He seemed so open, so friendly.
Even so, Piers’ heart hammered. “I… I saw your sign. You need a dishwasher?” Damn it. His voice cracked on the words.
The man’s demeanor grew more serious but not off-putting. “You ever done this kind of work before?”
“Um… no… no, sir. I’m in high school right now…” Here it came, theThanks, but no thanks. Of course, the man wanted someone with experience, but how could Piers gain experience if no one hired him? His brief moment of hope died a horrid death. A moment later, the conversation sank in.
“…it’s evenings and weekends. Would that be a problem? I know you young folk like your weekends off.” The man narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t graduated?”
“I will in June. Weekends won’t be a problem. I promise.” Piers’ heart switched from hammering to racing.
A wrinkle furrowed the man’s brow. “Then you’re off to college?”
Piers’ cheeks burned. “No, sir. No college.”
The man’s scowl relaxed. “I lost my last dishwasher to college. Been doing the job myself since he left for spring term or something.”
Could not going to college be an advantage? “No college for me.”
“Why not? Go to college, make something of yourself.” The man gave an affectionate grin. “Or so my dearly departed mama used to say.” He waved a hand. “I haven’t done too badly without.”
“No, you haven’t. This seems like a nice place.” More than nice, with candles on each table, well-kept furnishings, and an overall air of being well-maintained.
“Come on in, tell me about yourself.” The man led the way farther into the building, sat at an out-of-the-way table, and waved a hand for Piers to sit across from him.
The man’s friendly attitude gave Piers the courage to tell the truth. He settled into the chair. “I’m in foster care, but I turn eighteen soon.”
“Oh? So, what then?”
“That’s what I’m trying to decide.”
The man studied him for long moments, then held out a hand. “Name’s Edoardo. Why don’t I feed you, and let’s talk?”
Over mouthfuls of meatball sub, Piers listened more than talked about Edoardo, the diner, fresh versus frozen meats…
In the end, Edoardo said, “You’re a good kid. Can you start tomorrow after school?”
Really? The vice grip of hope eased from around Piers’ heart. A job? He got a job? “Are you sure?”
“I’ll have tax forms and stuff for you to sign, but we’ll take care of all that.”
Piers’ head spun; a smile stuck to his face. He blinked back tears all the way to the group home. A job. He got a job. An honest to goodness, paying job.
The relief of finally catching his breath made him ignore the question of why the world sometimes seemed to bend to his wishes.Don’t worry about that. Don’t think about it.The next few months would be about survival. The last thing he needed was a distraction.
He couldn’t wait to tell Jess.
Edoardo stuck his head out of the kitchen door at closing. “Hey, kid. Can you stay a minute?”
Uh-oh. What had Piers done on his very first day? He approached the kitchen, heart in his throat and checking off a mental list. He’d taken out the trash, cleaned all the tables, washed dishes…
His boss gave him a tired smile. “I know you have tomorrow morning off, but I hope you can help me. I’ve got an apartment building a few blocks away. One of my tenants skipped out on the rent, leaving the place a mess.” Edoardo studied Piers’ face. “It’s just a studio, but if you help me clean, you can have any furniture left behind since you might need it soon.”
“How much is the rent?” An apartment close by so Piers could walk to work and school. Perfect.
Edoardo ran fingers through his hair, blowing out a breath.
“Once I graduate, I can work full time. Until then, I’ll get a subsidy.” If Piers worked extra shifts… The coins hidden in the bag under his bed could make paying rent a non-issue. But no. Too many questions might result. The coins matched nothing Piers found on the internet and were definitely gold.
