My Wreckage

Chapter 4: Our 1st Connection (Scarlett)

Scarlett

(Past)

One week of this and I had already fallen into a nice routine. It was actually nice. Tiff and Britt decided to adopt me, and take it upon themselves to find a boyfriend. As much as I hated being the fifth wheel, I wasn't looking for a relationship.

It was a day I was filling in for the lunch shift. It was my first double and I welcomed it. I met Heather. Heather was probably in her twenties, confident, and literally just the essence of what a woman was. She was the only girl that worked who was bold enough to wear a skirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. and owned a room.

I also saw the way he interacted with her as I came back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room to serve. The way she'd trace his tattoos. The way he would flirt with her and she would flirt back. It intrigued me because I was had always been horrible at flirting. Which explained my boyfriend's situation. I watched as she leaned across the table exposing her breast and fluttered her eyelashes, poking her a*s out so even the guys behind her got a view of her while he twisted her long chestnut hair in his finger. I wondered what it would be like to be looked at like that.

There was a part of me that didn't like it. I mean, they just wanted to sleep with her. I doubted he really cared what she thought. I followed his eyes as he scrolled her figure, surprisingly his eyes never lingered at her breast for that long, but he kept that seductive smirk.

"Can I get some service, here?" I noticed a table of hers. Troy didn't reprimand much, but I was sure he wasn't going to now. He had whispered something in her ear, and whatever it was caused her lip to quark and her to glance at him as she walked to her demanding customer as he headed to the back of the restaurant.

I went back to my tables. I couldn't stop thinking about that. I knew she was a grown woman, but something rubbed me the wrong way about the idea of him sleeping with his staff. I hadn't heard about him doing that, just that he slept around.

"Hey, babydoll." I blew past Zeke going into the kitchen to get an order.

I just smiled and continued hoping he would just leave me alone. "Hey Nick, is the table thirteen order ready."

"Sure sweetheart." He nodded his head over to three plates sitting on the metal warmer.

"Let me help you with that." Zeke grabbed a napkin and then a plate, and I grabbed the others.

I wanted to tell him that I didn't need the help, but I couldn't form the words fast enough. "Thanks."

"No problem, babydoll." He smirked, "I can't believe you let Troy talked you into working a double."

I giggled nervously. "Oh, I don't mind," I said shortly as I hustled to the table.

"So, um is your family doing anything for the forth?"

I shrugged as I cleaned off a table. I was sure it was going to be another thing where I was going to be a fifth wheel. He played with his lip like he was thinking really hard about something.

That was when I approached another table. It was a tall guy eating by himself. "Hello my name is Scar, I'll be your server today. What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have a water." He said, "And just out of curiosity, what is your catch of the day?"

My eyes shot over to Zeke, he gave me a light shrug, my eyes trailed to Heather who was rubbing the face of a blond haired surfer guy. They looked at the chalkboard over by the bar. Nothing that said the catch of the day." I smiled. "I'll find out for you. Just sit tight."

I rushed to the kitchen.

"So what do you say, do you want to go."

I was barely thinking about what Zeke was talking about.

"Nick, I need a tap water, and do you know what the catch of the day is?"

Nick's eyes got big and he shrugged.

"Seriously?" I blurted. I was getting frustrated. Why put it on the menu if nobody knew what the hell it was.

"Why don't you go ask Troy?" Said Nick.

"And Zeke, you get Timothy his water."

"Why?" Zeke snapped.

"Just do it!"

Zeke huffed and walked in the small doorway of the kitchen.

"Troy knows what the catch of the day is. He's outback on the boat."

I nodded and rushed in the back trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Nick had known who I was serving, or maybe he didn't. I just shook it off as I rushed out of the back of the restaurant and noticed a small dock and a yacht sitting beside it. It must be nice. I thought as I jogged up to the dock.

I stood on the dock for a minute and stared at the side of the boat wobbling near the dock. "Troy," I called out. "Um...Mr. Walker." I bit the side of my lip and leaned over to find a small glance at Troy's long light brown hair. I noticed the white wire coming from his ear and he was sucking on a cigar.

I looked back toward the restaurant and took a frustrated breath. I pulled my ponytail and eased my foot onto the unstable surface of the boat. My stomach flipped and I took in steady breaths. I slowly slid my hand along the side of the cabin easing toward the front deck. I peeked over and saw him sitting on the railing nodding his head watching the ocean next to a fishing pole. He didn't look like he was managing a restaurant, he looked like he was on vacation.

"Mr. Walk...Troy!" I called. I cleared my throat. "Troy!"

