Twisted Valentine

Marked

✽ Mandy ✽

At five in the early evening, I clocked in at Clover & Steel Diner and tied my apron tight. Four days had passed since New Year’s Eve. Four days since Jason stood across the counter and said Happy New Year, like it was meant for me.

He hadn’t shown up once after that.

I told myself it was fine. He had been a customer, nothing more. Still, every time the bell above the door chimed over the last few shifts, my eyes jumped up before I could stop them. Rosa was already on duty. She leaned over the counter as I walked in.

“You are late by thirty seconds,” she said.

“I am early by Clover standards,” I replied. Her smile sharpened, and I recognized the twinkle in her eyes.

“Mandy. Look,” she whispered as she nodded toward the dining area. At first, I only saw empty tables and neat place settings. Then I spotted a man in a black uniform shirt clearing plates from a booth that no one was using. He stacked everything with care, wiped the table, and set the salt shaker back exactly where it had been.

Jason.

For a second, I just stood there with my bag strap still in my hand. His sleeves were rolled to his forearms. The uniform looked better on him than it had any right to. He didn’t glance toward the entrance. He didn’t react like he felt my stare. I smiled anyway. It was small and quick, and he didn’t see it, but it happened. Rosa gave a quiet, pleased laugh.

“There it is. I knew you would,”

“Stop,” I muttered, but my face warmed. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to the server station.

“Miss Suzy hired him,” she whispered, and I blinked.

“Miss Suzy Clover hired Jason?” I asked, surprised. Suzy Clover never hired anyone. Lauren Steel was the one who hired and fired. Rosa nodded.

“Yesterday. Maybe the day before. She came in early, did that serious face thing, and next thing you know, Mr. Silent is wearing our uniform,” Rosa said, and I watched him carry plates to the dish area. He rinsed them like he had done it for years.

“Why would he work here?” I asked.

“That is the question,” Rosa said as she lowered her voice. “Ben says he saw him in Miss Suzy’s office. Evan says he heard the word problem. I say he is hiding,”

“Or he needs money,” I said, even though I didn’t believe it. Jason didn’t look desperate. He looked controlled. Rosa lifted one shoulder.

“People like him don’t come here for tips,” she whispered. Jason walked past us with a tub of cutlery. He didn’t look at me. His eyes stayed forward, fixed on the work like the room was empty. I waited for a hello. For anything that acknowledged New Year’s Eve.

Nothing.

Evan came in through the back, cheeks red from the cold.

“Hey, Mandy,” he said, then nodded toward Jason. “See that? Can you believe it?” Rosa leaned in, and the look on her face was deadly serious.

“Sshh, don’t talk about him like he can’t hear,” she scolded, and Evan nodded as he stepped closer.

“I asked where he worked before. And all I got was silence,” he whispered.

“That isn’t an answer,” I murmured thoughtfully.

“His silence is torture,” Evan remarked, and I understood his frustration. “Miss Suzy told me to show him the basics. But he already knew everything,” Ben’s voice suddenly boomed from the kitchen.

“Less talking, more cooking!”

“Yes, boss,” Evan called back as he rolled his eyes. He went back to the kitchen while Rosa and I stopped gossiping about the newest employee. Customers trickled in after six. I moved between tables, taking orders, carrying plates, keeping my smile in place. I told myself to stop watching Jason.

I failed.

Every time I turned to grab napkins or refill coffee, my eyes searched for him. I caught him by the pie case, by the dish station, by the back booths, always moving and never lingering. He never met my gaze, not even by accident, and that bothered me more than it should have. Quiet customers made sense. Quiet coworkers felt like a locked door alone. He cleaned, stocked, collected plates, and reset tables before anyone asked. He didn’t joke with Ben. He didn’t chat with Evan. He didn’t flirt with Rosa. And he didn’t look at me. At around seven, the owners, Suzy Clover and Lauren Steel, came in. Lauren immediately grabbed Jason’s attention.

“Back room,” she told him. Without a word, Jason followed her to the back. Suzy followed. Rosa mouthed it at me, thrilled.

“Back room,” I ignored her as I refilled the sugar pots. I wanted to know what was going on, but I tried to keep myself in check. Jason came back out a few minutes later. He walked past me close enough that I caught the smell of his deodorant. But his face was blank, and his jaw was tight. I almost asked him if he was ok. I almost asked him what they wanted. But I didn’t say a word. Time crawled. I glanced at my phone behind the register and saw nothing new. Just a PulsePic alert from Rosa tagging me in a ridiculous clip. When I looked up again, Jason was sorting cutlery. His hands moved with careful speed. On his wrist, I caught a pale line, like something had been worn too tight for too long. I frowned as I stared at the pale line, curious about what it was. He turned, and my stomach tightened. I had to force myself to get back to work. And that was why, just after eight, we had a small dinner rush, and I was relieved to have the distraction. Rosa, Ben, and I took orders, Evan cooked, and Jason cleaned. Still, even as I did my rounds, I kept finding Jason in my peripheral vision.

Silent. Efficient. Untouchable.

Just after ten, Suzy came out of the office and beckoned Rosa and me to her office. I wiped my hands on my apron as I glanced at Rosa nervously.

“If anyone asks about the new hire,” she said quietly. “You say he is staff. Nothing else,” I frowned in confusion.

“People are asking?” I asked, and Rose looked just as confused.

“People always ask,” she replied. “You keep it simple,”

“Ok,” Rosa said, and I nodded. “But um…is everything all right?”

“In this city, everything is fine until it is not,” Suzy said, and then Lauren popped in.

“Ready to go?” she asked. Suzy nodded as she collected her things. Rosa and I hurried back to the front.

“What was that?” Rosa whispered, and I shrugged. I had no idea what to say about what had just happened. Why would anyone be interested in Jason? Or why was he working here? I glanced over at Jason, who was clearing a table, and my curiosity piqued. Who was he?

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