“That was delicious,” she said.
“Good, food is free here.” Teri winked at her, and took the dishes.
The rest of the day went by without much event. Grace worked the whole day only taking a few breaks when Teri sent her off. She liked working as it helped to keep her mind occupied. The last thing she wanted to do was think about Dwayne, and how stupid she had been.
At the end of the day, the diner was still open, and she learned it would be open until around midnight. Teri left the kitchen after Daniel made his appearance. The boy was tall and muscular. She understood why he wanted to prospect for the club.
Sitting down, Teri handed her a coffee.
“You’re always giving me food and drink,” Grace said, smiling.
“It’s a habit. I love cooking and taking care of people.” Teri sat down. “Right, you’ve got the job.”
“I have? Thank you.”
Teri held her hand up. “I’ve got to work over a schedule. I expect you to have fun while you work here.”
“Fun?”
“Yes. This may be a diner, but it’s not your everyday diner. I want this to be a
place for families to come and leave with a smile. I know you’re a waitress, and that’s supposed to be a shitty job, but I don’t allow that. This is my diner. Dirty Fuckers give me total control over this place. I pay my waitresses good money, and I expect good service.”
Grace frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”
“You were the perfect waitress. The biggest problem, I didn’t see you having fun. Smile a little, Grace. Relax, no one here is going to hurt you.”
Looking down into the dark brown liquid of her coffee, she sighed. “My ex, he did a number on me.”
“I figured as much. You’re not ready to talk about it, and I get that. Allow this job to be a place where you find yourself.” Teri patted her hands. “I expect you here bright and early tomorrow. Make it seven, okay?”
“Sure.”
She turned to find Suzy entering the diner.
“I’ll leave you to your friend.”
Teri and Suzy shared a hug, and then her friend sat in front of her. “Well, is it good news or bad?”
“It’s good.” She told Suzy about what Teri had instructed her.
Suzy chuckled. “Teri’s amazing. You’ll love her. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Grace finished her coffee, licking her lips. Even the coffee at the diner was delicious. No wonder Teri wanted everything different.
The food was great, the drinks, too, and Teri wanted the atmosphere to be the same as well. She could handle that.
Fuck you, Dwayne, I’m going to move on and be happy.
Chapter Three
Three weeks later
“So, how is the new girl coping?” Drake asked. He was at the back of the kitchen where he was helping Teri load up stuff she wanted for the annual summer fair.
“I knew it. I knew you liked her. I figured there had to be a reason for you coming by more often.” Teri smiled, pointing her finger at his chest.
“I always come here.”