Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“I can do anyth—”
The sound of the bell over the door had her head turning to watch Dustin Porter coming inside.
She watched as he walked skittishly toward the counter, her jaw dropping upon seeing the tentative way Dustin was behaving.
“What do you want?”
Feeling better that Dustin was treated to the same rudeness, Megan watched in wonder as one of the Porter brothers seemed leery of someone. Usually, it was the other way around. The Porters were known to be loose cannons when you made one of them angry.
“I’ll take five deluxe bags.”
Taking a pad and ink pen out of his dirty apron, the rude man scrawled the order onto the pad before tearing the thin strip of paper off. He slapped the thin paper onto the counter before the beady-eyed man watched Dustin pick up the paper like a snake getting ready to strike.
“Ten minutes.”
“I’ll wait outside,” Dustin replied, already walking backward.
“Do that.”
Megan caught the triumphant smile on the man’s face as Dustin pivoted on his heels and practically ran out of the restaurant.
“You going to order something or waste more of my time?”
“I was asking about a job,” Megan reminded him.
“Don’t need anyone. I prefer working by myself.”
“I’ll take part-time.”
He lumbered off while she was still talking to him.
Damn him, she needed the job. There were only three places left where she could apply, and none of them were viable options.
“I’ll work part-time.” Megan raised her voice, uncaring if she was making a fool of herself. “I’ll work for tips, for food … Please, I’m desperate.”
She didn’t bother to turn around at the sound of the bell, assuming Dustin had come back for his order.
“I was beginning to doubt if I was going to see you again.”
At the familiar voice coming from behind her, she started to turn as Cole took the seat next to her.
“Hey,” she greeted him, the despondent feeling lifting at the warm way he was looking at her. Somehow, Cole made her feel as if they had been friends for years.
She hadn’t had a friend since grade school, someone to tell all of her secrets to, nor hang out with or make plans to go somewhere. Anytime someone had made the effort, she had brushed their attempts away. She had been strong to walk away when Cole asked her out for coffee, but Megan didn’t think she was strong enough to do the same today.
The door swinging open from the kitchen had Megan bracing herself to be thrown out.
“What you want?”
Unlike Dustin, Cole greeted Marty with a friendly grin. “Hey, Marty, how are you doing?”
“How in the fuck do you think I’m doing?” he snarled. “I’m fucking working here, aren’t I?”
Cole didn’t take offense, his grin staying in place. Then, rubbing his hands together as if he were cold, Cole gave his order. “I’ll take a number seven premium bag with a Coke.” Curious, Cole looked at her. “What are you having?”
“I’m not …” She was about to tell Cole she wasn’t hungry, but Marty interrupted her.
“She’s taking her pretty time ordering.”
“Ah … it’s a hard choice, isn’t it?”
She was so hungry that she had planned to take some ketchup and mustard packets from the condiment buckets sitting on the counter before she left.
“Kind of.”
Meeting Marty’s eyes, she didn’t finish what she had originally been about to say.
“Let me help. I have Marty’s menu memorized. I also owe you for helping me get that cat out of the tree, so your lunch will be my treat.”
As hungry as she was, Megan couldn’t accept his offer. She wanted to prove she could stand on her on two feet without breaking. Before she could refuse, though, Cole sidetracked her.
“Have you eaten here before?”
“I’ve eaten here before, but not since he’s”—Meg nodded her head at the man behind the counter—“taken over.”
“Marty, give Megan the grand bag.” Cole tilted his head to the side to whisper, “You can thank me later. You need the biggest bag because everyone who tastes his burgers for the first time always wants more. What you don’t eat, you can take for leftovers, but I bet you’ll finish the whole bag.”
By the time Cole finished talking, Marty had scrawled the order down and slammed the paper down on the counter.
“Fifteen minutes.”
“Cool.” Unaffected by Marty’s glower, Cole pivoted his chair toward her. “You want to join me at one of the booths?” Conspiratorially whispering, he added, “Typically, Marty prefers the customers to wait outside. Maybe he’ll forget we’re here if we hide in the corner booth.”
Consoling herself that it would be rude to leave the restaurant after he had ordered food for her, Megan slid off the chair. “I’d like that. How does he stay in business if he doesn’t want customers to eat inside?”
“Wait until you eat his burgers. Marty is half the reason I come to visit Treepoint.”