Chapter 6

At the end of the evening shift, Camille said goodbye to the last customer and locked the diner’s front door. A minute later, the new waitress, Beatrice, smashed a plate for the fifth time that day.

“Damn it.” Tears spilled from her eyes. “I can’t do anything right. I know you all are tired of my mess.”

“Relax.” Camille rushed over to help sweep the shattered pieces up. “Don’t worry. No one’s born to be a waitress. Plus, it’s your first day. Things happen.”

“I suck at this,” Beatrice said. “John is probably going to fire me.”

"He won’t. He needs you just as much as I do.” With the broom, Camille swept pieces into a pile. “Just keep trying, and you’ll get it right. This isn’t calculus. You get the swing of it once you do it more and more.”

“God, I hope so.” Beatrice took over and gathered up the pile with her broom and dustpan.

Exhausted, John limped over to us. “No one is firing you, sweetie.”

Beatrice blushed.

“Take it from Ms. Big Stuff, who earned a huge tip today.” John dropped down in an empty booth.

“Well over two hundred dollars over the total. What did you do over there, Camille? You must tell me.”

“Nothing but the usual.” She set the broom against the wall. “Perhaps they were feeling charitable.”

“I bet they were.”

John rolled up the sleeves of his shirt for the fifth time this evening, then rolled up one leg of his trousers. And then he pulled off his prosthetic leg, it was his tradition at closing time.

He placed the prosthetic leg beside the table. Camille was already used to seeing John without so she didn't give any profound reaction but Beatrice looked a little unnerved. John was a veteran in the army forces and had lost his leg to a brutal bomb blast.

John whistled. “I still can’t believe that group gave you so much.”

“Me either.”

“They usually don’t leave a big tip. But when the new guy came, they did.” John grinned. “Therefore, he must have the hots for you.”

“I bet he has the hots for lots of women.” Camille sat down across from her. “I bet he also sleeps with many women too.”

Beatrice wiped her tears away. “Yeah. All of them look like they have to fight off women. Maybe instead of waitressing, I can join their gang and become one of those chicks that follow bikers around.”

“They don’t look like they’re accepting female applications.” Shrugging, she dragged herself up from the booth.

John laughed. “Well, you need to see if that guy has an opening for something else.”

“He’s trouble. And just like carbs, I’m avoiding trouble too.”

“You and these fad diets.” He waved her comment away. “There’s nothing wrong with carbs and definitely nothing wrong with a good sexy man. Trouble or not.”

Camille laughed. “Okay, people. I’m exhausted. I did double shifts and will barely be able to walk home. See you tomorrow.”

John waved her comment away. “I’ll take you home, sweetie.”

“No. I need the exercise.”

“You’ve been running around all day—”

“And sipping on milkshakes all day too.”

“Whatever. Just make sure you get some rest,” John called after her. “And stop working yourself so hard or you’ll look worse than me when you get old.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She left through the diner’s back door and raised her head. Cool air hit her skin. A crescent moon hovered in the night sky, glowing among glittering stars. Already, she felt relaxed and ready to make the trek home. And then Camille looked forward and gasped.

Mr. Dark and Dangerous stood in front of her.

Where the hell had he come out from?

He towered over her and her breath caught in her throat.

“Sorry.” He frowned. “Don’t be scared, Camille.”

“Why are you back here?”

After hesitating for a few seconds, he said, “I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because. . .” For such a big muscular man, he looked out of place and nervous. It was adorable and creepy at the same time. He cleared his throat. “Again, I’m sorry. My name is Maddox by the way.”

“O-kay.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No. At the diner, I eat a whole lot throughout the day.”

“Would you like to go somewhere for coffee?”

“I plan on going straight to sleep.”

“Then, wine or a ride to your place.” Maddox gestured out in the parking lot. “I only see two cars, and neither is yours.”

I leaned my head to the side. “How would you know that?”

“Because they don’t smell like you. . .” He cursed under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to—”

“Look. You’re. . .good-looking, but I’m not interested.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

He grinned.

She placed her hands on her hips. “However, I don’t plan on dating anybody either.”

The smug look remained on his face, dripping in confidence.

“Good,” he said. “I wasn’t interested in dating, sex, or even marriage. I only wanted to talk to you and. . .be around you for a few minutes.”

“Listen. I know you gave me a big tip, but that doesn’t mean you’ve purchased anything.”

“Of course not. Like I said, I just wanted to be around you for a little bit.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You should.” He curved those full lips into a smile.

“When I lie, my nose wiggles. It’s the most foolish thing in the world, but it’s the truth. I can’t stop it.”

“Sure it does.”

“I’ll show you.” He stared at me. “You’re ugly.”

Maddox's nose wiggled making Camille to giggle. It was a strange thing that his nose wiggled but it was also funny as hell.

“I hate being around you.” His nose wiggled again.

“I wish I’d never seen you.” That time his nose didn’t wiggle. It remained unmoving.

Shocked, she said, “That wasn’t a lie. You really do wish you never saw me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because then I wouldn’t be outside of your job like a maniac, just wanting to make sure you get home safely.”

Her heart warmed. It was so ridiculous, sge couldn't help but feel attracted to him. It wasn’t just that he was a handsome guy. He also had a nervousness about him.

It was in the way he confessed things so easily and all his weird hesitations like he wasn’t used to being around women.

That couldn’t be right. What was Mr Dark and Dangerous up to?