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1
Abbie
The snow had just started to fall again in tiny white wisps outside the large front window of Jimmy’s Diner.
With a sigh, I tied my bright red apron over my black jeans and black T-shirt emblazoned with Jimmy’s logo across the chest before picking up my notepad from behind the counter.
Saying I was tired would be an understatement.
I'd been up all day, since before sunrise, to get in an early hike so I could get fresh air and me time before the anticipated new snow fall, and after that, it had been a rush to grab groceries, take a shower, and make it to work in record time for my shift starting at one.
I was really hoping it was going to be a light night in the diner. All I really wanted to do was go home, but until I could, I'd keep myself running on caffeine. I'd already poured myself my extra-large coffee in the back and had had a good couple of long sips to get the caffeine into my system before heading out to the front to start my shift.
It was early December, and things were already on the slowdown, at least for the next while. School was winding down for the semester, which meant that only a handful of kids would be left in the quiet little college town of Falls. Soon enough, even the teachers and professors would be out of town, too, and it would just be the actual locals alone for a few weeks.
While I loved the energy from them most of the time, just being a bit more low-key for a week or two would be a nice change of pace.
I grabbed a stack of menus, freshly updated with the new weekly specials tucked inside, and started setting them in the little holders at the end of the tables. I finished the back row of booths and went back to grab the next set.
Jimmy, my boss, leaned through the grill window in his black diner T-shirt, a smile on his face as he saw me. “You made it in.”
“Before the snow.” I nodded to the window. “Just before.”
“It won't be that bad. Not close enough to Christmas yet.”
I laughed. He had a point. It never failed—the biggest snowstorm of the year the last few years had tended to happen in the few days right before Christmas. We still had a few weeks to go before that big day.
I looked around the cozy diner. A handful of people were scattered in different booths, a couple at the counter already having their food. No late dinner rush here. I was thankful. And so were my feet.
It was my first shift of four days straight. If that weren’t depressing enough, the weather forecasts weren’t looking all that great, either. Snow every day for the next six days straight, inches upon inches upon inches in the predictions. And don’t forget the cold—not justdon’t forget your scarfcold, butbe ready to freeze if you even try to breathecold. The only positive was that, maybe, it would end up keeping everyone at home and we could close early. Not that great for Jimmy, sure, but I wouldn’t mind the extra time off.
Then again, I could definitely use the money. Not like I had a lot coming in at the moment. Waitressing most of the time barely covered my bills. The tips were never the greatest.
But for now, it worked for me.
The schedule, the place, the people.
Especially the people.
I didn’t want something with high pressure—I had enough issues with the pressure I kept putting on myself half the time. And after the internship from Hell, I’d decided to stay with what I knew made me happiest.
The familiar chatter in the kitchen grew louder, making me smile to myself as I got to work.
“Order up...” I called while taking a seat in the kitchen. Jimmy had a small table set up off to the side where we ate and stayed out of the way of everyone around us.
A couple hours later, I was even more tired, if that were possible, my feet were killing me in my sneakers, and the caffeine was definitely starting to wear off, despite the refill I’d poured myself over an hour before. Probably because I’d only managed a few sips here and there.
I was hoping for a major lull so I could bail early. Jimmy would probably let me go home if I asked.
I stacked the latest plates from the counter onto the tray then took them to the back, setting them up for the next load in the dishwasher.
“Abbie...” Jimmy called out.
“Yeah, Jimmy?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“Game’s almost over.”
I heard the apology in his voice.
