Chapter Two
Shelby came out from the back to see the table with the men gone and Liv cleaning up the table. She couldn’t believe how disappointed she was. She enjoyed talking to the man, and usually, men scared her.
She rushed over and started stacking plates. “Did they pay for the food?”
Liv nodded. “Yeah, but there was no tip. You must have screwed up again.”
Shelby’s shoulders sagged. Even though she tried so hard, she still didn’t make people happy. She’d been looking for another job, but since she didn’t have a car, she had to walk to and from her apartment. The job would have to be close by, and jobs around this area were hard to find.
Until she found one, she’d make do with what she had.
It felt like the longer she stayed in this area, the deeper she got, and it would make it harder to pack up and leave. It wasn’t that she was putting down roots or making friends she’d be sad to leave. She was only afraid she’d get stuck in the same day-to-day grind and not be able to move forward.
While she’d been saving for months, she didn’t have enough for a bus ticket and a down payment on another apartment. She also couldn’t go until she found a job in the area she landed, and she hadn’t decided where she wanted to go yet. It was a vicious circle, but she didn’t have any other choices.
That day, Shelby walked home more tired than usual. It had to do with the neighbors who had just moved in above her. They fought all the time. It didn’t matter if it was three in the morning.
What was worse, when they made up, she could hear the bed creaking as they had sex, and that seemed to last for a long time. She didn’t know people could do it that long.
After walking into her little apartment, she turned, locked the door, and pushed the dresser in front of it. That little bit of safety was necessary if she was to get any sleep at all.
The people upstairs were silent for the time being, so Shelby decided to shower and try to get some rest. She’d eat when they woke her up later.
The next morning, she looked at herself in the mirror and groaned. The skin under her eyes looked bruised, and her face was pale. If she didn’t know she looked so bad from lack of sleep, she would have thought she’d been sick.
She got ready and made herself eat a piece of toast and some juice. When she had to use the heel of the bread because it was the only piece left, she sighed. All she had to drink was a juice box, and it was definitely not enough to quench her thirst. She’d have to find the energy to go to the grocery store after work.
When she got to the café, she hung her jacket up and pulled on her apron.
“Hey, you look horrible,” Benny, the cook and owner, said.
She snorted. “Thanks.” She liked Benny. He was old enough to be her grandfather and had a gruff attitude, but he’d always been nice to her.
“The upstairs neighbors again?” he asked.
“Yeah. The manager of the building won’t do anything about it.”
“People are lazy nowadays. That’s why I appreciate you so much. You’re always here early, stay late, and work your tail off while you’re here.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. I’ll go make coffee.”
The morning was just starting to slow down when she turned to see the three guys were back in the same booth. She glanced around and saw Mindy headed her way.
“Hey, table six is yours.”
“Can you get someone else to do it?” Shelby asked.
“Nope. They asked for you.”
“Oh.” Now, why would they do that if they were displeased by her service?
She walked over, stood in front of them, and stared down at her pad. “What can I get you to drink?”
When they didn’t speak, she peeked up through her lashes to find all three staring at her, so she lowered her eyes again. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked.
“I don’t like talking to the top of your head, honey. Look at me.”
Her gaze flew to his, and right away, he scowled. She took a step back. “I’ll get you another waitress…”