“Same,” I quietly say as we both grab our aprons and head up front. But I can’t help but shoot frequent glances to where the commotion is still happening.
“And it doesn’t look like we’re going to be getting any customers tonight. Eric didn’t even show up. He doesn’t want to be anywhere near this place, but he makes sure we have to be here. What a prick.”
“Sounds like him,” I mutter under my breath.
He’s such a bastard.
After tying our aprons, we wait. And when an hour goes by without a soul in sight, we wait some more.
“I wonder what happened.” My body is stretched out, leaning my elbows against the counter behind me, Lydia slightly twirling in her stool.
“More dumb shit. Probably drugs,” Thomas says from behind me, studying the view of the outside with us.
We had a couple of customers come in, mostly to be nosey. They requested a window booth.
“Well thank God we close soon because this whole thing gives me the creeps. Are we like in danger?” Lydia turns to me as if I hold the answer to her question.
“If it was drugs or something like that, then no.” But what if it was more? What if… the room starts to slowly rotate, and I close my eyes for it to stop.
This stupid anxiety.
“To be sure, let’s leave together, yeah?” Thomas says. His voice is low and laced with a drip of concern for all of us.
The three of us always did work well together and we were the closest. One time I thought Lydia and Thomas had something going on, but Lydia quickly debunked it. But her red colored skin marring her ears and cheeks tells me otherwise.
“That’s the best suggestion you’ve had in a while.” Lydia pats Thomas’s arm, catching her gaze with his.
“Good thing I live across the street.” The sarcasm drips off my tongue. Good I don’t have far to go, but bad I live right across from a murder. They’ll be no way to escape this for a while.
“Shit. You wanna stay with me tonight?” Lydia asks, her eyes staring at me with pinched edges.
“Thanks. But I’ll be okay. My roommate should be home,” I lie, knowing damn well she won’t be.
We finish our shifts and clean up, locking the door behind us. It’s nice to be able to get out on time and somewhat early.
Thomas and Lydia say their goodbyes as they make sure I make it safely on the other side. The hustle and bustle are already over for the night, and people must have gotten bored. But before I enter my building, I stop, whipping myself around scanning the streets. With only the sound of the slight wind, I enter my apartment building, leaving the outside behind.
My apartment window points directly at the diner. So, I gather my mail and curl up in front of it. It’s not that I think the sight was scenic or anything, rather the obsession of looking out for something that isn’t there drills into my mind. The need to make sure I can get away from anything in time, chips away at me.
The pretty light blue envelope with fancy calligraphy writing catches my attention as I open it, my heart warming at what appears to be a wedding invitation.
To Jules’s and Charger’s wedding.
They thought of me as a good enough friend to be invited to their wedding. Toherwedding. The envelope and invite lay on my lap as I process it all. Then without warning, a smile spreads across my face. But just as fast as it came, I frown with the same speed.
A shadowy figure moves down below in front of my building as if they are watching me.
Okay, that’s enough fun for one night.
I tug the curtains that blanket my window and set my invite down on the counter before entering my bedroom. Another smile tempting to pull at my lips.
TEN
Danika
They’re all here. Every single one of them. The entire Steel Valley Chains MC plus their ol’ ladies are sitting inside the diner.Mydiner. The diner I work at. With the tables and chairs pushed together it looks like a small party bash.
It’s lunch hour and business is still slower than normal. I’d say it still has something to do with what happened. Guess people are afraid of a repeat. Can’t say I blame them. The constant prickling at my neck because of the cloud of fear traveling behind me, everywhere I go, counts in this situation. But I need the money to obviously survive.
