Chapter 5
Eve
I prepared the cheeseburger in record time, then fed it onto a plate and scooped up a batch of perfectly crisped fries to go with it. I arranged it as artfully as I could, given that this was a diner, then placed the meal on the kitchen window.
I dinged the bell. “Order up!”
The lunch rush had come in full swing. Folks chatted, clinked their mugs on the tables, and dug into burgers or schnitzel or steak or biscuits and gravy. Ever since I’d started at Cowboys n’ Cuts, customers had poured in.
And those weren’t my words, they were the owner, Lily’s.
“Another one,” Cassie said and lifted it. “People in this town are determined to clog their arteries.”
“I didn’t figure you for a health nut,” I replied, and tilted my mini-chef’s hat to one side.
“Oh, no, I’m not. I’ll be clogging my arteries the minute I get a break.” Cassie swept off again, carrying the newly prepared burger to destination table fourteen, where an obese gentleman with mousy hair awaited it.
Despite the buzz of activity and the pressure to put out plate after plate, I loved this. I lived for this feeling, and it amazed me that I could replicate it in a small-town restaurant like this.
I’d figured I’d get bored making burgers and steaks but as it turned out, I had a lot of creative freedom to change up the menu whenever I wanted, and tweak old dishes that needed a new look and taste. Lily was the best boss I could’ve asked for.
I continued the morning, pushing out meals and placing them on the kitchen window. Ting went the bell, then Cassidy would appear, whisk off the food to its destination. But something strange happened every time I rang that bell.
A strange, creepy feeling trickled down the back of my neck. It’d never happened before.
I placed yet another burger, steaming hot beside crispy French fries, on the counter and dinged the bell. The feeling slammed into me for the umpteenth time and this time, I took a minute to scan the diner before I returned to the grill – it’d been two hours and the rush was finally petering off.
The customers were all concerned with their food or friends. They chatted and laughed, and the happy atmosphere made the strange hair-standing-on-end sensation even weirder.
Movement caught the corner of my eye, and I turned my head, finally spotted the source of discomfort.
A blonde woman sat in one of the corner booths, a glass of water in front of her, beside a half-eaten plate of pancakes. She glared at me, outright hatred pouring from her in waves. I blinked and resisted the urge to check if there was someone behind me.
I was alone in the kitchen and there wasn’t a chance that hatred was meant for anyone other than me. But why?
I popped out of view again and continued with the next order – waffles with extra syrup and a few strips of bacon on the side. I mulled over the negative vibes from the woman in the corner as I whipped it up.
Finally, I moved back to the kitchen counter, dinged the bell, and waited for Cassie to roll up to the window. The blond hadn’t shifted from her spot in the corner.
Cassie grabbed the plate and gave me a quick smile. “It’s slowing down, at least.”
“Sure is,” I said. “Cas, who’s that woman in the corner? The one staring at me like I’m the Hunchback of Notre Dame?”
“Oh, that’s Faith,” Cassidy whispered. “Biggest bitch and gossip in town, excuse my French. Listen, I’ll chat to you in a sec, let me just deliver these.” She rushed off to the far end of the restaurant, and Faith rose from her hate-booth and sauntered toward the counter.
My heart leaped into my throat and beat away there, for reasons unknown. I wasn’t a fan of confrontation, sure, but this woman shouldn’t have scared me. I’d been through worse than a little abject disdain. Hadn’t I?
She halted in front of the counter and nodded.
I returned it.
Cue the Spaghetti Western music. I readjusted my hat on my head. I didn’t have any current orders but that could change.
“So, you’re her,” Faith said.
I wrinkled my brow at her. “I’m sorry?”
“You’re the one who spent the night at Joshua’s place. Don’t lie. I know all about it. The whole town does.”
This had to be a joke. No, it was too crazy to be true. News had spread that fast? It was barely past 2 p.m. in the afternoon and everyone in Hope Creek already knew I’d spent the night at Joshua’s place.
“You might think that he likes you,” Faith said, “but he doesn’t. You’re just a warm body to keep between the sheets at night, mark my words.”
“I wasn’t between his sheets,” I replied, stiffly.
“Right, of course. Ha, how dumb do you think I am? I know your type. You’re looking for a handout, a way to reach the top rung because you know you’ll never reach it yourself. Pathetic,” she said, and flicked her hair. She lifted a Gucci purse and reached inside it, then drew out an iPhone and aimed it at me.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked. Was this even real?
“I’m taking a picture of Joshua’s new slut,” she replied and flashed me a tight smile. “Relax, honey, it’s the only fame you’ll ever get.”
Cassie appeared in front of the window and held out her hand, blocking Faith’s view of me. “Stop that right now. Have you lost your mind, Faith? This is a restaurant. People are trying to enjoy their meals and our chef is trying to cook.”
“Pfft,” Faith said, “she shouldn’t. She’s terrible at it. My pancakes were dry and disgusting. They were gray.”
“Oh? That must be why you ate them all,” Cassidy replied, and bobbed her head toward the empty plate on Faith’s evacuated table.
“I demand a refund.”
“That’s crap,” I said. I’d finally found my voice after the shock had worn off. “There was nothing wrong with those pancakes.”
“Is it a scene you’re looking for?” Faith squared her shoulders, finally putting that cell phone back in her purse. “Because I can give you a scene.”
I resisted the urge to snatch the bell off the counter and lob it at her. Where the hell did she get off, treating people like this? What was she, the Queen of Hope Creek? “You’re in serious need of an attitude readjustment,” I said.
Faith puffed out her cheeks.
