Page 12 of Trophy
“When can you start?”
“Tomorrow. Or whenever you need me to.”
“Okay. Tomorrow’s good. It’s the early shift I need covered, so you’ll have to be here by six.”
She was so excited about getting a job that she only cringed slightly at the thought of getting up so early. “No problem.”
“Hey, Chelle,” Trey called out.
The redheaded waitress she’d seen yesterday walked over, looking tired and not very friendly. “What do you want?”
“She’s our new girl. Get her a shirt, will you?”
Allison had noticed that all the waitresses wore a dark blue golf shirt withDora’s Caféappliquéd on the pocket. She wouldn’t normally be caught dead in a shirt like that, but she gratefully accepted the one Chelle handed her.
The other woman didn’t smile. Maybe she’d warm up once she got to know her.
“You better wear more comfortable shoes,” Chelle said, glancing down at Allison’s little heels.
“I will. Thank you.”
Trey made a snuffling sound. He smelled like grease and smoke, which wasn’t a pleasant combination, but Allison was so relieved she didn’t even notice much. “Come back this afternoon,” he said. “You’ll need to fill out an application, and I’ll need your proof of identity and all the legal junk. But don’t come until two. We’re too busy before then.”
“I’ll be here at two. Thank you.”
Allison stopped at the small grocery store in town before she headed home. Since it was still just after ten, as soon as she got home she looked online for directions on how to fix a toilet. For the next two hours she followed them step by step, having to restart several times.
But finally she managed to change the flapper and stop the toilet from running all the time—so that made two victories for the day.
The next morning Rob walked into Dora’s, hoping to see Allison.
He ate at Dora’s almost every morning—and also several nights a week—so it wasn’t strange for him to be here.
It was strange for him to be so excited about it, though.
His whole body clenched a little when he saw Allison in the far corner, pouring coffee for the elderly couple who sat in that same booth every morning.
Allison wore the normal Dora’s shirt, but it looked different on her. She’d somehow made the shapeless shirt fit so it showed off her luscious body. She wore it with black cropped pants and flat shoes. He took a moment to admire her deliciously rounded ass before he realized he couldn’t just stand in the doorway and leer at her.
He took his normal seat at the counter, accepting the coffee Trey brought over for him.
“Thanks for that,” Rob murmured, nodding over toward Allison.
Trey gave him his typical scowl. “You owe me now.”
“I only owe you if she doesn’t work out. Otherwise we’re even. She seems okay, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Trey said begrudgingly. “She was on time, and she’s been nice to the customers. She’s only been here thirty minutes, though.”
The cook called out something, so Trey had to go back to see what the issue was. Rob sipped his coffee until Allison came over to him.
She was smiling, and he was immediately drawn to what he could sense was soft and vulnerable beneath her polished appearance. “So it worked out, then?” he asked, stating the obvious so he could have something to say.
“Yes. Thank you so much.” She tucked a brown curl back behind her ear.
He waved a hand, brushing off her thanks. He liked to be needed—particularly by someone as beautiful as her—but he didn’t like to be thanked excessively. “So how is it so far?”
“So far, so good,” she said. “Of course, I haven’t been here long, and it hasn’t gotten crowded yet.”
