- An Unexpected Invite

It’s Friday. Most normal people would wake up and be happy because it is the end of the work week. Not for this girl. I groan as my alarm starts blaring beside me. It takes me three tries to shut the damn thing off. Finally, I yank the plug out of the wall and the noise stops. It was a late night at the diner after some high schoolers came in and decided to have a food fight. They were sneaky little bastards, being quiet, so they would not get caught. By the time I made my way over to them with their ticket, it had looked like a war zone. I don’t think any of them actually ate. I made them pay and then kicked them out. Lucky for me, Bobby offered to help me clean it up once his kitchen was in order. We were finally locking up by two in the morning.

Since it is Friday, the diner stays open until the wee hours of the morning, so the bar patrons can come in for their greasy food cravings. I offered to take Beth’s night shift so she could go out on a date with Erik, a guy she met on one of those dating sites. I think that’s what his name is; maybe it is Eli or Eddie. It’s something that starts with an E, anyway. She has been going on about needing to get laid for the last few weeks, so I’m crossing my fingers and hopefully Eli, or whoever, will help the poor girl out. Either way, I am working a double shift at the diner, and I have a few houses to clean beforehand.

It is barely even light outside, but I know that if I don’t get up now and shower, I won’t have time for my two cups of coffee. Believe me, nobody wants to deal with Aria Kramer without her second cup of Joe! Dragging myself out of bed, I’m like a zombie as I walk over to my dresser for clothes. I live alone, so I can technically walk around naked if I wanted to, but I always keep the thermostat at sixty degrees to help save on the bill. I have tried getting out of the shower and walking to my room without any clothes on. By the time I get to my room I can cut glass with my nipples, and I hate being cold like that.

I reach in to turn the shower on, but nothing comes out. “Great. Just fucking great!” I turn toward the sink and turn those nobs and still nothing. “Seriously? Can I not get a stinking break, already?” I shout up at the ceiling, not really knowing who I am yelling at. I know I paid my bill, which means the POS Manager isn’t doing his job. The profanity running through my head right now would make the devil himself blush. I guess it’s foolish to ask for just one thing to go my way. This right here is another example as to why I don’t depend on anyone else.

“Well, a whore’s bath it is then!” I say aloud as I grab the package of flushable wipes. Throwing my hair up into a messy bun, I pull a few wipes out and start washing my body down. Since I have a little extra time by not showering, I will use that extra time to hunt down the Manager and demand that he fixes the plumbing problem by tonight. Not that he will listen, but I can try anyway.

I pour myself a cup of coffee and go back to throw on some mascara and a little lip gloss. There is absolutely no sense in piling on makeup just to clean and serve food. I will sweat it off anyway. Looking at my reflection, I admit that one of the things I have going for me is that I have flawless skin. My skin coloring has just enough pigment to look like I tan, but it’s all natural. Then there are my eyes. I have never really seen an eye color like my own; they are a blue-violet color. The wavy, raven locks and long, dark lashes that I have, make my eyes stand out more. I’ve tried changing my hair color, but nothing else looks good on me. Although, I did try a purple in my hair when I was eighteen, and I really liked that one. Probably because it matched the violet in my eyes, but that phase didn’t last long.

Rushing out the door, not watching where I’m going, I slam into someone walking by my door. “Oh! I am so sorry!” I glance up, and for once, luck is on my side. The Manager is glaring at me, but I completely ignore the look. “Mr. Sanders! I was just coming to look for you.”

“Oh really?” He salaciously licks his lips while looks me up and down, “What can I do for you this morning, Miss Kramer?”

‘Ew…gross, dude’ I think to myself. I put a fake smile on and address the issue, “Mr. Sanders, I was not able to shower this morning due to not having water.” I know what he is about to say, so I quickly continue, “I am caught up on all my bills, so I know that this is an in-house problem. If you could please have the plumbing checked out, and hopefully working by tonight, I would be so grateful.” I give him just a little bit of a flirtatious smile to sweeten the pot.

A pink tinge creeps into his face and he smiles, “Of course, Miss Kramer. I will look into it right away. I am so sorry for any inconvenience.” He takes a slight step toward me, “If it makes you feel any better, you still look ravishing this morning.”

As his eyes start to roam down my body once again, I turn around and rush down the hall, “You are too kind, Mr. Sanders. Thank you!” I don’t slow down until I’m outside the apartment complex. I take a moment to shudder and be grossed out before I rush off to the bus stop. I make it there with no time to spare. Hurrying up the steps, I make my way to my usual seat. When I glance out the window, I see the same guy as I saw last time; the one I thought could have been Knox. My heart saddens a bit again for the loss of that friendship, but I soon put it out of my mind since there is nothing that I can do about it.

