CURT POV
After asking a couple of questions, Trudy gave me the job. I start tomorrow. Since I needed a full-time schedule, I am both the busboy and part-time cook. Tomorrow the cook will be training me. On days that the cook has off, I will fill in. All other days, I bus.
I get in my car and pull out my phone. I send a text to both dad and granddad informing them that I found a job. I'm still a depressed mess, but at least I will be earning my own paycheck.
I put my old beat-up car in reverse. As I look behind me to see if it is safe to pull out, I see Shelby. Her hood is up, and she is sitting next to her car with her head in her hands. I immediately act on instinct. I park and jump out.
"Shelby, hey, you okay," I ask after I jog across the little parking lot.
She nods but doesn't lift her head. I crouch my body down next to her and place my hand on her trembling shoulder. She
CURT POV"Crap, I'm sorry, man," I say, throwing away another burnt burger."It's alright, man. It was your first day. It took a while for me to get the hang of it as well. Trudy just locked up the front, so it's time for the nighttime clean-up," Mark says while clasping my shoulder with one of his dinner plate-like hands. He moves to the end of the kitchen and opens what appears to be a supply closet. He pulls out a broom, a mop, and some spray bottles. He passes me the broom with a smirk. "I trust you know how to use this," Mark says with a chuckle. "Har har," I say, snatching the broom from his hand.I begin to sweep as his booming laugh fills the tiny space. I can't help the large smile that takes over my face. Today has been eventful, and if it weren't for Mark, I would have burned Trudy's Diner to the ground.I definitely have a lot to learn about operating a commercial ov
CURT POVI do prefer busing to cooking, definitely. Busing is easy. You are the invisible person in the diner. You pop in when needed, and then you pop out. The only negative about busing is I make less an hour than I do when I am cooking. But getting to stare at Shelby when I don't have any tables to clean makes up for the pay decrease.I do not know how I didn't notice her in school. Not only is she beautiful without even trying, but her sweetness also rivals Hailey's. While Leena was always a nice girl, she was also a little whiny. I had noticed it back then, but I overlooked it due to my feelings for her. But Shelby, there isn't a whiny bone in her body. The girl is a worker.She doesn't take breaks, and she makes each customer feel special. She goes above and beyond to provide a positive dining experience even when the customer is less than friendly. Several times I have had to bite my tongue and look away. Either it is a rude customer or a guy just b
CURT POV I don't even remember what I was going to say because walking in our direction is my living, breathing nightmare. Leena. Leena and her child. The child she became pregnant with while cheating on me. I can feel Shelby tense beside me, but I can't rip my eyes off of the harlot. Tuhe harlot that is smiling at me like I haven't spent the past year drunk over her adultery. "Curt, it's so good to see you. I have been hoping I would eventually run into you. What are you up to," Leena asks as she parks her buggy right next to Shelby's "Shopping," I answer while trying to act as if I am unaffected. She nods her head while smiling at me. A smile I used to find irresistible, but now I find it fake. It is nothing like Shelby's. Shelby's smiles hold happiness, Leena's smile screams fake. How did I never notice how she uses her smile to blind me? "I would love to catch up sometime. Maybe w
CURT POVI roll my shoulders and crack my neck as I throw my keys on my kitchen counter. The smile on my face is enormous, and I know it isn't going anywhere for a while. I just expressed myself, and the girl that I like returned my feelings. I get undressed and jump in the shower. I need to wash the diner off of me before Granddad shows up to pick me up. He hasn't relented on his rules which includes him driving me to the meetings to know I am going. I don't mind him driving me. He usually shows up early, and we talk about what is going on in the family. I still haven't spent much time with my family. I feel too ashamed. None of them saw me at my worst, not as Shelby and Grammy did, but I'm still not ready for that step. I want to be at my best before showing my face again. Mostly due to Hailey's pregnancy. I want Dylan and Hailey to see that I am stable enough to be in their child's life. Their next visit should be in a
CURT POV The past few days have been a blur. Shelby and I have spent three full days together. Between working together and riding together, there hasn't been much time apart. Not that I'm complaining. We have really gotten to know each other. I know she loves bacon, books, and schedules. I know she dislikes mint anything, disorganization, and the color purple.She knows I love Naruto, going to church, and watching tv. She also learned that I hate it when my hair gets messed up, that I tend to be quiet in large settings, and my mom is my hero.KNOCK KNOCK Shelby throws her door own looking flustered. "What's wrong," I ask, watching her stuff her hair up in a messy bun. "Somehow, my charger stopped working last night, so my phone died. I only woke up about two minutes ago," Shelby explains with a huge sigh. She grabs her tennis shoes and yanks them on. Aggregation i
SHELBY POV When Curt pulled up in front of the diner to pick me up, my stomach tightened, and my face began to turn pink. I want to keep Curt for myself, but he should also know Lynn is interested in him. I won't blame him if he chooses her over me. I open the door and sit down in his cologne-filled car. Having his smell wrapped around me like a warm blanket helps me relax. The scent of him brings clarity to my mind and helps me focus. "How was work," Curt asks, sounding light and happy. "Very busy and draining. I felt off the whole day since I woke up late; it was weird," I say, shooting him a small smile. The car falls silent, and I begin to fiddle with my fingers. I take in every crack and rigid callous. Lynn's manicured and lotioned hands come flying into my mind. I sigh and clear my throat. Well, here goes. "So something interesting did happen in the kitchen
CURT POV I can't stop smiling. Today has been a mess of emotions, but I am so glad I talked through them instead of numbing them. I faced my fears and my insecurities, and Shelby did as well. I bring our intertwined hands to my lips, and I kiss Shelby's knuckles. Her slight intake of air makes me smile wider and glance over at her. Her eyes are already on me, and her cheeks are rosy but what makes my heart pump faster are her eyes. They are melted chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch all rolled into one. Two sweet pools of sugar that I want to dive into. I clear my throat and look forward. If I had it my way, I would stare into her eyes for hours, but I need to focus on driving. The last thing I want to do is hurt her in an accident caused by me gawking. Colt's conversation with Granddad skirts its way into my mind as I flick on my blinker."So heads up, Colt should be at the track also. He and Granddad said th
SHELBY POV CAUTION CHAPTER I roll my eyes as Ralph says, yet another sexist joke. Today is the fourth day of his training, and I can not be happier. Tomorrow we will be on different shifts; thank the Lord.Usually, I have more patience, but Fridays are one of the hardest days of the week. The diner is super busy in the morning, and the station is super busy at night. I can not wait for the seventh. Working two jobs has been challenging. I made a promising decision when I put in my two-week notice here. Working at the diner full-time should increase my pay by 5-10%. Plus, I am excited to never work with Ralph again. The man gives me the creeps. "Since we only have an hour left, I will let you run the register by yourself. I am going to go ahead and start the cleaning duties. That way, we get out of here right at closing," I say while putting some much-desired distance between myself and Ralph. He eye