baby so much and has gushed about her nonstop.” I laugh as I reply because Shelby has literally told me all about Ayla, and how much she loves her. “Now, what can I get for you?”
“I’ll have pancakes with butter, bacon, and scrambled eggs please,” Cilla tells me with a hum as she asks. I contain the giggle at her expression and give her a nod as I walk away to place the order with Tracy.
When I turn around to grab the coffee, I notice Jill is already at Cilla’s table, talking a mile-a-minute before bending down to the stroller.
I take the breakfast over to the table and give Jill a flick of my head to shift her butt and empty some tables. She takes the hint and walks away, grabbing dirty dishes from a table as she passes.
We bustle around for twenty minutes, and I take the coffeepot to top off Cilla’s cup. She has the baby in her arms, and I can’t help but smile at the cuteness that she is.
Cilla gives me a strange look, right before looking behind me. I turn my head, but I’m not sure what she is looking at. When the baby gives a bright smile, I again look behind me which is where she is looking, too.
“She is the cutest thing, Cilla. When I’m not at work and I see you would you mind if I held her for a moment?” I boldly ask and look at Cilla to see if she’s annoyed that I asked.
“Of course you can hold her. Ayla loves people holding her. The Pres…” Now, she doesn’t say more as the diner door opens, and a large man walks into the diner. Spotting Cilla and Ayla, he walks over, takes the baby, and winks at Cilla right before he walks out of the diner with the baby.
“Is that Ayla’s father?” I ask with more than a little surprise that he just took the baby, and Cilla didn’t object at all.
Sighing, Cilla answers. “No, that’s not her father. That’s the MC President. Ayla’s Godfather. He’s becoming a pain in my ass.”
I giggle a little before stating stupidly, “He just took her.”
“Yeah, it’s a recurring habit. It’s a good thing I trust him totally.
He is besotted with her, and when I’m at the clubhouse, I hardly see her.
But he’s the best diaper changer. He can change her diaper in a minute flat, and that includes cleaning her poop if she’s done one.
” Cilla giggles, and I can’t imagine that man cleaning a baby’s butt, but hey, what the heck do I know!
It’s only a few minutes before Cilla shouts “Bye” and heads out of the diner, pushing an empty stroller. I am not even going to think about what all that is about. It’s not my business.
Shelby walks into the diner and looks around. Pinpointing where I am, she quickly bustles over to me standing behind the counter. “Rory, can you take an order over to the gas station? I’ll give you the directions. The guys there are really busy and don’t have time to come for their lunch order.”
“Okay, no problem. But I will need the address for the GPS because you know I’m not that well-versed on where everything is just yet.”
“No problem. Come on, I’ll help you load everything into the trunk.
” Shelby is like a whirlwind, wrapping up BLTs, grabbing pot pies and wrapping them in aluminum cartons.
She even has thermoses which she fills with soup and coffee.
I have no idea how many men are working at the gas station, but she’s packing my vehicle with enough food to feed ten people.
“Thanks, Rory. I’ll pop a bonus in your salary.”
I don’t get chance to say it’s unnecessary before she pushes me out the kitchen door and slams it behind me. Good grief, she’s practically panicking!
I find the gas station easily thanks to the GPS. For once it didn’t lead me on a merry dance before I arrived at the destination I wanted.
Parking I look up when a man appears from the front of the building.
Now, he is the total opposite of Terrence.
This man is built, and I mean you could bounce a quarter off his abs or pecs.
He has the most intense eyes I’ve ever seen.
Bald, but shaven on purpose bald, not the kind where they’d need a comb-over of hair.
He has a neat mustache and beard. He also has earrings in his ears.
Now, I’m not sure what they call them, but on him it suits perfectly.
He has tattoos on his left arm, and by the look of it they reach up under his t-shirt and are around the left side of his neck.
“You finished looking, lady?” he asks with a damn smirk on his face.