The rest of my morning goes pretty well, until I get to my last cleaning job at the Morrison’s. I use the code that they gave me to get in through the back door as usual. With my ear buds in and my music blaring, I walk over to the utility closet and pull out the cleaning cart with everything that I will need to get the job done. I feel like I should work at a hotel or something. It’s not like I can take the cart up the stairs, so it is kind of pointless if you ask me. None of my other houses have a cart; they have baskets with handles, and different compartments for each item, and it is so much easier to handle, but whatever.

I always start with the upstairs and work my way down because I find it a little easier. Alicia Keys’ song, Girl on Fire, starts playing in my ears, and I bob my head to it while I’m looking the supplies over to make sure nothing needs restocking. Once I’m sure that all is stocked, I make my way through the kitchen. Just as I turn the corner to the living room, the chorus starts and I can’t help but belt out the lyrics, “THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE…”

Never have I ever screamed as loud as I do now, while jumping back and knocking the whole cleaning cart over. The house is supposed to be empty, but apparently the owners must have forgotten that I come in on Fridays. I’m sure they weren’t expecting me to find Mrs. Morrison to be bent over the couch with Mr. Morrison thrusting his hips behind her.

“Oh, my God!” I cover my eyes with my hand, “I am so sorry! I didn’t hear…shit!” I don’t even know what to say. I pull my ear buds out right away. My heart is pounding a mile a minute and I am so freaking embarrassed.

“It’s quite alright,” I hear Mrs. Morrison pants, “We completely lost track of time, didn’t we honey?”

I pull my hand away and glance over at the couple, but they’re still naked, so I quickly look away. “Um, I will just go ahead and start upstairs then.” What else am I supposed to say?

“You got some lungs on you, Aria.” Mr. Morrison chuckles, “You scared the shit out of us!” He is still just standing there, as naked as the day he was born, and obviously not caring.

“I apo-apologize for scaring you.” I stutter as I make my way toward the staircase.

Mrs. Morrison giggles, “No worries, sweetie.” She clears her throat, “Uh, would you like to join us?”

Her offer blows me away. What the hell? Who were these people? How do I even answer that question? Think Aria, think! They are nice people, and I really need to keep this job, but there is no way I’m joining whatever it is they want me to join.

I smile without looking over at them, “Uh, thanks for asking, but I better get my work done. I have a busy day ahead of me.” I grab the items I need for upstairs and start up the steps as normal as I can.

“Oh, that’s okay dear. Maybe another time, then.” Mrs. Morrison responds. I can hear the disappointment in her voice, but I really do not care. Yuck. How do I get this whole incident out of my head? All I see is Mr. Morrison’s ass moving back and forth before he jumps at my voice. I do chuckle a bit remembering the part where he jumps back with his arm flailing out. Not gonna lie though, Mr. Morrison has a very nice backside.

- Service With A Smile

After the morning I had, keeping my mind off the disturbing images that are now permanently in my head, is actually not so hard while working the diner. The lunch hour rush was a doozie and now we are heading into the dinner rush. My co-workers got a good laugh at my disastrous morning, and every so often they break out to the Girl on Fire chorus. Why I thought it was a clever idea to tell Patrick and Patty about it is beyond me. I definitely won’t be making that mistake when Bobby comes on shift.

“Table nine’s order is up!” Patrick yells from behind the counter.

That’s me. I grab a tray and load the four plates on top of it. When I get to the table, I carefully unload the tray. I almost wear the last plate of mac and cheese when the toddler tries standing up on the bench and hits the tray. Luckily, I have been waitressing for years and can handle an out-of-control tray. It doesn’t make me any less annoyed, though. I just put on a smile, and say, “It’s okay, kids will be kids,” rub their head and walk away, hoping they do not see me grimace as soon as I turn around.

I notice another table in my section has two new customers, so I quickly fill a couple of glasses with ice water and grab some menus. As I near the table, I notice the occupants are a couple of guys. The closer I get, the more I notice how good-looking they both are. Both look to be my age or a little older. The guy on my left has dark hair that is cut and styled into one of those faux hawks. He’s got a piercing in his right eyebrow, and when he turns his head towards me, I notice a ring in his left lower lip. The spider web tattoo that stretches from the top of his neck down to below his shirt’s neckline is a little creepy, but sexy at the same time. He's got dark gray eyes, and they are staring straight at me. The guy is extremely attractive in a dark and sexy sort of way but looks scary as hell.

