Chapter 15
The lunch rush alwaysbrought customers who handed out the best tips, and Lydia had learned early on that a smile went a long way to getting the cash to flow her way.She wasn't flirting, not really, but she knew how to lean in, laugh at the right moments, and make the customers, especially the old-timers, feel like they were still charming.
Hannah called it "strategic sweetness."
Madison called it "survival."
She called it "freedom."
The more money she saved, the more independent she became.Her goals weren't lofty.She never dreamed of owning a car or a house.She thought of getting out on her own and paying rent, buying clothes, and having food to eat.Until now, she never had the chance to live independently.
Now, the room above the diner belonged to her.
One person was responsible for where she lived, her new job, and even her ability to take care of herself.She owed Baddy.
But that was not why she had sex with him.It wasn't.
She balanced three plates on her left arm, dropped them off at a booth full of truckers, and winked when one of them told her she was "a breath of fresh air."He tipped her five bucks before he even started eating.She pocketed it with a quiet thank-you and moved on.
Hannah slid past her with a tray."Girl, you're killing it today."
"Trying," Lydia said, grabbing a pot of coffee.
Madison joined them at the counter, tying her apron tighter."Trying?You're practically flirting with half the room."
Lydia rolled her eyes."I'm being friendly."
"Friendly gets you a dollar," Madison said."Flirty gets you five.Something...or someone has put you in a good mood."
Lydia snorted instead of denying.That morning with Baddy had put her in a good mood.
Despite being twenty years old, she had only had sex with one other person.At eighteen, she'd made the mistake of believing in a prospect when he talked pretty to her and bought her gifts.After sleeping with him for a month, she found another girl in his bed.
She chalked it up to having learned a big lesson, knowing better than to act like her mom around bikers.
Baddy was probably no different.He made no promises.There were no sweet exchanges.They came together because they shared a moment.They were both healthy adults with a sexual appetite.She wanted to pretend, just for today, that he wasn't using her.That he was right there in bed with her, wanting her, enjoying her.
She was halfway to refilling a cup when the bell over the door chimed, and she glanced across the diner.
Her body reacted before her brain believed what she was seeing.Heat rushed up her neck, stomach tightening, and her breath became trapped in her throat.
Baddy.
He walked in like he owned the place.Broad shoulders, dark hair, that unreadable expression aimed at her that made her feel seen and exposed all at once.
Her heart thudded painfully.There was no way she could walk without falling flat on her face.
