007

SERVING THE ENEMY

~CHELSEA~

{Playlist Suggestions: "You Should See Me in a Crown" by Billie Eilish}

I set the drinks down with practiced exactness, not spilling a drop despite the tremor in my hands. "Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?"

Valerie barely glanced at the menu. "What's the least greasy thing you serve here?"

"The salads are fresh," I said, keeping my voice professional. "The chef salad is popular."

"Do you use organic produce?" she asked, examining her perfect manicure.

"We use whatever Rusty gets from the supplier."

She pursed her lips. "I'll have a house salad, dressing on the side. No croutons, no cheese, no tomatoes."

"So... lettuce?" I couldn't help myself.

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes. Just lettuce. And cucumber if it's not too... common."

I wrote it down, biting the inside of my cheek. "And for you?" I turned to Kade.

He was watching me with that worrisome intensity. "What do you recommend?"

Something about the question felt loaded. Like he wasn't just asking about food.

"The burger's decent," I said.

"Then I'll have that. Medium rare."

I nodded and turned to leave, but Valerie's voice stopped me.

"I have a question about the water." She held up her glass, examining it like it might contain visible parasites. "Are you sure it's filtered?"

"It comes from the tap, like I said."

"But surely you do something to it before serving?"

I forced a smile. "Yes. We put it in a glass."

Kade made a sound that might have been a laugh, quickly disguised as a cough. Valerie shot him a look.

"I'm just concerned about my health," she said, voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Some of us can't afford to be careless."

The preference was clear. Some of us….meaning people like her and Kade….were worth more protection than others. People like me.

"I'll get your orders in," I said, turning away before she could see how her words had landed.

At the kitchen counter, I slapped the order down harder than necessary.

"Whoa," Rusty said, eyebrows raised. "What's got you fired up?"

"Nothing," I muttered. "Table six needs a house salad, lettuce only, and a medium rare burger."

Rusty glanced over my shoulder at the table. "That's Valerie Prescott. Her daddy's on the board at Crawford Elite."

"Of course he is," I said. "Is there anyone in this town who isn't connected to that place?"

"Not anyone with money," Rusty replied, placing the order ticket on the wheel. "You want me to take over that table?"

The offer was tempting. But something stubborn in me refused to give Valerie the satisfaction.

"I've got it," I said.

I kept my distance from table six, checking on my other customers and refilling coffee cups. But I couldn't help watching the dynamic between Kade and Valerie from the corner of my eye.

She kept touching him – his arm, his hand, once even brushing hair from his forehead. Each time, he would subtly shift away, but she didn't seem to notice. Or didn't care.

"Order up!" Rusty called.

I loaded the plates onto my tray. Valerie's sad little pile of lettuce with dressing in a small plastic cup. Kade's burger, perfectly cooked and still sizzling, with a side of crisp fries.

As I approached, I caught the tail end of their conversation.

"… can't believe you're still hung up on that," Valerie was saying. "The scholarship would be guaranteed. Daddy already spoke to Coach."

"I told you, I don't need help," Kade replied, voice tight. "My knee will heal, and I'll earn it on my own."

"But why make things harder than they need to be? That's what connections are for."

I set the plates down with perhaps more force than necessary. "House salad, dressing on the side. And the burger, medium rare."

Valerie looked at her plate with thinly veiled disgust. "Is this really all you have for lettuce? It looks... wilted."

It wasn't wilted. It was perfectly fine lettuce. But nothing would satisfy her.

"I can take it back if you'd like something else," I offered, knowing she'd find fault with anything I brought.

"No," she sighed dramatically. "I suppose this will have to do."

Kade had already picked up his burger. "This looks great, thanks."

I nodded stiffly and started to turn away.

"Oh, Chelsea?" Valerie called after me. "Could I get some more water? Preferably from a bottle if you have it?"

"We don't….”

"I need to use the restroom," she announced, cutting me off. She stood, smoothing her dress. "Don't eat all my lettuce while I'm gone, Kade." She laughed like it was the funniest joke ever told.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kade set down his burger. "I'm sorry about her."

"Why?" I kept my voice neutral. "She's exactly what I expected."

His eyes blinked with something – annoyance, maybe. "She's not always like this."

"No, I'm sure she's usually much worse." I started to clean the neighboring table, refusing to look at him. "You two make a perfect couple."

"We're not a couple," he said quickly. "Not anymore. She's just..." He trailed off.

"Rich? Entitled? Mean?" I supplied. "Sounds like your type."

He leaned forward. "You don't know my type."

Something in his voice made me look up. The intensity in his eyes caught me off guard.

"Let me guess," I said, trying to regain my footing. "Blonde? Trust fund? Country club membership?"

"You're deflecting," he said quietly. "You still haven't used the money."

I froze. "This isn't the place to discuss that."

"When is the place? You're avoiding me at school."

"Because I'm working," I hissed. "That's what people like me do. We work. We don't have time for whatever game you're playing."

"It's not a game, Chelsea." My name on his lips sounded different somehow. Softer. "Your brother needs that treatment. Pride won't pay medical bills."

The mention of Chase made my chest tighten. "Don't talk about my brother. You don't know anything about him."

"I know he's been in the hospital three times in the last six months. I know the experimental treatment his doctor recommended isn't covered by insurance. I know you're killing yourself working three jobs trying to make ends meet."

I stared at him, shocked. "How….”

"I told you. I was worried."

"You were investigating me," I corrected. "There's a difference."

"Fine," he gave in. "I was investigating you. Because you intrigued me. Because you were the first person at that school who didn't care who I was. Who looked at me and saw..." He trailed off.

"What?" I asked against my better judgment. "What did I see?"

"Just a spoiled rich kid," he said with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe you're right."

Something about his expression made me pause. There was a vulnerability there I hadn't expected. A crack in the perfect facade.

"Take the money, Chelsea," he said quietly. "Not for me. For Chase."

The mention of my brother's name on his lips felt intimate in a way I wasn't prepared for. I looked away.

"Why do you care?" I asked. "What's in it for you?"

Before he could answer, a familiar voice cut through the moment.

"Is there a problem here?" Valerie asked, her smile sharp as glass. Her hand slid possessively over Kade's shoulder, but her eyes were fixed on my face with unmistakable warning.