His friend on my right looks way more approachable. I roll my eyes at his man bun, but as I get to the table, I see that it actually works for him. This guy is gorgeous! I can tell that he’s a bit taller than his friend, and where Mr. Faux Hawk is dark, Mr. Man Bun is light with his sandy blonde hair, that’s shaved from the middle of his head, all the way down; keeping the top long enough for said bun. His caramel-colored eyes light up when he sees me approach their table.

“Well, hello, beautiful!” Man Bun says as he smiles.

I’m sure I am blushing just a tad bit, “Hi. I’m Aria, and I will be your server. Can I get you guys something to drink?” I look between the two as I set down the water glasses and menus.

“Are you on the menu?” Faux Hawk surprises me with his question. I glance his way, and I think I just wet my panties. Mr. Dark and Sexy just cranked up the heat with his smile.

Smiling, I pull out my order pad, “Sorry, I…” I’m cut off by Man Bun.

“Come on, man. This is a diner. They don’t sell that kind of delicacy here.” The gorgeous guy rakes his eyes down my body.

I don’t know why, but when Mr. Sanders did that to me this morning, it made me want to vomit. Mr. Man Bun just used a cheesy line and checked me out, but all I want to do now is go take a cold shower. Weird. I already turned down one threesome today, but I don’t think I would turn one down if these two are involved.

‘Damn…down girl!’ I lecture myself.

I finally get their drink and food orders and I hurry away to the back. I toss the ticket to Patrick as I zoom past him, “I’m headed to the restroom!” I call over my shoulder.

The restroom door slams shut behind me, and I turn the lock, barricading myself in. With my back against the door, I slide down until I’m sitting on the floor. “Holy hell!” I gasp aloud. I can feel my nether regions tingle just thinking about the two guys. This has never happened before. Sitting on the floor, I pull myself together before I try standing back up. Icy water is what I need, so I walk over and turn the faucet on, splashing the cool water over my cheeks and forehead. Once I feel cooled down enough, I shut the water off and reach over, tearing the paper towels from the dispenser.

I take a deep breath as I look at my reflection in the big oval mirror over the sink, “You got this, Aria. They are only people.” I sigh, “Hot people, but still people. Maybe you should finally loose that cherry of yours, so you don’t get all hot and bothered whenever you see a hot guy.” Giggling at my own actions, I toss the damp paper towels into the garbage, take a deep breath, and head back to the front.

Patrick raises a brow at me as I walk past him, but he doesn’t say anything, and neither do I. Checking on table nine to make sure they are not needing anything, I quickly glance over at the guys. Thankfully, they seem to be in a deep conversation, so they don’t see me looking at them. It isn’t until I’m bringing their orders out to their table that my pulse starts to race once more. I put on a smile as I approach, receiving big smiles back from both men.

“Fettuccine Alfredo for you,” I place the warm plate in front of Man Bun, and then turn to Faux Hawk, “and our famous Club sandwich and house fries for you.” I manage to set both plates down without my hands shaking, “Can I get you gentlemen anything else at the moment?” I glance back and forth between the two, waiting for a response; a smile still plastered to my face.

Man Bun looks me up and down before responding, “Not at the moment.” He winks at me, making me blush before looking over at his friend. All Faux Hawk does is smirk at me, but it feels like he is trying to convey something that I’m just not understanding.

“Okay then, enjoy! I’ll check back in after a bit.” I turn and quickly take my leave.

The guys stay all through the rush hour, but never ask for anything else. I continue refilling their glasses the whole time they are here, and I keep catching them watching me at times when I am helping other customers. Now that I can breathe, I glance back over to their table and see that they are gone. ‘Great, they dined and dashed!’ I think to myself because I never brought them their ticket. I head over to the now empty table to start clearing. When I lift Man Bun’s plate, there is a folded napkin underneath it. Just thinking it is a dirty napkin, I swipe it up. Money falls back to the table, and when I look down, my eyes widen in disbelief. There are three crisp one-hundred-dollar bills staring back at me. My mouth just hangs open. I look at the napkin in my hand to make sure there isn’t anything else, not that I am being greedy, but I don’t want to throw away money if there is more. Unfolding the napkin, I see writing, so I carefully flatten out the napkin so I can read what it says.

'Thank you for the wonderful service you provided.

We look forward to you serving us in the future!'

