CHAPTER TWO - CARRIE
“Dammit,” I cursed under my breath as I sloshed another cup of coffee while placing it on the table. My mood would have been better, as well as my coordination, if I hadn’t had to pull a double after a turnaround. I was beginning to feel like I lived at Angelo’s Diner.
I looked up at Eddie who frowned, but since he was a regular whose time at the place practically made us roommates, he let it go.
Lindy came around the corner and whispered in my ear. “Can you believe that little shit called in again?” My best friend and confidant was as angry as I was. The boss’s niece, Jessica, had called in four times in the past two weeks and had left both Lindy and me in a bind every time.
“Yeah, she’s going to keep getting away with it too. You know it’s not like I don’t have enough to deal with. I’ve got my dad’s illness, housework piling up at home, and bill collectors after me. If it weren’t for them, I might bitch about the extra hours more, but I actually need the money.”
I wasn’t sure the money was worth it at times, knowing that I was working away what could be the last days of my father’s life. I was all he had to take care of him, and I hated knowing he was in and out of the nursing facility. With me working, it was all I could do. He needed constant care, and there was just the two of us since my stepmother bailed as soon as Dad’s heart gave out.
My own mother had passed when I was a baby, so I was trying to do everything I could to care for my father.
“How’s he doing? Did you get in touch with that specialist?” Lindy was the only person in my life that knew about my struggles, and I hadn’t told her the latest.
“He’s the same, and I did. The specialist wants to do a new procedure, but it’s going to be about thirty grand and with the other thirty I owe, I don’t know how I’m going to make it happen. I can’t get a loan, not with my credit from the whole art school thing and let’s face it, for that kind of money I’d have to sell my soul.
“Or your body.” She flashed me a wink, and I blushed.
“Yeah, at this point, it’s going to take a miracle, and unless one walks through that door, I’m screwed.” I heard the bells on the front entrance jingle, and Lindy let loose a laugh as she passed by on her way behind the counter.
“They’re all yours.” She gestured that way.
I glanced up and did a double-take as two of the most handsome men I’d ever seen walked through the door and took a seat at the closest booth. They were both the same height, but that’s where the similarities ended. One was a beautiful blond, who looked like he could model for the cover of a surfing magazine, his hair was to his chin, and his five o’clock shadowed face had soft features.
The other was a bit more mysterious, with piercing blue eyes, chiseled features, and a regal look like some kind of fairytale prince. His eyes met mine across the room, and the intimidating glare sent my pulse racing. He was no prince. Perhaps he would be the villain? He lifted his hand to wave me over, but I was already on my way, taking my order book out of my pocket.
“Yes? What can I get you?” I poised my pen and waited for him to speak, but his friend cleared his throat, and when I looked his way, he looked offended.
“Yeah, what’s the soup of the day?” asked the fair-haired one.
“It’s tomato, and that comes with toast.” I forced a friendly smile, though something about his tone grated my nerves.
The guy made a face. “What other soups do you have?”
“Baked potato, bean, and vegetable.”
“And sandwiches? Could I get a soup and sandwich?”
“What kind would you like?” I placed my hand on my hip as he gave me a blank stare.
“That’s what I’m asking.” He looked across the table at his buddy who was shaking his head.
The dark prince passed his menu across the table to his friend. “Here, see if mine reads any clearer for you.” He turned his eyes up to me, and his gaze trailed down my body as if I might be on the menu. “I’ll have the waffles and maple bacon with coffee and juice.”
The other guy looked up from the menu and frowned. “Breakfast for dinner?”
I worked my pen across the tablet and rolled my eyes in Babyface’s direction. “It’s hardly a new concept.”
That earned a smile from Mr. Mystery who took the menus from his friend and passed them to me. “He’ll have the same. And could we get some eggs, sunny side up?”
The other guy huffed out a breath and slumped back in his seat. “Sounds delicious.”
“You’ll love it.” I gave him a wink and shook my head as I walked away. As I went, I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough, the hotter one’s eyes were following me.
I walked to the back and placed the order while Lindy sidled up next to me with a big grin on her face. I shook my head and let out a long breath. “That was your table. What did they do, stiff you before?”
“No, silly. Didn’t you notice what happened?” She leaned back against the counter and folded her arms across her waist.
“Notice what? Two incredibly hot men came and in and you push them on me? If you don’t want to wait on them, fine.”
“No. The timing. It’s like fate or something. You had just said it would take a miracle, and they came in. One of them could be your Prince Charming.” Lindy was the kind of friend who was totally weird and often inappropriate, but I’d learned to overlook her quirky ways and embrace her crazy.
“You know I don’t believe in that stuff, Lindy. It’s not easy being a dreamer when reality sucks.” I dealt with the ugly side of life on a daily basis with my father’s illness, and it was hard to see sunshine and rainbows, much less the cloud’s silver lining.
“Did you miss how incredibly hot and well-dressed they are? I bet those shoes on the tall, dark, and handsome one cost more than my freaking car. And lucky you, he’s still staring.”
I glanced over my shoulder and found that she wasn’t kidding around. He was still watching me through the window of the order station. I turned away quickly, but he didn’t seem so easily deterred.
I nudged Lindy who was still watching him as he watched us. “Stop it. You’ll encourage him. Besides, what’s a man like him going to want with a girl like me?”
“We’ve talked about what men want, and you’re a knockout, honey.”
“I’m a waitress who is barely making ends meet, with nothing going on in her life but watching her father grow sicker. So, let me bring this guy his coffee so he can get on with his life. I’m sure he needs plenty of time to buy more expensive shoes.”
I walked around and fixed my tray with their drink order and brought it over. I placed napkins on the table and then the juice, but each took the coffee cups straight from my hand. “You must be in serious need of a caffeine fix.” I placed the creamer service in front of them, but Dark Prince pushed it away.
“Thank you, Carrie,” he said, reading my name tag. “That’s a beautiful name.” Though he was paying compliments, his eyes were narrowed, and I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be seductive, or sizing me up.
I tucked my chin and fidgeted with my collar looking away. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but I assumed a beautiful woman as yourself gets many compliments.” He sipped his coffee, and his friend turned his head to stare out the window. I wasn’t sure if he were genuine or not.
“Most people just order their food, eat it, and go.” I gave him a pointed look to let him know it was a suggestion, and his friend chuckled.
“Noted. Lucky for you I’ve never been like most people.” He returned a challenging stare along with a smile that lit his entire face. It made him appear much gentler than his previous look had.
“Lucky for me?” I gave a little laugh and was about to come back at him when the bell rang and the cook hollered.
“Order up!”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Joe shaking his head. “I’ll be right back.”
I turned and went to get their order. As I served it, a bus with about twenty blue-haired old ladies came in on their way to a convention, and things got so busy it was all I could do to keep his coffee filled.
I brought them their check, and before I could say goodbye, one of the blue hairs called me over to tell me she needed extra napkins.
The bells sounded over the door, and I looked up to see them leaving. When I went to clear their table, I found a crisp hundred-dollar bill and a message scrawled on a napkin.
I’ll see you tomorrow.