Starlight and Secrets

Evie Marlowe just stood there, absent-minded. Her legs were aching from prolonged standing and tight shoes. They were slightly swollen too. She had been working double shifts for the third time this week. She ached all over as well. But she couldn't complain. All proceeds went towards Ruth's Rise bakery, a dream her foster mother always had but couldn't achieve, but she felt a sense of responsibility to make it come through. “Evie! Order's up,” Gustavo barked from the kitchen, his voice now gravelly from years of barking over the pick-up counter, his apron stained with grease, face red and sweaty, his large figure bending slightly, dropping a plate on the pass through. He grinned and walked back to the fryer. She was jolted back to reality, her eyes were teary, she'd been thinking about Ruth. She pushed through the swinging door with her hip, grabbed the plate, put on her go-to smile, and proceeded to the customer section. Yes, she had to smile, smile and be friendly. It was the only way to get tips aside from her being pretty. Her hazel eyes were charming to behold, with honey blonde hair falling effortlessly on her shoulders, making her hard to ignore even when one tried. She dropped the plate in front of a couple who had been there for more than an hour without ordering anything. And when they finally did, they decided to share from the same plate. “Anything else?” Evie asked, still trying to keep her smile to hide the disgust in her gut. “Yea,” the man said. “ketchup, with some peace and quiet,” he added. Evie felt a lump in her throat, she plunked the ketchup bottle harder than necessary on the table and turned to walk away, holding back the urge to snap, the smile instantly turning into a frown. “Broke and rude,” she said under her breath, hoping they heard her. But the love birds were already feeding each other fries and giggling, not giving much care to whoever cared to watch them. “Girl, you're going to drop dead soon if you keep this up,” Chloe said, leaning on the counter, rag in hand, ready to wipe off a spill. “I am fine,” Evie said, nodding her head and trying to smile to hide her feelings. While grabbing a rag trying to help. “And I'm the Mayor, nice to meet you,” Chloe said with a smirk, popping a gum, trying to sound sarcastic. Evie laughed, but the laughter came out tired. “Seriously, Ev,” Chloe continued, “you look like you've been hit by a truck. Take a break or find a guy to distract you. Someone to go to when you are done with these shifts." How hard could it be?” ‘Hard?’ thought Evie. How hard could it be? Really? If only she could get a man, the only “man” she ever thought of was Cassian Warren, ever since he became popular on the news. With his green eyes that seemed to peer into her soul whenever he spoke… Chloe snapped her fingers and she came back to the present, she had zoned out on her again. “Thinking about Cassian again, right? Those green eyes got you hooked?” Evie was embarrassed, her cheeks turned pink. She tried to hide the blush with a frown but failed. All she could do was smile and wonder if her friend was a mind reader. “Noo,” she said, unsure of her answer. “Come on girl,” Chloe continued. “I see how you look at him without blinking. Wake up girl, he's way out of your league. You only see him on TV and that's it” Whatever Chloe was saying at this point didn't appear to be in her favor. She was giving off the big sister vibe, the kind that corrects with love. “Umm… em…” Evie struggled to find her voice. “It's just that he's always on the news, and talks about important things, the economy and business, his green eyes and….” all the while busying herself with refilling sugar packets. Chloe shook her head. ‘She's hooked’ she thought. A wave from the corner booth distracted her. She fixed her smile, took her notepad and went over. The guy just wanted a pie. She took his order and was heading back to the counter when the bell above the door tinkled. A man walked in with a coat in hand and a woman clinging to his other arm, both smelling like expensive aftershave. The woman tossed her scarf over the booth seat without a care, like she owned the place while wrinkling her nose at the menu. “Is this place even clean?” she said, audible enough for Evie to hear. “You'll love it,” the man responded. Trying to reassure his grumpy guest “What will it be?” Evie asked, notepad in hand. "Sparkling water, no ice," the woman said without thinking. The man ordered a burger and canned soda, his eyes lingering on her more than necessary, making her skin crawl, but not in a way she liked. As soon as she left, they began giggling. Leaving Evie to wonder. ‘What do couples talk about really?’. “Another charmer?” Chloe murmured, eyeing them from afar and winking at Evie. “More like a frog in fancy clothing,” Evie said under her breath, and they both shared a laugh which helped ease the tightness in her chest. But deep down it stung, as to why people like them walked through life without a second thought, while she scraped by. This wasn't jealousy, just a reminder of the great invincible divide in this city. Their side sparkled, hers was gritty. As the night dragged on, the diner emptied out, only a giggling couple at the back, and a cabbie hunched over and staring into his coffee, like it held answers to his life's issues. Time was slower by the second in the diner, but outside, in the wide New York Street, it appeared to be bubbling, teeming with life. Evie counted her tips, a couple of fives which felt like a win, ones and some change which jiggled sadly. Fifty-three bucks in total, not the breakthrough she needed, but it was worth it. It was the highest she has gotten since last weekend. She put it in an envelope and labeled it RR’s. Putting the envelope in her coat pocket, she said goodnight to Gustavo, who was smoking at the back. Chloe had left earlier than usual, she had a date. She stepped outside and was greeted by the cold crispy air. At least it didn't smell like fryer oil, she thought. Stepped into the open street and hollered at a taxi. The ride back home was quiet. Now she had time to think. She leaned her head on the cold car window as the lights streaked by, all the mansions glassy and glowing. Cassian Warren is probably asleep in one of these. ‘Focus on your own fight, girl’ she thought, trying to focus on the present, but drifted back to the thought of Cassian. She tried two more times and lost. And just let her imagination carry her to Dreamland, at least it helped ease the stress. Her apartment greeted her with the usual creak of the door and the musty smell of a leaking roof. The corner table is covered with books on recipes and a photo of Ruth. She turned on the lights and placed the envelope on the table, picked up the photo and admired it a little, and she could remember Ruth's voice. She would say, ‘Don't give up Evie, you've got heart. And heart makes the pastries’ One shift at a time, mom, one shift at a time. I'll get there I promise. Her phone rang. Catching her off guard, she sniffled and cleared her throat. The screen lit up ‘G-staffing’ almost midnight? Weird timing. She picked up the phone. “This is Evie” while listening keenly. A voice spoke without pausing. “Marlowe, we need a last-minute server for a big event tomorrow. The pay’s triple your usual. 6pm don't be late. More details by text. Don't say no!” the voice stopped abruptly as if allowing Evie to think. “Where exactly?” she asked after finding her voice. “Starlight hotel. Uniform ready black tie”. The voice responded She wanted to decline but seeing Ruth's smile, she couldn't. "I'll do it," she said. The phone vibrated again. It was Chloe's text. ‘Hey babe, Hope you got home safe? Love ya. Madame Cassian. Smiley and winky face.’ She texted thumbs up, dropped the phone and picked up the photo again. “Wish me luck, mom, I'll be serving the elite tomorrow”.