“Sorry…you took me by surprise. I was thinking, what a fine specimen of a man you are…” Holy shit, what am I saying. My face flames red, and I mean like a damn tomato red, ketchup red, blood red…
Chuckling, he responds. “Well, that’s nice to hear. But you’re not so bad yourself, sweetness.”
“God, just shoot me now,” I say as I close my eyes to shut out the embarrassment I’m feeling.
A deep chuckle has me opening my eyes again, and the amusement on this man's face makes me want to disappear. He holds his hand out to shake. “My name is Truck. I’m the boss here at the gas station. I presume you are Rory who has been kind enough to bring lunch out here for us.”
I shake his hand quickly and rush around to the trunk of my vehicle. “Yes, I’m Rory. I’m not sure how many trips it will take to carry all this inside.”
A high-pitched whistle has me jerking my head up and I see Truck waving his hand at someone. I look around him and see two men appearing, right before another and an older man step out of the building.
“This is Xero, Collins, Mitchell, and Rum. They are all working here with me,” Truck states. They all give me a tip of the head or a smile as they grab things from the trunk. “If you come again, any of us will help.”
“Okay, thank you. I'd best get moving as it’s nearly my time to finish for the day,” I state because I really don’t know what else to say to the man. I’m finding him overwhelmingly stunning, and it’s something I don’t want to think about right now.
Rum gives me the brightest smile. “I’ll see you at the diner I’m sure, Rory. I come into the place regularly because I don’t like cooking, and when I do it’s hardly edible.”
I can’t help the giggle that leaves me. “Oh well, I’ll see you in the diner soon. I’m on late shifts after today, so if you are in the diner for an evening meal, I’ll make sure you have your coffee topped off.”
“See you, Rory,” Truck calls as I get into my vehicle. I give him a smile and wave as I drive away. I’m not sure what that look on his face was, but I’m not going to think about it either.
Later in the evening, I’m sitting in the living room staring into space. The TV is on, but I’m not watching or listening to it. It is basically background noise, so the house doesn’t feel so empty.
I realize I’ve not thought about Terrence much lately.
It has a tightness occurring across my chest. Am I losing him again?
Is my heart forgetting the love? I don’t want to lose him more than I already have.
I know I have to move on with my life, but I’m not sure I want to if that means I forget him.
My phone rings, and picking it up from the chair arm I see it's my old boss. I take the call and before I can speak, he blurts out what he has contacted me about.
“Rory, it’s Thomas and I need you to consider what I am asking of you.
” Thomas, I hear takes a deep breath before continuing.
“Would you work for me remotely, Rory? I have two clients I can’t cover.
I don’t have the time. They are two clients you have worked with previously, and nobody else is able to work with them as you have.
Would you work with them remotely, Rory? I’ll pay you handsomely if you will.”
“Who are the clients, Thomas?” I ask quietly because if it is Mrs. Godworth he can take a hike, because there is no chance of me working with her again.
“Mr. Bush of Bush & Son. You have worked with him before. The other is Mrs. Silvermaine, and I remember you got along with her extremely well.”
“Email me a contract to work with ONLY these two clients, and I’ll read it and if I’m happy, I’ll sign it and work with them remotely.
I won’t work with anyone else, Thomas. I have a job now and I have not missed money management at all.
I may continue in this line of work, but then again, I may not.
I’ll deal with these because you have always been so kind to me.
When I lost Terrence, you were a rock and I’ll never forget that. ”
“I did nothing that any decent person wouldn’t do, Rory. I knew Terrence and liked him very much. His death is a loss to the world because we don’t get many who are as kind as he was.”
Sniffling, because talking about Terrence after I had only realized a few minutes earlier that I’d not thought about him for quite a few days has my heart hurting. “I have to go, Thomas, but send the information, and I will look at it.”
“Thank you, Rory. If you need anything, or you want to come back I’ll do whatever is needed to help you.” Thomas closes the call, and I take a deep breath.
Life is so unfair, and I would be a rich woman if I had a dime for every time I have thought that.