Chapter Two - A Night of Her Own

By the time I pulled into the driveway, the excitement from the evening had started to wear off. The house was dark except for the faint blue glow of the television spilling through the living room window. I sat in the car for a moment, keys still in the ignition, staring at the front door.

Home.

I grabbed my bag and knife set from the passenger seat and let myself inside, doing my best not to make too much noise. The familiar smell hit me almost immediately. Stale food, cigarette smoke, cats, and something I couldn’t quite place. The television was still on, playing to an audience of one.

Mom was asleep on the couch.

I paused in the doorway, looking at her for a moment before quietly setting my things down. There were dishes in the sink, a half-empty bottle of wine on the coffee table, and a pile of laundry that had been sitting for who knows how long.

I sighed and started gathering the dishes. It was almost 1am at this point, but some things never change. From upstairs, I could hear a door slam.

“Of course, he’s home and probably drunk off his ass again,” I muttered under my breath.

I stacked the last of the dishes beside the sink and turned on the faucet, trying to keep the noise down. I wasn’t particularly interested in announcing my arrival to the entire house, especially not tonight.

A few seconds later, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Curtis appeared, one hand gripping the railing. His hair was a mess, his shirt wrinkled, and his eyes were barely focused on anything in particular. “You’re home late,” he grumbled.

I glanced at the clock on the microwave. “It’s barely past midnight. I had to take a coworker home.”

He shrugged, making his way toward the kitchen. “Just saying.” He opened the refrigerator, stared inside for a few seconds, then shut it without taking anything. “There’s nothing to eat.”

“There’s food in there, you just have to actually make something. And don’t wake up mom.”

He gave me a look before reaching past me for a glass. I moved out of his way, more of a habit than anything else. I knew better than to turn every little comment into an argument. Some nights it wasn’t worth it. Other nights, apparently, I forgot that.

“Did she eat today?” I asked, nodding toward the living room.

He didn’t answer.

I looked past him at mom, still asleep on the couch. The TV flickered across her face and I reached for the remote to lower the volume.

“Don’t wake her,” Curtis muttered.

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

He took his glass and headed back toward the stairs, leaving me standing beside the sink. “Goodnight, Sky.” I watched him disappear upstairs.

For a moment, I just stood there, listening to the television and the faucet. Then I turned it off. I finished putting the dishes away, checked the front door twice, and made sure mom had a blanket pulled over her before finally heading upstairs myself.

My bedroom was the only place in the house that remotely felt like mine. It wasn’t much, but at least I could close the door and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist for a little while.

I dropped my bag beside the dresser and kicked off my shoes. My phone lit up on the bed. For a second, I wondered if it was Adrian.

It wasn’t.

I tossed the phone onto the comforter and started changing out of my work clothes.

Whatever this turns out to be with Adrian, it’ll be a good distraction, I thought to myself. Regardless, God knows I could use one and it’ll be fun while it lasts.

I finished getting ready for bed and crawled beneath the covers, welcoming the brief silence that came with closing my bedroom door. Tomorrow would be another shift, another round of kitchen chaos, and probably another day of pretending I have my life more together than I actually do. I plugged my phone in, rolled onto my side and let my eyes fall shut. For once, I didn’t feel like thinking about tomorrow.

The next morning, my alarm went off entirely too early. I groaned, reaching blindly across the nightstand until I managed to silence it. I grabbed my loaded pipe, taking a long drag as I considered calling in sick. The thought was tempting, but rent didn’t pay itself and unfortunately, neither did my bills. 14hr shift here we go…

I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom, barely awake enough to function. By the time I was dressed, I’d managed to convince myself that an energy drink could fix just about anything. I grabbed my bag, checked that I had my keys and headed downstairs. The house was already awake, although not necessarily in the way I’d hoped.

Curtis was in the kitchen, his lanky figure leaning against the counter with the refrigerator door hanging open. “Morning,” I mumbled, moving in front of him to grab a can of Monster from the fridge. He didn’t acknowledge me.

Mother was awake this time when I peered towards the couch. A lit cigarette in hand and a coffee cup that smelled strongly of whiskey. “Have a good day, Mom.”

I was met with a disgruntled mumble of something incoherent in response, and just like that I was out the door.

