CHAPTER27
AMY PHELPS SPOTTEDthe two people in the booth who were trying to get her attention but first rushed a hamburger to the man at the end of the counter, then pivoted and grabbed an empty glass from the woman in the corner booth.
Amy was used to having to work alone. It felt like every day someone else called in sick. With fourteen stools at the counter and nine booths, things could get a little crazy. She didn’t know why the kitchen always seemed to have plenty of help while it was a crapshoot for servers. Anyway, she didn’t care. She needed the money.
Once she had everyone satisfied, Amy slipped back behind the counter. She brushed her blond hair out of her face and glanced around to make sure no one needed anything. The tall guy sitting alone in the middle of the counter looked like he was almost finished with his ham and turkey club sandwich. The young guy she’d been flirting with was clearly done with his Philly cheese steak but still sitting on the last stool, near where employees came and went from behind the counter.
Just then, Amy saw her replacement coming through the front door. Yazzie winked at Amy and an unspoken joke about how lazy the other servers were passed between them.
Amy checked her phone in the pocket of her apron. It was nine thirty in the evening here. That meant eleven thirty back in Dallas. She didn’t want to risk waking up her mother. Her father lived in Miami, which was even an hour later. Although he was a little bit of a night owl, she didn’t like calling him too late in case he’d been drinking.
Yazzie stepped behind the counter and whispered in Amy’s ear, “I got this. Anyone I should be worried about?”
Amy said, “Just the lady alone in the booth. She’s a little snippy.”
“Got it.”
Amy noticed the young guy on the last stool had laid a twenty on the counter and disappeared. She was a little disappointed. He was cute and seemed to have it together pretty well. At least by some standards.
Amy nodded to Yazzie and stepped into the messy kitchen to remove her apron and grab her purse and jacket. She took a moment to say good night to the cooks, even though they rarely even acknowledged her. She rushed through the restaurant and slipped out the front door less than a minute later. She was exhausted but walking fast, even though she had no plans for the night. The tiny single room she rented from a nice Asian woman had very few amenities and was no fun to hang out in alone.
Then she heard someone behind her. She turned and saw that it was the tall customer who’d been sitting at just about the center of the counter in the diner. He’d been a pleasant enough guy, but she was anxious all the same when she saw that he was rushing to catch up to her. They were still in full view of the wide windowsof the diner. Plus there were a couple of people standing by a car in the street.
Amy waited as the man reached her and said, “I didn’t realize it was the end of your shift. Here.” He handed her a twenty-dollar bill. “Just a tip.”
Amy said, “Thanks.” She slipped the twenty into her purse, then turned and put on her jacket even though it wasn’t cold. She was hoping to put some space between her and the man. She was too tired to chat with anyone now. “It’s been a long day. I’ve got to get home.”
“How long have you worked there?”
“About two months.”
“Pay okay?”
“You just doubled my tips for today. That should answer your question.”
The tall man nodded like he understood. He said, “I’m looking for a few people. Pay would be a lot better and the work could be kind of fun.”
An image of her with some spending money made Amy smile. She didn’t mean to, but she was looking up at the man with a dreamy expression. He was smooth enough that she’d stopped trying to walk away.
She said, “What kind of job?”
CHAPTER28
THE TALL MANdidn’t immediately answer Amy’s question. He just smiled and started to walk slowly. Amy followed along, not even realizing that they were moving away from the restaurant. He said, “I have a few questions too.”
“Let me guess. The first one is ‘How did a nice girl like you end up in a place like this?’”
He shook his head. “Actually, the question was going to be more like ‘Why is a beauty like you wasting your time here?’”
That made Amy smile. She’d hoped someone in the movie profession might ask her that same question. She’d even dreamed it.
Amy said, “I’m here because I’m taking acting lessons. I heard San Francisco was less competitive than LA. I have to start somewhere. I only just turned twenty last month.”
“What if I told you I can give you a ticket to the front of the line? You’ll even meet some film people.”
Amy wasn’t stupid. She was always skeptical of ideas that promised so much. “What would I need to do for this great job?”
“Just… be available.”
