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I finally pulled back the covers and stood up, bending at my waist to stretch out my back. Hopefully, the stiffness will go away soon. I stepped over to the window and peeked out of the curtains, mindful of my nakedness.
The sun was beating down on the street and making the windows in the nearby shops reflect the light. From what I had seen so far, this was a nice town, and everyone I had met had been very kind. I still didn’t quite understand how my room could be so cheap, but I couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I certainly wasn’t in a position to argue.
I turned around and walked over to my backpack that I had left sitting in the chair in the corner of the room and pulled the envelope out of the bottom where the lining had been carefully cut away to allow for a hidden space to hide my cash.
I spread it out on my bed and counted the remaining amount, sorting it into piles. I still had a few thousand dollars—enough to allow me to keep going or to stay where I was. I looked back toward the window and decided I would stay… for now. If I couldn’t find a job to pay me in cash, I would leave.
With my mind made up, I scooped all the money back into one pile and placed it back into the envelope. I thought about what would be safest; if I should continue to keep it in my bag or find a hiding place somewhere in the room. Undecided, I slipped it back into my backpack and figured I would look around for a good hiding place later.
I finally gave in to my bladder, urging me to pee. When I was done, I opened my suitcase and dug out my toiletries. Securing my toothbrush and hairbrush, I set about trying to make myself presentable to the world as I felt my stomach rumble in complaint. I had a granola bar in my bag and eyed it, but after weeks of vending machines and fast food, I just couldn’t do it. I ignored the bar and dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans that weren’t too dirty and slipped on a shirt that I hadn’t worn yet.
Satisfied that I looked almost human, I hefted my backpack over my shoulders and left the suitcase where it was lying on the bed. I would unpack it later, after I ate, and asked at the diner if I could have a job. It was sure to be an awkward conversation.
It was already lunchtime when the bell jingled above my head. Grace looked up and smiled, almost looking relieved to see me.
“Hey, hun! Have a seat. I’ll be with you as soon as I drop this order off.”
I looked around to see the place was pretty full, with two other servers moving quickly around the tables carrying plates or freshly written order tickets. I spotted two tables that were open side by side and headed over to slide into the booth by the wall, leaving the table with chairs for someone else to claim. I sat facing the door and looked around. I hadn’t really taken in the place when I had been here yesterday. Tired, hungry, and too worn out to appreciate the black-and-white checkered floors that reminded me of an old-fashioned diner from the fifties. The booths were red and comfortable, and each table had a napkin dispenser sitting with the condiments. The walls had Coca-Cola memorabilia on them, adding to the nostalgic vibe.
There were six matching booths lined up along the wall and another six tables with chairs in the middle of the floor, with one more booth sitting alone on a short wall next to the hallway leading to the restrooms. The counter dividing the dining area from the workstation and open kitchen window had a few stools where a couple of men looked to be nursing coffees. A cash register sat at the end near the door. I loved the look of the place. It was inviting and cheerful. I could see why it was packed. With a well-kept and clean interior and fabulous food, it was probably one of the favorite places in town. Just a minute later, Grace walked up with a menu. “It’s lovely to see you back. I’m glad you decided to stick around. Did you find your way to the inn, okay?”
“I did, thank you,” I said as I took the menu from her. “The place is great.”
She beamed at me. “Good! Would you like something other than water today?”
I thought about it and nodded my head. “I think a Coke would be great, thank you.”
“You got it. I’ll be right back.”
I watched her hurry off and slip behind the counter. As she grabbed a glass for my drink, I saw her reach into her apron, slide her phone out, and send off a text with flying fingers before returning to her task. I went back to perusing the menu, trying to decide if I wanted the same juicy cheeseburger I had eaten the day before or if I wanted to branch out into one of the other options available. The top of the menu declared that breakfast was served all day, and I was a sucker for hash browns.
I heard the bell jingle again as I tried to decide between pancakes and hashbrowns or a burger with avocado. Instinctively, I glanced up and back down to the menu. Only to have my eyes shoot straight back to the door. My breath caught, and my eyes widened as I stared. Both men, that had been tramping through my thoughts unbidden since I had seen them yesterday, stood just inside the door. Grace walked over to them with a huge grin on her face and gave the detective a small hug, which he immediately changed to a giant bear hug. Once he let her go, she swatted his arm with a laugh and turned to the blond guy, lifting her cheek for the kiss he readily placed there.
I watched as they both leaned down to listen to something she whispered up at them before all three turned to look my way. I quickly ducked my head, suddenly very interested in what came on the burgers, but unable to read a word as my mind practically melted into mush. The sight of the two of them standing together, light and dark, was seared into my brain, and I didn’t want to let the image go.
Individually, they had stolen my breath with how attractive they were. But together, they were too much for my heart to take. I hadn’t known how tall the detective was as he sat in his vehicle, but seeing them side by side, it was easy to see that, though he wasn’t quite as broad as his blond friend, he was just as fit under his suit jacket, and just as tall. More like a runner, I supposed. I wondered if he had tattoos, too, hidden under his suit.
I heard footsteps come my way and realized that they were headed straight for the table next to mine. The table was so close that if I tried to lean over far enough, I would probably be able to touch one of them—or both. My heart picked up in both excitement and dread. As much as I wanted to study them more, to see exactly what those tattoos on the blond guy’s arms were, and to see if the cop’s eyes were as golden as honey in the light of the restaurant, I didn’t need the stress. They were taken. At least the blond was, and I wasn’t that type of girl. I couldn’t stand those people, the ones that thought it was okay to take from another.
Just as they reached the table, the bell rang, once again making me look up from my hiding spot behind the menu. A sweet looking older couple holding hands walked in and looked around.
“Oh, shoot. I hate telling someone they have to wait.” Grace honestly sounded upset at the thought of making one of her customers have to wait for a table.
The dark haired detective placed his hand on her shoulder as Grace’s worried gaze traveled from the one empty table and back to the new customers waiting at the door. “It’s fine, mom. You let them have this table, and we can wait.”
Grace hummed before saying something that had goosebumps rising on my arms. “Nonsense, son. Why don’t you share a booth with Casey here? She’s a sweet girl. I doubt she would mind if two handsome men sat with her for lunch. Casey,” she called over to me softly, “Would you mind if my son and his boyfriend sat with you?”
I was so surprised at the words that I just looked up at her, speechless. The images that bombarded my brain were anything but wholesome. I had read plenty of books with two men together as a couple. It was some of my favorite reading material and had starred in many of my fantasies. Seeing these guys that looked like they had stepped off the cover of a book was enough to have my very overactive imagination putting them together in a bedroom. Any bedroom. Mine would do even if all I did was sit in the corner and watch.
The silence became awkward as the three of them stared down at me with a mix of smirks and a smile. Two guesses about where the smirks were coming from. I cleared my throat and shook my head, unable to get the words past my tight throat.
“Great! Here you go, guys. Let me grab you both some Cokes after I sit Mr. and Mrs. Brown.” She patted her son’s arm and walked away, somehow looking more pleased with herself than she had any right to be.
I expected the two guys to sit together on the opposite side of me, so I jumped, startled when a large body started to slide into the booth right next to me.
“Scoot over for me, would you, dollface? There’s a lot of me to fit in next to you.”
I quickly scooted all the way to the wall, practically plastered against the window. I glanced out of the corner of my eye as the one sitting next to me slid my menu in front of me. I could see the dark ink covering his arms and knew it was the blond construction worker that had taken over my side of the table.
