AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"What? No. That's weird."
She glanced around. "Olive, I know you're struggling, and I understand it, but Claire does not have a full scholarship, and you're acting like she does."
"I promise you, I'm not. And I will get you the rest of the money."
"Three months, Olive," Ms. Steven said. "You owe 3,600 dollars, and I've stretched it as far as I can. If you don't have the payment by next week, I'm sorry, but I will have to let Claire go."
Before I could even argue, Ms. Stevens was spinning around and disappearing back into the hole she had crawled out of.
Across the courtyard, Clairewas laughing with a group of her friends, her arms linked in theirs as they busted out a dance move. She spotted me and waved, and it took everything within me to force a smile as I waved back.
Fuck.
I spun on my heel and stormed out the gate before the wrath of wigs could stop me. My mood had taken a serious downturn, and if Rachel Carlyle attempted to mock my outfit, not much would stop me from telling her where to shove her stilettos.
Without a car, I had to take two buses to get to the diner I worked at. It was usually an easy drive, one I didn't mind, but today my mind could only focus on one thing. What if Claire lost her scholarship? It was taking everything in my power just to pay the twenty five percent.
If I couldn't make those payments, her scholarship was gone, and keeping her in that school was the only good thing I had going for me. Claire was happy there—and that was the most important thing in my life. To set her up for a future I never had.
The diner I worked at was on the outskirts of downtown, a quaint mom and pop store that paid better than most restaurants. It was a lucky find, and the owners, a married couple barely older than me, went out of their way to remind me of how good I had it.
Draping my apron over my shirt, I shoved my purse into my locker. The morning rush was in full swing.
Darla Simmons peered around the corner, her lips puckered. "Olive, you're twenty minutes late.
I was twelve minutes late, but Darla considered anyone not early as already behind.
"There was a lot of traffic."
Darla's husband, the overweight chef Henry, rang the bell that signaled the next order was up. "This is the third time this week, Olive."
Darla picked up the plate and handed it to Nancy, an older server who'd been here for over a decade. Nancy shook her head. "What else is new?"
Kill me. So this was how today was going to go then? Great.
Just as I was about to head onto the floor, Darla slid in front of me, blocking my way. "How many times have we talked about this, Olive? Time management is everything in this business."
Tying my hair in a ponytail, I bit back what I really wanted to say. That unlike them, this wasn't the business I wanted a career in. That she was a stuck up bitch who'd inherited this restaurant from her rich mother but acted like she was a self-made woman.
"I'm sorry, Darla. I had to drop Claire off at school."
"Maybe you can start leaving earlier? Or have your brother pick her up like he used to?"
I hate that she knew about Adam. The more Darla knew about my life, the more she tried to use it against me. "My brother and I aren't really on speaking terms right now."
"Then why not hire a babysitter? Huh?"
It took everything in me not to roll my eyes. As if that idea had never come to my mind. But I couldn't afford even the cheapest babysitter and there was no way in hell I was trusting Claire in just anyone's hand. "I'll think about that."
Darla batted her long eyelashes. "Well, I'm going to need you to work late tonight to make up for it."
I took a deep breath. "Darla, I can't work late because I don't have a babysitter, and I need to pick up Claire from school."
"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Olive."
"Order up!"
As Darla grabbed the order, it was my turn to stop her. "Darla, I put the request in over the weekend. I'm going to work the nine to three shift during the week and then take up doubles on Saturday and Sunday. You approved it."
