Hyper Lynx (The Lynx Series Book 6) by Fiona Quinn (ebook reader for pc and android TXT) 📗

“Seriously?” I whispered. “Thank you. I’ll find a way to sneak this out.”

“If he catches you, you’ll get fired.”

“Okay.” I glanced around. “But I could take them to the restroom with me and eat in the stall before I go. Then he’d never know.”

She gave me a nod as Jim banged his spatula on the pickup bell. “Order’s up.”

“I’ll cover for you. Go on and eat.”

I carried the containers to the bathroom and flushed them down the toilet, stuffing the Styrofoam boxes deep into the bathroom waste basket.

I was at the sink washing my hands when Destiny came in. “Nicole’s here.”

I lifted my brow.

“She’s another server. The one who takes over your shift. I told her you were in the bathroom, so she’s started on your customers. You're going to lose those tips, but it was just Grover, and he always leaves a dollar no matter his bill.”

“A dollar’s a dollar.”

“Where are you staying?” she asked.

Since she didn’t move to use the facilities or wash her hands, I assumed this was the reason she’d come into the bathroom.

“Me? I was traveling through, and since I just got the job, it’ll be a while before I can afford someplace to stay. Right now, I’m sleeping in my car.”

“I’ve done that. It’s not very restful. You have to keep an eye open and a bat in your hand. Cold is cold, and hot is hot. And not being able to straighten your legs makes for a bad day carrying the trays around.”

“Yeah.” I let my face droop. “Though I will tell you, I’m kind of excited about tonight. I found an Internet coupon for a campsite on the ocean. I’ve never seen the ocean before. For fifteen bucks, I’m going. I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to have sand between my toes. And salt water. After I take a walk, I’m going to take the longest hottest shower.”

“Do you know how to swim?” Destiny asked.

“Me? No. Where I grew up, that’s not something the girls were taught to do. There was a watering hole. The boys would go down there and swim in the nude. We weren’t allowed anywhere near there. But someday, I’ll learn.”

“Still lock your doors at the campsite. Stay safe.”

“Would you like to come?” I already knew she was on the schedule for the red-eye shift that I had worked today. She wouldn’t be able to accept my invitation.

I was keeping Little Guy and the neighborhood kids tonight.

She shot a glance at the door, then her watch. “I don’t have a car.” A non-sequitur. She must have had a thought running below the conversation.

“Was there somewhere you needed to go? Can I give you a lift?”

“No.” She waved her hand in the air. “Just…we seem to be in similar situations. Poor, I mean.”

“Destitute for me.”

“Yeah. And I thought that if we pooled resources, we might be able to get our feet under us faster.”

“Not following.”

“You have a car. Look, I have a place. I mean, it’s a piece of crap—a single bedroom. But you’re welcome to crash with me. If it works out, we can split rent, and that’ll help us save faster. Just like this job is under the table, so is my apartment. It’s above a detached garage. The owner of the house is an old guy who I think is kind of lonely. I get the rent for cheap, but I have to knock on his door every day and say hi.”

“Why?” I leaned my hips into the sink.

“I’m guessing partly because he wants some human interaction every day and maybe for safety. You know, if he falls or has a stroke or something, I don’t think there’s anyone who would know. He’d just eventually die wherever he falls.”

“Man.”

“Right? Anyway, you interested?”

“I’m… what?”

“Do you want to split the rent? Your share would be one-twenty plus utilities. So far, that hasn’t cost me much. Thirty dollars a month, your share for everything should be less than one-fifty.”

“Serious?”

“I have some rules. No visitors. Absolutely no men.”

“Amen to that,” I said.

“Yeah. You in?”

I paused so I didn’t look too anxious. “Is it far from here?”

“I walk. It’s a long walk, especially after a tough day. If I helped with gas, I wouldn’t mind having a ride, especially after a night shift. Walking home in the dark scares me.”

“Is this a bad part of town? What happened yesterday with that waitress, Barb?” I was wearing Barb’s uniform and name pin.

“No idea.”

“Do you think she told the police? Made a report?” I was still worried the cops would see me on their dash or body cams and come in to get my details.

“Oh, heck no—do you think she wants her name and address anywhere public? She’s on the run. Her ex went off the rails. Put her in the hospital for two weeks. I get why she quit.”

“Those are the choices I made too. You?”

Destiny looked at her shoes.

“Thank you so much for inviting me to share your space—I don’t sleep restfully when I have to have my mind checking for my safety. There was this one time,” I lowered my voice to build intimacy, two girlfriends chatting, “I had to sleep at a train station. I put on all the clothes I owned. Partly to stay warm and partly because I was afraid of being raped. I figured there were a lot of layers to get through. And, if I looked homeless, that might be a deterrent.”

“You were homeless.”

“Well, yeah.” I laughed. “Anyway, I put my sunglasses on because the lights were so bright. When I woke up the next day, I discovered that someone had stolen them right off my face.”

“What?”