Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Derek motioned for me to follow him, and I put a roll of silverware down. I followed him to the office and watched as he stuffed my bags, all my worldly possessions and the tiny safe that represented every dollar I had, my very survival, under a chair. His office was eclectic but welcoming. It certainly seemed to represent his personality. There were pictures of him in different places around the world, all wearing a chef’s coat. A few pictures of him and Ally were around, showing them clearly younger than they currently were, but then also a picture of Ally with who I assumed was her fiancé and baby.
Books lined one wall, and I realized that at least half of them were cookbooks. Every celebrity chef I had ever seen on television or heard about had a couple of books on those shelves, and they sat alongside classics I had read in school or at least had known about. There were also old CDs lining the bottom of the shelves, and I recognized the names of a few heavy metal bands as well as classical composers.
“They should be fine under there,” Derek said. “Like I said, my brothers have keys, but they are only for emergencies. Otherwise, the only person that unlocks this door is me. But if you want me to give you a key for the day so you can access your stuff, I don’t mind. I won’t need to get in there for anything today.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “They will be fine in there. I just want to get back to work.”
“Carry on, then. I’ll be here if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I said, but I could almost sense my voice being far away. I was already disappearing, and the monotonous act of rolling silverware was helping. The sound of the television that Derek flipped on helped too. It was soothing. I tried to unclench my jaw and force myself to relax.
When I rolled enough silverware, I brought the bucket out and stuffed it under the bar where it belonged. Then I went about table checks, making sure they each had what they needed. Ally had arrived at some point and was eyeing me, clearly knowing something was up, but I tried to ignore her.
I couldn’t focus on Ally. I couldn’t focus on Derek. They were distractions, slippery slopes that brought me back to what my mind really wanted to think about and couldn’t.
If Jack could find me, so could my parents.
So could Lincoln.
I shook my head. I couldn’t think about them. Not my parents, not the man they all wanted me to marry, not any of them. I had to double down and focus only on being this new person I was. Being Jodi, the waitress at the King Vineyard. Being peppy and bright and attentive so I brought home higher tips. Being able to put as much of that away as possible, even if it meant I went a little hungry, so I could have a nest egg to survive on if I had to bolt and go somewhere new. The money was so good at the vineyard that I could build up months’ worth of running and hiding time in a few weeks.
I just needed to get through the shift first. Then I could decide if I needed to leave the next day or if I could stay a while. If I laid low enough, maybe Jack would move on, and they would think that I had left already. That was always a possibility.
The looks from Ally didn’t stop, and as customers filed into the restaurant for dinner service, I did my best to block everything else out. I kept the menu in my back pocket but had to pull it out a few times to clarify something at a table. The guests there were clearly used to the waitstaff being able to remember everything off the top of their heads, and I wasn’t doing the greatest on tips. Still, not great on tips in the King restaurant was still decent money, and I tried not to let it get to me as I made it through the shift.
My eyes kept flicking over to the big double doors at the front of the restaurant. Every time it opened, I was sure I would see Jack standing there. Maybe Lincoln would be with him. They would have come for me and dragged me back.
But they never came, and my distraction probably caused a further dent in my earnings. By the end of the night, I was going overboard with the fake smile and bouncy voice to try to recoup the losses, but it was no good. What I had come to think of the character of Jodi the Waitress was not as convincing that day.