“It’s fine,” Cassidy said, palm still out. “It’s fine. The meal is on the house.”
“What?!” I tilted back out of sheer disbelief, and almost fell.
“It’s fine,” Cassie repeated. “On the house. Don’t worry about it.”
Faith pouted, triumph washing from her this time, threatening to drown us all. “That’s right. And if you serve me those disgusting gray pancakes again I’ll have to speak to Lily about it and she’ll have you fired.” Faith slung her bag over her shoulder, gave those blond locks one final flip, then marched from the diner.
Heads turned to watch the mistress’ exit, and conversation lulled for a few seconds. The door slammed and the noise resumed at the usual busy-restaurant decibel level.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“I’ll explain later,” Cassie said. “After the shift, you can come back to my place and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“I –”
“Oh, come on, this is the fifteenth time I’ve asked you. I’m starting to think you don’t like me. Or you’re allergic to beer. Is it either of those things?”
“No, but –”
“Then it’s settled. After our shift.” Cassie hurried off to check on her tables, and I returned to the grill, working through everything that’d just happened. The hours passed and finally, it was time for the end of my shift.
I’d have killed to rush home to my tiny apartment above the butcher’s place and have a shower and a quick change but Cassidy hadn’t forgotten about our ‘appointment’ to gossip. She barely waited for me to change back into my dress and boots, then dragged me down the street in the fading light.
Five minutes later, we entered a tiny front yard, dotted with plastic toys and a multi-colored tricycle. The grass was patchy, and the house at the end of the short stone path was missing a few shutters and roof tiles.
“This is me,” Cassidy said, clambering up the steps. She opened the door and entered. “Mom, I’m home.”
“Oh, good,” a voice called back. An elderly woman with gray hair and Cassidy’s freckles appeared at the end of the short hall, holding the most adorable child I’d ever laid eyes on. She was Cassidy Junior, truly. Red pigtails and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She wore dirty dungarees, one clip hanging loose.
“Mommy!” She wriggled out of the old woman’s grip and rushed at Cassidy.
“Hey, baby. I missed you so much.” Cassie dropped to her knees in the hall and embraced her daughter.
Guilt rattled through my chest. I’d had absolutely no idea Cassie had a child.
The girl looked up at me with inquisitive green eyes. “Hello.” She had to be four or five years old, pudgy, cute, and quite short. “Who are you?”
“I’m Eve,” I said, and put out my hand. “And who are you?”
“I’m Charlie,” she said. “My whole name is Charlotte but I don’t like it. It’s stupid. I like Charlie.”
“I think both names are great.” We shook hands, her small one dwarfed in mine, and smiled at each other.
“I just finished making dinner for us,” Cassidy’s mom said, then smiled at me, too. “Would you like something to eat.”
“I don’t want to impose, Mrs. – uh?”
“Waterson,” Cassie said. “And you can call my mom, Ma, if you want. That’s what she goes by.”
“You’re not imposing, dear,” Ma said. “I’ll bring us all some iced tea to the back porch. You girls go on out. Charlie, you come help me set the table.”
“Okay.” Charlie gave her mother one last wet smooch on the nose, then hurried off after her grandmother. “Can I put the knives out, too?”
“They’re too sharp for you –” The conversation petered off as the two disappeared.
An awkward silence and then Cassidy shut the front door and walked me through to the back. The lawn was equally covered in toys, and the back fence looked haggard.
“I had no idea,” I said, and sat down.
“What?” Cassie asked. “That I’m a single mother? Why would you know? You haven’t exactly offered up any information of your own, and I didn’t want to weigh you down with my life story.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I should’ve made more of an effort to know you.”
“Don’t be silly, Eve, you’re under no obligation to befriend me. I just thought you’d like to come back to the house for some gossip.”
I couldn’t rid myself of that sense of shame, though. I’d only avoided Cassie because I’d thought it’d keep things less complicated when I left. “Okay,” I said.
“I don’t want your pity,” Cassidy said, “if that’s what that look means.”
I quickly blanked out my expression. “No, I just was surprised. I thought you lived alone.”
“Anyways.” Cassidy grinned at me. “Let’s talk about Faith. That’s why I dragged you over here. I figured I owed you an explanation for why I let her get away with that gray pancakes line.”
“That did make my blood boil.” I hadn’t cooked a gray pancake in my life. Not even as a teenager.
“She’s a Stone, you see. Her father is the most influential man in Texas, or one of them. He’s super wealthy and she is by extension.”
“Kind of like the Texas version of Paris Hilton?” I asked.
“Yeah, but more annoying. And she’s got a massive crush on Joshua. Like gargantuan.”
“But they’ve never –” I cut off. What did I care who he’d slept with?
“No, never. I think she tried to get him into bed but failed. I’m not clear on what happened. Apparently, the rumor mill doesn’t turn as fast when she’s at the center of the rumor. Probably because she’s the one who turns it herself.” Cassie shrugged. “My point is that Faith always gets what she wants, whether it’s free pancakes or designer shoes. If she doesn’t get what she wants, she runs to daddy and throws a temper tantrum.”
“What a charmer,” I said. That was the attitude I’d have expected from a New York socialite – I hadn’t thought I’d run into it here.
“You saw her in action. She thinks she’s above everyone else, laws included.” Cassie sighed.
Charlie and Ma burst onto the back porch, carrying a tray with glasses and a pitcher. The conversation dissolved but thoughts of Faith and Joshua swirled through my mind. I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want the pressure. I wanted to remain invisible while I figured out who I was inside.
And now, a chance run-in with a man on the side of a dirt road had led to this. Complications.