Spiderweb

Chapter 7 - Secret Teller

Matthias consumed my thoughts when I arrived at Tick-Tock to start my evening shift. His face, his voice, his curls, and especially his body stayed on my mind ever since he disappeared in the blink of an eye from my apartment window. Was he somewhere safe? More importantly...was I ever going to see him again?

I had stopped by a convenience store on my way to work and bought him a prepaid phone. If we saw each other again, I wanted to be able to stay in touch with him. I just hoped Matthias knew how to text. What's really funny is that I didn't think twice about spending more money on him.

Walking through the front doors of the diner, I took a moment to stomp my boots on the carpet. Heavy snow started to fall, sticking to the roads and sidewalk just like last night. Jack had shoveled the front walkway and salted it for safety, but at this rate of snowfall, he'd be back outside in the cold very soon.

Courtney leaned against the host podium, snapping her gum and talking on her cell phone. We made eye contact and I gave her a friendly smile. She returned the gesture while she twirled a finger around her long, blonde locks.

Miss Emma was pretty strict about using personal phones during work, so I approached the podium to give an important warning to my co-worker. Since Courtney had been working at Tick-Tock for less than a month, the newbie was still learning the ropes.

While she was still talking, I spoke in a hushed voice. "Don't let Miss Emma catch you on the phone or else she'll confiscate it."

Courtney's eyes opened a bit wider. Miss Emma reminded me of a teacher who confiscates students' phones if they use them during class.

"Yeah, she did it to me once. Took my phone because I was using it while I was waiting for a large order. She actually put it in the office and told me I could have it back when I took my break."

Courtney's voice quieted considerably before she pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Really?" She whispered.

I nodded, and she turned her body to peek around the corner toward the kitchen. My eyes followed hers and I didn't see Miss Emma anywhere in the vicinity. Courtney looked back at me with a wary expression.

"Thanks, Leah. I'll try to be careful."

"No problem," I said as I walked away toward the back of the diner to get ready for my shift.

It wasn't long until the sexy German vampire known as Matthias invaded my thoughts again. An hour dragged on as I served customers, but he was always in the front of my mind. If he was still in the city, I hoped he would be smart enough to keep a low profile. There was still another vampire out there who wanted him dead. His best bet would be to leave altogether; get as far away from here as he could.

As I waited to pick up an order, an unexpected realization hit me. I really didn't want Matthias to leave. I meant what I said to him about wanting to be friends. He didn't have a single friend and if anyone needed one right now, it was him. Was he drifting from place to place to stay on the run? I was eager to know more about him. Not to mention, I wanted to know more about Pure Borns. Were they a special species of vampire? How many existed in the world besides Matthias?

Other servers passed by me as I stood at the kitchen counter. Jack and Miss Emma were busy on the grill and fryers. The sounds of pots, pans, and customer chatter filled my ears. As I let myself brood over Matthias, the sounds around me drowned out until all I could hear was a quiet hum. I felt like my head was stuck in a cloud. My mind wandered while I bit my fingernails. My eyes were transfixed on one random spot: a round coffee stain on the off-white countertop.

What does Matthias do every night?

Someone banged something loudly against the countertop and the noise brought me out of my trance. After blinking fast and shaking my head to clear the fuzziness, I saw Miss Emma holding a big spoon in her hand. She wore her espresso-brown hair pressed straight and tied into a bun.