Willa is my work bestie, and she knows all about my obsession with Brewer. Whenever we have a shift together, she makes a point of letting me serve him, and I love her for it.
“He must be blind not to notice you, Josie,” she says, shooting a scowl in Brewer’s direction.
“Thanks. I’m glad I have you to support me through the Lumbersnack trials.”
Willa giggles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes, and I can’t help noticing the deep purple bags beneath them, like she hasn’t slept in days. This is Willa’s third job, and she’s always flitting from one shift to another, barely getting a moment to herself. Life has been tough on her lately, and she’s having to bust her ass just to pay the bills.
“Are you okay?” I ask, lowering my voice so the customers at the counter can’t hear.
“Yeah…” She doesn’t sound convinced. “Things are just a little tight right now.” There’s a brief pause before she adds, “I’ve been doing some more research into…you know what…”
She whispers the last part, coloring slightly, and I feel a jolt of worry in my gut.
“You’re still considering the auction?”
She nods, pressing her lips together, and my heart squeezes with sympathy. The last thing I want to do is make her feel judged, but I can’t help my concern.
“Is it safe?” I ask. “When you first mentioned it, all I could think about was that scene from that movie,Taken. All those girls put on display for rich old men with bags of money…”
“It won’t be like that,” she murmurs, keeping her voice down. “It’s all done through an agency. Everything happens online, except for the actual…you know…”
Except for the losing your virginity to a random stranger part.
I set down the mug I’m holding and reach out to squeeze Willa’s hand. “You don’t have to do this. If you’re struggling, you can live with me for as long as you need.”
She squeezes back. “Thanks, Josie. But it’s not that simple?—”
“Willa!” the cook, Reggie, calls from the back. “Got the breakfast burrito for table five.”
Willa drops my hand and disappears into the kitchen, leaving me with a ball of unease in my chest. I really wish I could help her, but I don’t come from money, and working at the diner brings in barely enough to get by.
But surely there must be another way?
I frown to myself, running it over in my mind as I carry a couple more breakfasts and coffees over to a booth just behind Brewer’s. A middle-aged couple dressed in ski gear are waiting there in silence, and I force my face into a smile as I set the plates down in front of them.
“Enjoy your food!” I say. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
The couple look at each other, then down at their plates.
“Is this all the bacon you get?” the man says in a too-loud voice.
“I can get you some more if you w?—”
“I asked for a poached egg,” the woman says coldly.
I look down at the perfectly cooked poached egg on her plate. “Um…yes?”
“This doesn’t look poached to me.”
Then you’ve never seen a poached egg before, lady.
I take a deep breath. “Would you like another one?”
“I guess this will do,” she says, tutting loudly.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?”
The man takes a sip of his coffee, his face contorting. “The hell is this?”
