"You got your grandparents to agree to watch your mom?" Keri's mouth hung open in disbelief.
Actually, I promised that my mom would help my grandparents out around the house while I was at work. Basically, they had a lot of chores that required an able body and my mom had plenty of time on her idle hands, so I was pawning her off as free labor.
As far as I was concerned, it was a good exchange. My mom wasn't very happy about the arrangement, and my grandparents were on the fence about the whole thing, but we'd run out of options.
"Mom!" Joey stabs a chubby finger at the picture on his menu. "I want a hotdog!"
"Are you sure buddy?" Keri asks. "Because this morning you said you wanted grilled cheese."
"I'm sure," Joey shakes his mop top of brown hair. "I want a hotdog."
Keri rolls her eyes up at me hovering over the counter with my notepad poised and ready.
"He'll have a hotdog," she tells me.
"You got it, dude!" I give them a thumb's up. "What about you Keri?"
"Turkey sandwich, no mayo, please," Keri rattles off her usual.
"Hey, Mike!" I hoot over my shoulder.
"Yeah?" He appears in the kitchen window to wink playfully at Joey.
"This one wants a sleepy-bird sandwich, high and dry," I call out. "And this one's having a bun puppy with fried potatoes."
"Comin' right up!" Mike lumbers away while Keri and Joey giggle at our little routine.
"Hey, can I use your laptop tomorrow?" I ask when their laughter dies down. "My teacher emailed me some information I need to download and print out."
"You mean, Will?" Keri wags her eyebrows suggestively.
"I meant, Mr. Benedict," I nod. "So, yes."
"Oh, come on, Moira!" Keri scowls and sticks out her tongue. "Hotty-Mc-Hotpants is emailing you, and asking you to call him by his first name, and you're still not hot for teacher?"
"That's right," I grab the coffee pot to walk around the mostly-empty diner.
I rarely hid anything from Keri, but this felt different.
She knew all about my arrangement with Mr. Benedict so that I could finish school (not to mention, Keri knew all about my mom's ongoing sobriety struggles), but for whatever reason, I wanted to protect my budding friendship with Mr. Benedict.
"How are classes going for you, Keri?" I ask when I return to my station behind the counter and return the empty coffee carafe to the machine.
"No hot teachers, sadly," she shrugs despondently from her stool. "But I got an A-minus on my last math test."
"What?" I squawk and rush around the counter to give her the biggest hug. "That's amazing! Congratulations!"
"Thanks for helping me study," Keri snuggles into my embrace as Joey jumps into our happy pile. "Oof! And Joey is going to start Karate classes with Markus after Thanksgiving."
"Wow!" I squeak when we almost topple over. "That's great buddy!"
"Order up!" Mike shouts and smiles at our mess of legs and arms through the window in the kitchen.
I untangle myself and go back to work with the biggest smile.
It's been hard to get time with Keri since I started watching my mom like a hawk, so these little catchup sessions at the diner are the best we can do for now.
After my shift, I took the bus to my grandparent's house and picked up my mom.
Apparently, it had been a rough day for everyone.
Agnes and Otis somehow looked even older after several hours with their daughter, and my mom complained bitterly the whole way home.
I let her vent while I made us dinner. Then, I got her settled in front of the TV so I could work on my remaining homework for English class.
I was already ahead in my assignments, but the work was a welcome distraction from my mom's endless complaints and occasional tantrums.
The only problem was that my mind kept drifting to Thursday and Mr. Benedict.
In just two short days I was going to go on some sort of field trip with my teacher. And I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with school.
Every time I pictured his lopsided smile or his boundless blue eyes my insides tingled with excitement. Getting within a few inches of his masculine cologne was utterly mind-melting. Will's classic good looks, pensive charm, and well-toned physique didn't hurt either.
It was getting harder and harder to ignore my hopeless crush on the man.
Unfortunately, Wednesday didn't seem to go any smoother for my mom or my grandparents.
I couldn't seem to convince my mom of how much Agnes and Otis were doing for us, and I had no idea how long their cautious hospitality would last. The entire arrangement was temporary, at best.
By my shift at the diner on Thursday, I was a nervous wreck, and not just because I was about to go on a mystery field trip to Seattle with my hunky teacher.
My mom and my grandparents strained relationship was worsening by the hour, and tonight, she had to sleep over at their house.
I was wandering in a zombie-like trance from table to table, wiping down the shiny surfaces and worrying to myself, when a hand darted out of a booth to catch my forearm.
"Jesus," Rory's self-satisfied voice remarks. "You look tired!"
"Rude," I scrunched my nose up in disgust and yanked out of his grip.
"Late night?" Rory smirks as his eyes roam my body in a way that makes my stomach twist.
"Can I get you anything, sir?" I ask curtly.
I don't want to give him a reason to stay, but technically if he's sitting in the dining room, I have to serve him.
"I'll just have some coffee, ma'am," Rory replies.
"Great," I spin around to escape.
"Hold on," Rory's hand catches my wrist again and squeezes. "I want to talk to you, Moira."
"I don't have time to chat at work," I try and pull away but his grip cinches tighter.
"Please?" His off-kilter smile sent a shiver down my spine.
"Let go of my wrist, Rory," I warn in a low voice.
We've got the attention of a few customers and my skin is burning with embarrassed anger at the scene he's causing.
"I just want to explain," Rory insists as he relaxes his fingers for me to take a step back.
"There's nothing to explain," I hiss.
"Everything alright over here?" Mike appears at my side to tower over Rory in his booth.
"Yup," I answer. "I was just leaving to get this customer some coffee."
"Do you need me to refuse service?" Mike insists, eyeing Rory.
"Nope," I give them a wan smile.
Mike and I walk back to the counter and I get Rory a cup of lukewarm coffee.
"Bianca is my fiancé," Rory is talking fast when I set the mug down in front of him. "But we had a big fight."
"I don't care," I shrug and turn away.
I can't get sucked into a conversation with Rory and his rich-kid problems.
Unfortunately, he stuck around for the rest of my shift trying to give me excuse after excuse. I only had to listen in between refills of his coffee, but it was annoying as hell.
After clocking out of work I called my grandparents from the back office of the diner to check in.
From what I could gather, my mom had locked herself in their guest room after dinner. I know she resented having to stay with her parents while I went out for the night, but I couldn't trust her home alone.
Then I slipped into the employee bathroom to change into a simple white bodysuit under a soft flannel shirt and jeans because Will said to dress casually.
Just the thought of his name sent a surge of nervous energy into my belly. So, I checked my reflection in the tiny bathroom mirror before rushing out to wait for Mr. Benedict.
"Moira," Mike stopped chopping to stare on my way through the kitchen, "You look beautiful. Oh, and that fancy guy is back, and he's asking for you."
I straighten up to my tip toes to give Mike a peck on the cheek while trying not to smile like a total idiot.