Mandi swung her purse onto her shoulder, and swiped her card through the reader attached to the wall, groaning under her breath. These people didn’t understand that an extra half an hour there meant she barely had time to run home and put on her uniform before she was supposed to be at Jimmy’s. She’d cut it close every day this week.
“See you tomorrow,” Brittney called after her.
Mandi managed a quick wave before she dashed out the door. Tomorrow. Friday. Thank God. One more day.
If she were a few minutes late, Jimmy would be cool, but if they were busy, others wouldn’t be. Gina freaked out over anything. At least Judy would be there, and she’d cover for her. Mandi knew it made sense to keep a uniform in her car and change at the office then go straight to Jimmy’s, but she preferred to go home for a short break before switching gears from dealing with data to dealing with diners. And even though most people knew she worked a second job in a restaurant, she hesitated to let them see her in the tacky baggy dress. The less they knew, the better.
Judy had offered to alter the dresses for her early on, when the job at Jimmy’s was supposed to be short-term. After five years, it didn’t seem to matter anymore. Besides, Mandi Evans didn’t ask for favors. With a bobby pin in her mouth, Mandi twisted her hair, then clipped it up and yanked open the back door to Jimmy’s only a few minutes past six. Judy greeted her in the back room.
“Hey, girl. You doing all right? Seems like you’ve been in a rush all week.”
Her voice was full of concern. Pushing sixty, Judy hadn’t lost an ounce of motherly instinct even though her four kids were grown. Mandi had cried on those soft but sturdy shoulders more times than she cared to remember.
“Hi, Judy. I’m fine. It’s been busy.” She lowered her voice. “Anything going on around here?”
She shrugged. “The usual. But . . . I got something to tell you.”
Judy knew Mandi wasn’t interested in anyone’s personal gossip, so when she leaned in close and put a hand on her arm, Mandi turned wide eyes to her.
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“A fine-looking man in a sharp business suit was in for lunch today and asked about you.”
Mandi’s mouth dropped open. The guy from last night? She let her thoughts run a moment, before reining them in. “What’d he want?”
“No idea. He just asked if you were working today. I didn’t know if he was a friend or maybe a lawyer trying to track you down or something like that.”
Mandi stared at her. Oh, no. That hadn’t occurred to her. She’d talked to attorneys a few times, but it’d been a while. First, to sign divorce papers, then at her parents’ insistence, to see about suing the owner of the dog. But it turned out no one wanted the case. The guy had no insurance, no money. The couple who owned the trailer park carried only the bare minimum of insurance, and nothing in the policy about vicious dogs. According to the lawyers, there simply wasn’t any money to get. And as far as she knew, all the bills were taken care of. Unless Aaron was up to something. But if that were the situation, why wouldn’t the guy just say so?
“Do you know who I’m talking about?” Judy asked, a worried frown lining her face.
“Hey, Mandi, you working tonight or what?” Gina hollered as she stepped into the kitchen.
“In a sec,” Mandi yelled back. To Judy she whispered, “Not sure. There was someone like that in last night, but I don’t know him.”
“Well, you keep your eyes open, hon. Anything don’t feel right, you let Jimmy or Carl know, okay?”
Mandi swallowed hard and nodded. “I will.” Pushing back a sense of disappointment along with unease, she grabbed an apron from a hook on the wall, and tied it around her waist, then stepped into the dining room and took her place behind the counter.
Business was steady through eight o’clock, and Mandi tried to stay focused. Still, her nerves were on high alert, and every time the bells at the top of the door jingled, she sucked in her breath, wondering if the mystery man would appear. He didn’t.
As soon as it slowed down, she had Carl make her a fried-egg sandwich, then she took her break at the back booth while Theresa finished her shift. After nine, Mandi would go solo for the rest of the night. Theresa was younger than Mandi by a couple of years, but she was married, and married women got the earlier shifts.
At nine o’clock a heavy-set man with a thick white mustache and a bald head huffed inside carrying a couple of magazines rolled up in one hand. He sat on a stool at the counter.
“Hey, Arnie,” Mandi said as she filled a mug with black coffee then set it in front of the man.
“Howdy, sweets. How’s the purtiest girl in the place doing?”
Mandi’s lips turned down wryly. She was the only girl in the place. “Can’t complain. How are you?” They went through the same routine every night until Arnie had his first cup then settled into reading his magazine or book, or whatever he’d brought to read. She loved that he brought something to do and didn’t expect her to engage in chitchat all night. His presence also gave her a little peace of mind. She figured his sheer bulk served as a deterrent to any riffraff who might be inclined to mess with her.
At nine-fifteen another familiar face walked through the door. He, too, had reading material tucked under his arm. Mandi’s pulse beat faster as she watched him glance around a moment. Then, with a boyish smile on his face, he nodded her direction, and took the booth opposite the counter opening. He’d lost the suit and tie, but still wore a crisp white shirt and dress khakis. And still looked pretty darn hot. Who the hell was he, and what was he doing there?
To buy herself some time, she turned and started a fresh pot of coffee. Arnie swiveled on the stool, then grinned as he jerked his head toward the new customer. “He gets the fresh stuff, huh?”
