Chapter 3: Evie

3

EVIE

A biker. Irene was friends with a biker. A beautiful biker with piercing blue eyes and a killer smile, but that wasn't the point. I was already rattled by the couple who got into an argument with each other during the middle of the lunch rush. The way he grabbed her arm and started yelling in her face was very similar to the way Muzzle manhandled and yelled at me. Irene assured me things like that rarely happened, but I couldn't shake the anxiety they had caused. So, when Irene's biker friend walked in, it took everything I had not to freak out and run away screaming. Instead, I tried to maintain my composure and draw as little attention to myself as possible while telling myself he would eventually leave. I just had to wait him out. But he didn't leave. By the time the dinner rush was over, he'd already been there for hours and showed no signs of going anywhere.

"Can I get you anything else?" I asked.

"More coffee, please."

I picked up the carafe and refilled his mug. He'd already had multiple cups, and I briefly wondered if he planned on ever sleeping again.

"Thanks," he said and picked up the mug to take a tentative sip. "Hot."

"It usually is," I blurted without thinking. Anticipating his reaction, I tensed and braced myself. "I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Relax," he chuckled. "It's fine."

It wasn't the reaction I expected, but I'd take it. "Let me know if you need anything else." I hurried away and tried to stay busy with the other customers for the rest of the night. Maybe I was being paranoid, but it felt like he was watching me. I didn't want his attention on me, or anyone else's, for that matter.

Finally, it was time to go home. Surprisingly, Edge stayed at the counter while we closed. Then he watched Irene and me walk to our cars before he left.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Irene said and waved goodbye.

"See you tomorrow." The entire way home, I kept wondering if Edge would be at the diner again. What really unnerved me was I wasn't sure if I wanted him to be there or not.

Edge wasn't at the diner the next day. I tried to ignore the slight disappointment I felt at his absence. Thankfully, Marcy showed up for her shift, and I was able to leave at the regular time. I didn't mind working extra, and was grateful for the additional income, but I desperately needed to run a few errands. I hadn't had time to do anything except work since I met Irene.

My first stop was the grocery store. While the trailer was furnished, it was not stocked with groceries. I thought it would be a simple trip to the store, but I found myself frequently looking over my shoulder and darting around corners. By the time I was finished, my heart was pounding, and my hands were shaking. Even though I knew there was only a slim chance of anyone finding me, I couldn't convince myself that I was safe. I felt marginally better when I returned to my little home hidden away on Irene's property.

Three weeks passed before I saw Edge again. By that time, I'd fallen into a routine and was feeling more settled. I worked five or six days a week and picked up extra shifts when I could. On my days off, I took care of my errands and did my laundry. Otherwise, I stayed at home and kept to myself. During my second week in Cedar Valley, I found a discount bookstore and bought a stack of books to help keep myself occupied when I wasn't working. Since I didn't have a television, and the phone I had couldn't play videos, there wasn't much to do when I wasn't working but boredom was much better than the situation I could have been in.

When Edge showed up at the diner again, I spotted him as soon as he came through the door, and my stomach did a little flip at the sight of him. My face was completely healed, but I still felt self-conscious around him. I couldn't figure out why he unnerved me so much, but he did, and I decidedly didn't like it.

"Hey, Evie. How's it going?" he said and took a seat at the counter.

"Good. What can I get you?" I asked, keeping my eyes downcast.

"A cup of coffee for now."

"Coming right up."

"How are your sinuses?" he asked.

I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. "My what?"

"Your sinuses. Looks like you're all healed up from your surgery."

"Oh," I said, suddenly remembering the lie I told him. "So far so good."

"I'm glad you're doing well."

"Thanks. Let me know if you want to order something," I said and got away from him as fast as I could without being too obvious.

I spent the rest of my shift trying to stay busy and act normal, even though I could feel him watching me. Finally, it was time for me to leave, and I was more than ready to go, but Marcy wasn't there.

"Where in the hell is she?" Irene asked as she stared at the clock. "Do you mind staying while I try to get a hold of her?"

"Of course not," I said. Truthfully, I wouldn't have minded at all if Edge wasn't there. To make matters worse, he was the only customer in the diner, so there wasn't much I could do to avoid him.

"How do you like working here?" he asked.

"It's great," I said. I opened my mouth to say more but thought better of it. Engaging him was not something I needed to do.

"Irene's a nice lady. If you're good to her, she'll be good to you," he said.

Irene came back to the front, shaking her head. "She's sick again and forgot to call. The least she could do is try to sound sick. Maybe throw in a fake cough or two."

"Do you want me to cover her shift?" I asked.

"If you want to," she said. "If not, I can always get Bart to help me run plates." Bart worked in the kitchen with Tony. He didn't talk much, but he seemed like an okay guy.

"I can stay."

She smiled. "You're the best."

I smiled in return, though I was jumping up and down on the inside. I cherished every compliment she gave me.

Before long, the dinner crowd had arrived, and I was running around trying to stay on top of my tables. I'd almost forgotten about Edge until he called my name. I turned to him and stopped short when I realized another biker had joined him. "Did you need something?" I managed to ask.

"Yeah. This is my brother, Ink. He needs to place an order to go."

"Sure thing," I said and fumbled for my notepad and pen. "What can I get you?"

He placed an order for two meals, and Edge also ordered something for dinner. Was there a third biker around somewhere? And why were they hanging around Cedar Valley? Irene told me they were from Croftridge, which was a smaller city about thirty minutes away.

I handed Ink his order. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Evie," he said and handed me a fifty-dollar bill. "Keep the change."

My mouth dropped open in shock as I stared at the money in my hand. The change he referred to amounted to well over twenty dollars. When I looked up to thank him, he was already gone.

"I think your friend gave me the wrong bill."

Edge grinned. "No, he didn't."

"Order up," Tony called from the back.

"Please thank him for me," I said to Edge as I placed his meal in front of him.

"Will do," he said and turned his attention to his food.

Once again, he stayed until we were ready to leave for the night. As he watched us walk to our cars, I wanted to ask Irene why he was there. It was none of my business, but there had to be a reason he was hanging out at the diner for hours at a time.

The next day, he came in shortly after breakfast and was still there when I finished my shift. He didn't talk as much, but he was polite when he did. There were so many things I wanted to ask him, and even more that I wanted to ask Irene about him, but I didn't. It was better to keep my distance.

I waved goodbye before I left, not knowing that was the last time I would see him for months.