He turned his head in my direction and his lip twitched into a wry smirk. He pulled his earbud slowly out of his ear. "Can I help you?"

My bottom lip dribbled. What did I need? His blue eyes stayed fixed on me. "Um...what's the catch of the day...?" It was how I seemed to talk to him. I'd draw my words out.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "I'll let you know what I catch it." He placed his earbud back in his ear and replaced the cigar.

My eyes narrowed. I considered going back and telling the guy that, but it just sounded weird. "Excuse me?" "Excuse me, Mr. Troy."

He pulled the earbud out. "Do you need anything else, sweetheart?"

I held my hands out shaking my head. "Seriously?"

"Why don't you grab a pole, help me catch it." He pulled his cigar out of his mouth shifting his tattooed arm toward another pole-sitting against the opening in the cabin.

"Are you...serious..."

"There's a hundred bucks in it if you catch it."

I shrugged. What did I have to lose? I walked slowly over to the pole.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm just lacking sea legs." I joked.

"You'll get used to it." He smiled.

I didn't know what he meant by that so I just brushed it off.

"You know how to bait a hook, sweetheart?"

I shrugged as I dug my French pedicure in the bucket of night crawlers feeling his eyes on me as I slid the wiggly worm in the thick hook.

"Hmm!"

"I went fishing with my dad." I smiled pridefully. The pole was a little bigger and it had a smaller handle but, it was the same concept.

"You know how to cast out?" He asked.

I smirked as I tilted the pole back to c**k it forward and I thought I heard Troy start to say something when the entire thing flipped out into that water. I grit my teeth together and winced. I didn't even want to see his face. I glanced over to see the glare on Troy's face.

"That was my favorite one."

"Then why would you let me use it? You don't know if I know how to fish."

He ran his fingers through his hair. I noticed those plump lips twitching. "You are aware that's coming out of your paycheck."

I shrugged. What was a little fishing pole? Even if it was an expensive professional one, it just meant I had to postpone getting a summer apartment.

I leaned back against the cabin. "So do you fish a lot with your son?"

His jaw tensed and crossed his buff arms. "Did you and your dad used to fish a lot?"

"I asked you first."

"I haven't seen my son, in a year."

"How old is he?"

His nostrils flared. "Seven."

"I was six when my dad died," I confessed.

His blue eyes filled with sympathy. "Mine died too." He said softly.

"I'm sorry."

He pushed his lips together with a nonchalant shrug. "I never knew him. He died when I was a baby."

"And your mom?" I didn't want to be like the people around town but, his story was becoming more and more intriguing.

"She raised me. Got remarried to Zeke's dad when I was about thirteen."

I studied him and my eyes drifted to the end of his line. "Do you ever catch the catch of the day?" I giggled.

"Just be patient." He smiled.

"I'm sure that guy in there is probably not that patient."

"Don't worry about Tim." He said.

I looked at him confused. "Tim?"

"Word of advice, sweetheart. You seem like a really sweet girl." His blue eyes met mine, "Stay away from Zeke."

"So that's what this is about?" I couldn't believe he would go through the trouble. "Why? Is he worse than you?"

He chuckled. "Worse than me."

"Well, you're just as big a flirt as he is."

"I know my boundaries."

"Just not personal space, Mr. Palm reader." I teased.

"Look, I wasn't trying to get in your pants." He laughed, "I was trying to bring you out of your shell. You're too uptight. You should loosen up, and smile more."

I rolled my eyes.

"If I overstepped my bounds I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He shrugged, "If it's any consolation, you are a beautiful girl, but I'm afraid you're not my type."

"I'm not blond? Big breasted? I don't wear little mini-skirts and cowboy boots."

His eyes softened with a smile. "You don't need all that. You need to find someone worthy of you."

"You don't know what's worthy for me."

"I see you more than you think I do, sweetheart." He said.

"What I can't fish, I'm fatherless, and what?"

"You are looking for acceptance." He said, "You think no one sees you, but you're wrong. People see you, and if you speak up they'll hear you."

I looked at him. "When did you become master Yoda?" I laughed.

He chuckled. "All I'm saying is. You're not like these girls around here. So don't try to be." My eyes fell.

"Why do you care?" I asked.

He shrugged looking off. "I don't know. It's just something about you I guess."

Another thing he said I didn't know how to take, I just said thank you. I believed him when he said he wasn't into me like that, and I was okay with that. There was something about that odd conversation that made me see Troy in a new light. It was almost like he was my first real friend here. I felt like I could trust him more than I could anyone else. He would be upfront and honest with me. Which was cool. Especially if it meant I didn't have to feel awkward around my boss.