“No,” Samantha replied, shaking her head. “You’re probably right.” She motioned toward the kitchen. “We’ll be turning off the grill soon. How does a burger sound?”
“Like heaven.”
“Clock out. Take a seat and order a drink. Taco is fine. Hal’s with him. I’ll be back with the best burger you’ve ever had.”
Faith freshened up, grabbed a soda from Dale, the bartender, then sat at a small table inside rather than out on the deck. It was quiet, and after a day that had nearly seen her run off of her feet, she needed the calm.
She traced her fingers across the condensation on the glass and sat back, eyes on the television above the inside bar. Wildfire was wreaking havoc with a wealthy neighborhood in California, and things looked pretty grim. Invested in the story, Faith leaned forward, an elbow on the table, chin resting in the palm of her hand. It was heartbreaking to watch entire neighborhoods destroyed — families left with nothing but the clothes on their backs, some unable to get their pets to safety.
She was so engrossed that, at first, she didn’t notice the highlight running across the bottom of the screen. When she did, Faith could do nothing but stare at the words stupidly while they scrolled past.
“It’s just terrible, isn’t it?” Samantha set down a plate of food, and Faith forced herself to look away from the television and up at her new boss.
“Awful,” she managed. Her stomach had sunk to the floor.
“You okay? You don’t look so well. I hope your flu isn’t coming back for a second bite.”
“I’m fine.” Faith smiled, an automatic sort of thing, and reached for a fry. “Thank you.”
“All right then. Eat up and then we’ll get you cashed out.”
Mouth full of sawdust, Faith barely chewed the fry, afraid to look up at the screen. But she couldn’t ignore what she’d read and slowly lifted her gaze.
Breaking News. Michael Brooks has been assaulted in prison with undetermined injuries. The former CEO is awaiting trial in federal prison. This story is breaking. Check back for updates.
And there it was. Her family’s black mark was out there for the world to see. Her sadness and shame were heavy, and she had to force that knot in her throat away. Force thoughts of Michael and her mother away. Two people she’d tried so hard to love. Two people who didn’t deserve it because, God, the crimes they committed had not only ruined lives but had resulted in two suicides.
Her stepfather, Michael Brooks, golden boy of the Bay Area and former chair of Inteli Corp, was awaiting trial for embezzlement, fraud, and other charges related to a scheme that saw thousands of employees lose their pensions and life savings.Her mother was facing similar charges; from what she’d been told the woman had been complicit. They both deserved harsh sentences.
Slowly, Faith exhaled and tried her best to push away the dark thoughts. It did no good to dwell on the past because she couldn’t change anything.
The good thing about being hungry is that it opened up a hole that needed to be filled. So even though food was the last thing on her mind, Faith slowly ate everything on the plate because she had to. She needed to stay healthy. Her old life was officially over.
She finished the last of her soda, grabbed her glass, plate, and dirty utensils, then deposited them in the kitchen. Mike, the head cook was cleaning his grill and told her that Samantha was outside, where Faith found her behind the bar, chatting with Gus. Cassidy was nowhere in sight.
“You all full up?” Samantha asked when she spied Faith.
She nodded.
“Okay. I’ve just got to do this one thing and then we can head back to the office.” Samantha walked back inside, leaving Faith alone with Gus. He was nursing a beer and didn’t look like he wanted company, so she remained silent, feeling more than a little awkward standing in front of him. She took a step back, her intention to leave, when he surprised her.
“I hear you did good on your first shift. It takes a lot to impress Samantha.” He tipped the bottle back and took a pull. “Hal on the other hand isn’t as picky.”
“Cassidy was great.”
“She’s something all right.” It didn’t exactly sound like a compliment.
“She’s a pretty girl.”
“No doubt about that.” Gus finished his beer, and for the first time, Faith thought that maybe he’d had too much to drink. Shefrowned. He’d been at the bar for hours now. Was that what he did? Spend his nights here drinking? It somehow didn’t fit.
“She’s going to give some man a lot of trouble one day. Just not me.”
Don’t ask. You don’t care.
“Why’s that exactly?”
Jesus, Faith. Keep your mouth shut.