The drive to work was quiet, which was exactly how I preferred my mornings. I turned the radio up, took the long way through a few familiar streets as I sipped my energy drink. Gotta wake up before having to deal with people…

At the last red light before Josie’s, my phone buzzed in the cup holder. I glanced at the screen.

Mia: You doing anything tonight? It’s fri-YAY!

I tapped out a response when the light turned green, then waited until I was parked outside the restaurant to send it.

Me: Depends…what’s up?

Her reply came almost immediately.

Mia: There’s a car meet…a bunch of the old crew is going. You should come with us.

I smiled a little, rereading the message. It had been a while since I’d gone to one. Between work and everything happening at home, I’d gotten pretty good at finding excuses to stay in. Maybe getting out of the house for a few hours wouldn’t be the worst idea. Besides, it wasn’t like I had anything better planned.

Me: Okay, what time? I’m pulling a double today.

Mia: Text me when you’re off and I’ll drop the address.

I locked my phone, grabbed my back and knife set from the passenger seat. At least I have something to look forward to today.

The next several hours passed in a blur of prep work, lunch orders, and the occasional complaint from the front of house. By the time the lunch rush finally died down, my feet were already starting to protest. I checked the clock above the pass.

12:47 p.m.

Only a few more hours until the closing crew came in. Then another few hours after that until I could finally go home. I leaned against the counter, taking a much-needed drink of water from a deli.

“You’re looking rough.”

I glanced over at one of my coworkers, who was busy wiping down her station.

“That’s because I’ve been here since this morning.”

“Nobody told you to pick up a double.”

“Nobody told me to be financially responsible either, but here we are.”

She laughed, tossing the rag into the laundry bin.

“Assuming I survive the next almost ten hours,” I joked.

“Don’t be dramatic.”

I gave her a look. “Have you met me?”

She shook her head, laughing as she headed toward the back. The afternoon dragged on, but eventually the dinner crew started trickling in. One by one, the kitchen filled back up with familiar faces and the usual noise. I was restocking my station when I caught sight of Adrian walking through the back door.

He tossed his bag onto the shelf and glanced around the kitchen before his eyes landed on me. “Well, well. Somebody’s been here a while.”

I didn’t bother looking up from what I was doing. “Unfortunately.”

“Miss me?” He pulled his apron over his head and stood there in silence for a few moments when I refused to acknowledge that comment. “Good to see you too, hot stuff.”

I shook my head, biting my lips so as to not smile. “You’re awfully chipper for someone who’s just starting their shift.”

“Maybe I just enjoy seeing you.”

“Maybe you should get a hobby.”

“Working on it.”

“Work harder.”

“I’m working hard on something, that’s for sure.” He gave me a quick wink before heading towards his station.

I rolled my eyes and went back to work. The dinner rush was considerably busier than lunch, which meant there wasn’t much time for conversation. Orders kept coming in, tickets piled up, and the kitchen staff moved at its usual frantic pace. At some point, Adrian ended up beside me while we were both waiting on the next round of tickets.

“How much longer are you stuck here?”

I glanced at him. “Until close…why?”

“Just curious.”

“Well, aren’t you nosy?”

He shrugged. “You always this nice after working a double?”

“Only when people ask stupid questions.”

He chucked, reaching for a clean towel. “Got plans tonight?”

I paused for half a second. “Actually, yeah. I’m meeting some of the old crew at a car meet.”

His eyebrows lifted. “A car meet?”

“That’s generally what they’re called.”

“Funny.”

“Thank you, I try.”

He leaned against the counter, looking mildly amused.

“Didn’t peg you for the car meet type.”

I turned toward him, giving him a look. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just didn’t know you were into that.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Adrian.”

He held my gaze for a moment, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Guess I’ll have to change that.”

Before I could come up with a response, another ticket printed, and we were both pulled back into the controlled chaos of service.

By the time closing finally rolled around, I was running almost entirely on caffeine and spite. We finished cleaning our stations, put away the remaining food, and made sure everything was ready for the morning crew. I untied my apron and hung it up, stretching my shoulders.

“Are you still going out tonight?” Adrian asked as he grabbed his bag.

“That’s the plan.”

“After being here all day?”