She tossed him what she hoped was a withering glare, though her cheeks flamed. “Better watch it, mister, or you’ll get yesterday’s sludge. I always save some back for special customers, you know.”
Arnie gave a hearty laugh, and Mandi headed to the dining area.
“What can I get you?” she asked Mystery Man.
“How ’bout a cup of coffee?”
“Sure. Be right back.” Boy, the tips were gonna be great tonight. Not that she expected another over-the-top tip from him. What she really wanted from him was some information.
When she delivered the mug, he had the menu in his hands.
“I could use a little something else,” he drawled.
Mandi’s eyes narrowed. What was that supposed to mean? “Uh-huh,” she said.
“What kind of pie do you have tonight?”
She rattled off the choices, and he nodded as if considering each one. While she waited for his decision, the door clanged opened and a rowdy group of boys crowded in. Within seconds the noise level exploded several decibels. One gave another a shove, and they all tumbled into the large U-shaped booth, laughing and hollering.
Mandi sighed, and sent a scowl their direction. Looked like the weekend was starting early.
“I’ll have cherry. No rush.”
Mandi scribbled it down on her pad, then marched to the large booth. “You guys want to order something?”
“Yeah, we’re ordering. We want something sweet.” They all cackled and whooped.
“Yeah, baby, lotsa sugar,” another one said, a stupid grin on his face.
Mandi glanced back toward the kitchen and saw Carl peeking through the opening.
“Right. Well, you let me know when you’re ready.”
“You can bring us some water for now, sweetheart.”
Mandi shook her head. “I’ll bring water after you order.” That was Jimmy’s rule. No free stuff without a legitimate order. No loitering.
One of the guys stood up, blocking Mandi’s path. “You got some problem, baby? Huh? You think you don’t have to wait on us like everybody else? We said we was gonna order.”
Ugh. The idiot reeked of alcohol, and Mandi took a step back thinking if this were a cartoon, there’d be a cloudburst of foul air hanging between them.
“Have a seat or hit the road,” a deep voice came from behind. Mystery Man jerked his head at Mandi, and she scooted behind him.
He touched her arm as she slipped past and when she looked up, she saw concern in his eyes. Jeez, how embarrassing. Moving on, she nearly ran into Carl. Right behind Carl stood Arnie. Well, fine. Her heroes could take care of the situation.
From her perch behind the counter, Mandi watched the scene play out. Her rescuers were an incongruous team, but it was obvious from their stance they meant business. Mandi took the opportunity to study Mystery Man. He looked every bit as good from the back as he did in front. Broad shoulders tapered to a slim waist, and tanned muscular forearms were visible below the rolled-up shirt sleeves. His creased slacks fell perfectly from his hips to within an inch of the floor.
The boys’ bravado failed quickly, and the show was over in only a few minutes. When they’d left, and the men had all resumed their places, Mandi slid a piece of cherry pie onto the table in front of Mystery Man.
“On the house,” she said. And then, because she couldn’t stand the suspense any longer, she blurted out, “Hey, were you in for lunch today?”
He sat back, intelligent blue eyes leveled at her. “I was. Guess Judy mentioned that, huh?”
“Yeah, she did.” With her hands on her hips, Mandi glanced down, chewing her lip. When her eyes met his again, she said, “Okay, who are you? Is there some reason you’re looking for me?”
To her surprise, he extended his hand, and grinned up at her. “Hello, Mandi. I’m Lane Whitmore. Pleased to meet you.”
She put her hand in his, and warm, strong fingers curled around hers. It was more like holding hands than a handshake. Mandi couldn’t remember the last time she’d simply touched a man’s hand.
Lane lifted his brows. “And you are . . .?”
Flustered, Mandi withdrew her hand. “Oh. Uh, Mandi Evans. Nice to meet you, too. So, what brings you around here, Lane Whitmore?”
He nodded toward the window. “I’m staying at the hotel across the street.”
“Just visiting?”
“Getting to know the area.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“City wants to do some work in the community, and they’re looking for ideas from urban planners. That’s what I am, so that’s why I’m here.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. So it had nothing to do with her, after all. Good. Of course he still hadn’t said why he’d asked about her this afternoon but she decided not to press the issue. “You know, the city’s tried to redo this area before,” she told him. “Didn’t work.”
The guy sat up straighter, his eyes becoming more intense. “I know. This time they’re going about it differently. Maybe you could help. I need to talk to people around here and see what the needs are. Could I ask you some questions?”
He was just looking for people to talk to? She glanced toward the kitchen. Good thing Gina wasn’t around. She’d be counting the seconds Mandi spent at a single table. “I doubt I could help. Listen, I better get back to work. I’ll bring more coffee.” She started to leave, then turned back. “Thanks for your help earlier. With those guys.”
“No problem. Hey, Mandi? I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but I’m gonna say it anyway . . . what’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?”
Mandi took a deep breath and looked toward the window. “Working,” she mumbled. Quickly, she moved away from him, blinking back the unexpected tears that threatened. And I’m not a nice girl.