“Poor Grace. She must be devastated.” Penny shakes her head, sympathy written all over her face.
“You look tired, man. Everything okay?” Cas’s eyes land on me again, too observant for his own good.
“I’m tired,” I admit, grabbing a glass and polishing it more out of habit than necessity. “Sonia quit last month, and I’ve been working overtime ever since.”
Sonia had been with me for years. Reliable. Steady. The kind of person you don’t have to think twice about. Then she got married, got pregnant, and traded late nights behind the bar for something softer, something quieter. I’m happy for her.
Still doesn’t change the fact that I’m one person short.
“Damn, bro. You need to hire someone. We don’t see you at Mama’s dinners anymore.” Cas shakes his head.
“You could put up an ad,” Penny offers gently.
I sigh, setting the glass down a little harder than I mean to. They’re right. I know they’re right. But the thought of starting over with someone new, of teaching them everything, of trusting them with this place… it exhausts me before I even begin.
The door opens behind them, letting in a draft of cool evening air.
I don’t think anything of it at first. Just another customer.
Then I look up.
A woman steps inside, small and pale, her hair so blonde it almost catches the light like it doesn’t belong to the rest of the world. Soft waves brush her shoulders, and she stands there for a second like she’s unsure if she should have come in at all. Worn hoodie. Jeans that have seen better days.
Her eyes find mine.
Dark blue. Deep.
Something shifts in my chest, subtle but undeniable, like a string pulled too tight.
I break the eye contact first, shaking it off, turning back to the bar like it didn’t just happen.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her walk closer.
“Hi,” she says, her voice small, raw in a way that doesn’t belong in a place like this.
I look up again, and this time I don’t hold back the curse rising in my throat.
Up close, she looks… different.
All soft lines and fragile features, like something the world should have handled more carefully. There’s a quiet kind of beauty to her, the kind that doesn’t demand attention but still pulls it in anyway. Too innocent for the bruises darkening her throat.
“Hello,” I say, forcing my voice to stay even.
“I was wondering if you’re hiring? I’m looking for a job.” She wrings her hands together like she’s bracing for rejection before I’ve even given her an answer. “I can clean, cook, serve… anything, really.”
I take my time looking at her, my gaze catching on the details she probably wishes no one would notice. Worn shoes. A tear in her jeans. Scraped knuckles that haven’t had time to heal properly… and then my eyes land on her throat, on the bruises she can’t hide.
Trouble.
“Not looking, sorry,” I say, the words coming out flat. This girl is trouble, and I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.
Penny’s head snaps toward me like I just insulted her personally, and Cas looks like he’s about to say something he probably shouldn’t.
“Oh, okay. Thanks anyway.” She turns, then pauses, fingers brushing the edge of the counter. “Can I have a Coke, please?”
I nod toward a table near the exit. She walks over and sits, keeping close to the door like she needs the escape route.
When I bring her the drink, I hear it.
