The next eight or so hours were a blur. Though she couldn't let on Jillian met several people again for the first time. There was Max and Penny. Max was a tall, skinny, grizzled looking guy, bald as an egg with tattoos up and down his forearms. He cooked most of the food, ably backed up by a stout black woman named Tisha. Penny, a wannabe hippy soccer mom, ran the register and the waitresses, which, just as she had feared, included Jillian. Jillian even had her own little retro style apron with the name "Jill" embroidered over the left breast. Claire, a senior when Jillian had been a freshman, was a single mom and the only other waitress on duty. There was also Luis, a short Hispanic fireplug of indeterminate age, who was both the busboy and the dishwasher.
When Jillian walked in she was greeted with a wan smile from Claire and the words, "Hope you enjoyed your Friday night off. Probably your last one for awhile. Lexi just quit this morning."
"Oh, okay," Jillian said woodenly, not much interested, just trying to size up everything as quickly as she could.
"You're not even surprised?" Claire's eyebrows went up, "Did she say something to you?"
"What? No - - no, uh, I'm just not feeling that great," Jillian shrugged and tried to look sick.
"I was wondering what with your hair and that skirt you got on," Claire nodded and Jillian really looked at the skirt for the first time. It was some kind of pink and black camouflage thing. Claire continued, "Better cover it up as much as you can with your apron and do up a ponytail. Here comes Penny."
Jillian took the proffered hair tie and headed for the back. Penny intercepted her on the way and Jillian tried to worm her way out of working today. She shouldn't have even bothered. With Lexi quitting Penny didn't even care about Jillian's weird skirt choice. And so it went.
By the end of her shift Jillian was footsore, embarrassed by the number of times she had dropped a plate or spilled a drink, bored with guys young and old trying to flirt with her, and royally pissed off about the shitty quality of the tips being left at her tables. Twice guys had tried to get her number and twice guys had been refused. Of course, twice twice guys had left their numbers on two of the best tips she made all day, a fiver and a ten.
Only once had she decided to keep one of the numbers, much to her own surprise. The number belonged to Chase Conrad of all people, the social climber who wouldn't stop staring at her at the impromptu beer party last night. True, Chase didn't know that she had kept it, but then Jillian didn't know why she had kept it herself.
"What are you doing here?" Jillian gave Chase a disdainful look.
"I live in Southshore. You know I eat here all the time," the captain of the basketball team returning her look with one of his own, very casual, "Though this IS the first time you've ever decided to wait on my table."
"It's not my choice. Lexi quit. This is her section," Jillian took her order pad in hand and got the pen from behind her ear, "You gonna order or what?"
"Gimme two eggs over easy, hashbrowns extra crispy, toast on white and a cup of coffee, black," Chase rattle off with a practiced air.
She didn't have to talk with him much after that, though it wasn't for lack of Chase trying. He offered up some witty observations about the "Brew Crew" last night and Jillian couldn't help smiling once or twice. She wasn't surprised when he asked for her number, but it was still a new and disconcerting experience for the newly minted Jillian. She had brusquely refused and walked away, very flustered when Chase pointed out that she was blushing.
The next time she did the rounds of her tables he was gone, money for his food on the table along with a fiver, his number written across Honest Abe's ugly face. It was dusk outside now and the night shift waitresses had arrived. Claire and Jillian headed back to the tiny locker room to stow their aprons.
"So," Claire turned to Jillian, "You said you needed a ride. I have to get the kiddo from my sister's place, but I could drop you off afterward. Or were you just going to call one of your friends?"
Jillian quickly ran through her options. Moose could do it, but he was completely out. She was afraid of what might happen if she let him drive her back to an empty house. Sarah had a car and she might do it, but she lived in the wealthy Pinewood Heights area on the opposite side of Lake Farson. Karyn was allowed to borrow her mom's car sometimes, but did she even know Jillian in this weird new reality? Chase had pulled up in a dark blue four door and she obviously had his number, but that might not turn out any better than a ride home from Mike. She knew who she would like to call, but they didn't have a way to get around - - or did they? An idea started to bloom.
Jillian turned to Claire with a smile, "A ride home would be really nice. Thank you so much!"