M & J

My eyes go back and forth between the note and the money. I am completely speechless. Not quite knowing what I’m supposed to do in this situation, I head to the kitchen to talk to my boss. After grilling me about my earlier actions, Patrick finally smiles and tells me to pay their ticket off and pocket the rest as my tip. I’m so grateful to these two strangers. Their tip just made up for the tips I lost at the bar. My eyes begin to sting, but I hold in the tears. I guess there are good people out there after all.

An hour before closing time, a couple of women walk in all dressed up. I grab water and menus and head over to their table. They don’t seem drunk, but they must have been at some kind of function that serves alcohol, because I can smell the sweet scent of wine, a Moscato perhaps. Their clothing is also a little too sophisticated for a night out at a bar. Both are women are too wrapped up in their conversation to notice me standing here, but I don’t want to interrupt them, either. I’m not trying to listen in on their private conversation, but I can’t help catching a few words like, new girls, auction, great night, and lastly, rich men. My curiosity has now been aroused, but all of a sudden, they notice me standing here.

“Just fresh coffee please and keep it coming.” One of the women smiles up at me.

“Same here.” The other woman says, as she looks me up and down with interest.

“Two fresh coffees coming right up.” I smile and leave the two to continue with their conversation.

I have always prided myself in minding my own business, but for some reason, the words I heard come out of the women’s mouth really interest me. It takes a lot for me to keep away and give them their privacy. It is only when it’s fifteen minutes to closing, that I go over and start to wipe down the tables near the one that the women are occupying. Disappointment washes over me as I hear them talking about fashion. Oh well, that’s what I get for trying to be nosey.

I am wiping down the table right beside them when they decide that it’s time to leave. I glance over at them and thank them for stopping in, after I see them hold up cash and then lay it on the table. I catch the one that was looking me up and down when they first came in doing it once more, making me feel just a bit self-conscious, but then she walks over to me and holds up a business card.

“If you are ever in need of extra cash, call me.” She winks and then places the card on the table right in front of me.

“Thank you.” It’s all I can think to say to the woman as confusion sets in.

I watch them as they walk out of the diner. The same woman who gave me the card glances through the window at me once more before they both disappear from sight. Picking up the card, I examine both front and back. The only writing on it is a woman’s name and phone number. ‘Hmm, that’s weird.’ I think to myself and then shrug, sliding the card into the back pocket of my jeans.

- An Admirer

Of all the days for it to rain, it had to pick my only day off. I usually work at the diner on Sundays, but Patrick closed it down for the day, due to the flu hitting three of the five workers at the diner, himself included. As much as I need the money, the time off is much needed, as well. I have been running myself rugged and need a little reprieve. I allow myself to sleep in until ten in the morning, and then I drag myself out of bed just to sit in front of the television for a few hours, drinking coffee and eating Cocoa Puffs out of the box.

By one o’clock the rain has slowed to a drizzle, and I make the decision to visit my mom. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Dr. Hildreth will have a day off. Just once I would like to visit my mother without him accosting me about taking her off life support. I am so thankful that Mr. Sanders fixed the plumbing by the time I got home early Saturday morning. I make quick work washing my body and hair. I do spare a few minutes to shave my legs and lady bits, which were really needing it, after not doing it in over a week. Once I’m done, I dry myself off and step out to lotion up and get dressed. Applying only a little mascara and lip gloss, I throw my mass of wavy hair into a high ponytail and call it good. Looking in the full-length mirror to make sure I at least look put together enough, I grab my jacket and leave my tiny apartment, locking my door behind me.

Jogging to the bus stop, I am relieved to see that there is only one other person waiting for the bus, so I am able to duck into the small seating area to get out of the drizzle. The other occupant sitting on the bench is an elderly woman with a cane. She smiles up at me as I enter and pats the seat beside her without saying anything. Smiling back, I take the offered seat and we sit there in silence until the bus arrives. The woman struggles a little to stand up, so I gently help her to stand, and we make our way to the bus. I stand behind her while she climbs the steps, just in case she needs more help, but she’s able to get herself up into the bus and into one of the front seats. As I pass her to head back to my usual seat, she catches my wrist, drawing my attention down to her.

“Thank you for all your help, dear. You are too kind.” She smiles sadly, “I wish there were more people like you in this world.”

I pat her frail hand and smile back, “You’re welcome.” I’m not used to people showing me gratitude, so I don’t really know what else to say. The woman nods and releases my wrist, letting me continue to the back of the bus.