“Believe it or not, I have a life outside this place.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

I tossed my towel at him. He caught it, laughing.

“You’re welcome to come back tomorrow and watch me do it all over again.”

We headed out through the back together, the cool night air feeling especially good after spending the entire day in a hot kitchen. The moon was out, making me realize the only sun I saw today was during my commute to the pizzeria.

Adrian glanced toward the parking lot. “Mind giving me a ride?”

I looked at him. “Is your car still not ready? It’s been months.”

“Nope. Apparently, my mechanic enjoys keeping me humble.”

“You need a new mechanic. Come on, I’m heading that way anyway.”

He followed me to my car, tossing his bag into the back before climbing into the passenger seat.

The familiar sound of the engine starting filled the silence as I pulled out of the parking lot.

“So,” he said, reaching for the radio. “What kind of trouble are you getting into tonight?”

“Car meet. I literally just told you.”

“I know, I know. I mean… I’m asking what happens after.”

“Probably look at cars, take pictures of cars, hang out with friends. Possible felony speeds and allegedly racing. Normal car people activities.”

“Racing?!” He exclaimed.

“Allegedly,” I corrected.

“Sounds exciting.”

“You’re welcome to be jealous.”

He laughed, settling bacon into his seat. “Maybe I am.”

We spent the rest of the drive talking about random things, occasionally arguing over the music playing through the speakers. It was easy, the same way it had been during our other rides home. There was something about being in the car that made conversation feel less forced. Neither of us had to worry about the next ticket printing or someone needing something from us.

When I finally pulled outside his apartment, he unbuckled his seat belt but didn’t immediately get out. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Don’t mention it.”

He reached for his bag, then looked back at me. “Have fun tonight, hot stuff.”

I couldn’t help the smile that played on my lips and began to shake my head. “Try not to miss me too much.”

“No promises.” Those two words left a fuzzy growing feeling in my chest.

He shut the door, giving me a small wave before heading inside. I waited until he disappeared through the entrance before pulling away. For the first time all day, I was officially off the clock. And I had a feeling I was going to need it.

By the time I got home, I had just enough energy left to change out of my work clothes and freshen up. I traded my restaurant uniform for a pair of black skinny jeans, a leather crop top and my favorite leather jacket. I put my hair back and grabbed my camera bag. As I took a few puffs from my pipe, my phone buzzed.

Crew (River): We’re here. WYA?

Me: Leaving now. Save me a spot.

Crew (Tiffany): For your boat? No promises LOL

I grabbed my keys and headed downstairs. The driver over was enough to shake off the exhaustion from the day. I turned the music on, rolled the windows down, and let the cool night air fill the car.

When I arrived, I could already hear the distant rumble of engines and music coming from the parking lot. Cars were lined up throughout the lot, groups of people gathered around open hoods, and headlights illuminated the pavement. A few familiar faces stood near the entrance, laughing and talking as people continued pulling in. I spotted my old friends immediately. It was hard to miss the purple underglow of Mia’s Mazda RX-7, the missing headlight from River’s Honda Civic, and the unmistakable carbon-fiber on the hood of Tiffany’s Nissan 350Z.

“There’s Sky!” One of them called, waving me over. I parked nearby and climbed out, grabbing my camera out of the bag on the passenger seat.

“Look who decided to show up,” River retorted.

“After the day I’ve had, you should be grateful I showed up at all.”

The three of them laughed, pulling me into a quick hug. “Come on, you have to see what’s here tonight.”

And just like that, the exhaustion from the restaurant started to fade.

I followed them through the rows of cars, stopping every few feet to admire something or take a picture. There were builds I’d seen before and a few new ones that immediately caught my attention. Someone had a clean older Japanese import parked near the back, while a couple of muscle cars sat closer to the entrance.

I pulled my camera up, adjusting the settings before taking a few shots. This is more like it…

No tickets printing. No orders waiting. No one asking me where something was or why I hadn’t finished a prep list. No rowdy brother. No drunk confrontations. No feeling lonely in a house full of people. Just cars, good music, and people who were just as happy to spend their Friday night standing around in a parking lot as I was.

For a little while, I didn’t have to think about anything else. And honestly, that was exactly what I needed.