Aside from the normal beeping coming from the machines, all is quiet as I step off the elevator onto the floor that my mother’s hospital room is on. The desk nurse looks up and gives me a warm smile as I pass. I return the smile and keep going. If there are any concerns with my mom then she would have stopped me and went over whatever it is, so I’m relieved that she did not call me over. The whole staff knows my feelings on letting my mom go, so most regard me with sympathy and smile, while a few others think I’m being selfish, and they try to avoid me as much as possible.

Being only five foot three inches tall, I have to stand on my tippy toes to look through the window on the door, to make sure no one else is in the room with my mother. I do not like disturbing the doctors or nurses when they are in doing their rounds. Slowly pushing the door open, I creep inside the room as though my mom is only sleeping, and I do not want to wake her. It has been a habit of mine ever since she was admitted here. I walk over to the chair that I always sit in and bring it to her bedside. Just as I’m about to sit down, I notice a bouquet of flowers on her nightstand. I reach over and remove the card from its holder so I can see who they are from. I am the only one that has ever brought flowers to my mom. My forehead creases as I read the card…

You are missed!

My thoughts and prayers

are with you!

‘Who could have sent this?’ I think to myself. “Do you have an admirer, mom?” I ask her jokingly.

It doesn’t matter. It makes me happy knowing that there is someone out there that is thinking of my mother. A warm feeling comes over me at the thought, and I look down at my hands absently, as I twirl the piece of twine around my finger. Not knowing why I’m choosing this moment to think of Knox, but it helps to give me peace and calms the little bit of anxiety from not knowing who sent my mom the flowers. That’s what Knox always did for me. He calmed me when I needed it and brought peace when there was chaos. I really wish that he were still in my life. I could use his presence during these dark times.

Placing the card back in its holder, I sit back and begin to recount everything that has happened since I last visited. Laughing as I give a play by play of the fiasco at the Morrison’s house on Friday. It’s laughable now but horrifying at the time it took place. I know mom would find it amusing and I hope that she can hear me and is laughing on the inside. I let my laugh fizzle away when reality starts rushing in.

I grab her soft hand and bring it to my lips to kiss, “Oh, mom, it’s so hard. I need you so much. Please, please wake up soon!” A single tear rolls down my cheek, “I’m not going to lie, mama, I’m scared. I feel all alone, no matter how many people I’m around each day, it doesn’t chase away the loneliness inside.” I swipe the tear off my face, “I don’t know how much I can go on like this. I am wearing myself out, so you need to wake up. Do you hear me? It's not time for you to go, and I won’t give up on you!” The last breaks me, and the flood gates open. I sit there for a while just letting it all out, until there is nothing left.

The sky is beginning to darken, so I look at the time. Not realizing how long I have been sitting here, I give my mom back her hand and stand up, stretching the kinks out of my muscles. Putting the chair back into its place, I lean in and kiss my mom goodbye. I sneak out the same way I sneak in, very quietly. The same nurse is at the front desk, so I stop to inquire about the flowers. Unfortunately, a flower shop delivered them, so there is no way of knowing who sent them. Sighing, I head to the elevator and hit the down button.

It has been two days since the diner has been shut down, and I just received a text from Patrick that we will be closed tomorrow as well. Apparently, it’s a really bad virus, and now Beth has it too. I am beginning to freak out because I need that pay that I’m missing out on. I guess I can go on social media and put an ad up that I am looking for housekeeping work, but that isn’t reliable. I check my bank account on the mobile app and feel my stomach drop. There is less than two hundred in my account and rent is due next week, along with my electric and water bill. The tip money I got from Man Bun and Faux Hawk went straight to the hospital bill. Losing the job at the bar was irresponsible of me! I do not know what I’m going to do!

I toss my phone on the couch and grab the dirty laundry, “Pretty soon I’ll have to wash these by hand because I’ll need the money.” I mumble aloud. I make sure I have my house key and then head downstairs to the basement where the laundry room is. I hate coming down here because it is so creepy. A single bulb that hangs down from the middle of the ceiling is the only lighting. It’s not even an LED one, at least those are a little brighter than the cheap ones the manager uses. Trying to hurry so I can get out of here, I throw all my clothes in one of the machines and insert the coins. Just as I’m about to start it, I remember that I didn’t empty out my pockets. Frustration runs through me as I rummage through every item of clothing. The only thing I find is an empty gum wrapper, which is weird because I don’t even remember the last time I chewed gum, and the business card the customer from the diner gave to me. Shutting the machine door once more, I start it and then sprint all the way upstairs, and to think that I have to go back down there two more times.