Luna’s Soul

*Lily* “Lily? Hello? Are you even listening to me?” Lily turned her head, her brain snapping out of her intrusive thoughts. She stared at Matthew and gave him a small smile. “Sorry, Matt,” she admitted sheepishly. “You know I zone out sometimes.” Lily examined Matt from where he stood on the other side of the food pick up window. She’d always appreciated how handsome he was— with honey blonde hair and warm, chocolate brown eyes, he screamed all American— but it was the kindness in his face that made him so attractive to Lily. He was one of the gentlest souls she’d ever met. “You’ve been here for fourteen hours,” he glared. “I’m sure Andy would be cool if you wanted to leave and get some rest.” Lily aggressively shook her head. “No, Matt, I’m fine, really. I could really use the extra money this week. Rent is due.” He sighed, placing a bowl of soup and a sandwich in the pick up window. “My offer still stands— you can stay with me and my parents. They wouldn’t charge you rent. They love you.” She smiled warmly at him. “Thanks, Matt. But I’ll be fine.” Lily grabbed her table’s food out of the window and set off to go serve them. She hurried around to all of her tables, checking on them and greeting the new guests. Her tired feet were screaming in protest, and she found herself thankful that her restaurant closed in an hour. Lily had been pulling as many hours at work as she could the past three months. She was put out of the foster system 3 months ago when she turned eighteen, and with that came even more responsibilities. Her foster parents at the time hadn’t exactly been fond of the thought of having Lily there to begin with; they’d been fostering to adopt and had wanted a baby, and when Lily was put on their doorstep when she had just turned seventeen, they weren’t exactly overjoyed and were in a hurry to get her out of their home. So the day she turned 18, she had enough money saved to get her own place— and she packed up her things on her birthday and moved into a tiny little studio apartment a few towns over with nothing but the clothing she owned and her tiny old Mustang she had bought herself a year before. She was proud of the things she had accomplished in the last three months. She made enough money to get by if she worked hard enough, and she’d just filled out an application at her local technical college for next year. That’s what she was thinking about— college applications and financial aid deadlines and textbook prices— when she turned a corner towards the restroom and ran straight into a rock hard chest. Lily sputtered backwards, letting out a little shocked gasp before immediately stepping back and away from the stranger and looking up at him to begin to mutter an apology, but she froze. The man in front of her was beautiful. Standing at easily well over six feet tall, the man she had almost mowed over made her jaw drop. He had light brown hair, which was cut short on the sides— but longer on the top and was slicked back, making him look very well put together and professional. He had chocolate brown eyes that were lined with a thick, heavy row of black eyelashes. His skin was lightly sun-kissed. He had strong, handsome features— a sharp jawline, and a five o’clock shadow across it. And he was huge. Not only did he tower over Lily at her pathetic five feet, two inches— but while he wasn’t super bulky, he was very muscular and Lily could see that easily even underneath the very expensive-looking navy blue suit he was wearing. She forced herself to speak. “Oh— I’m s-sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” The man was eyeing her intensely, his eyes narrowed and a confused expression on his face. Lily stood, frozen, waiting on his response. That was when the man leaned forward— Lily noted that he smelled intoxicating, like sandalwood and sawdust— and got so close to her she could feel him breathing. He leaned next to her ear and sniffed her, right by her neck. Lily stood, frozen, her knees shaking. She was just about to bolt for the door when the man leaned away from her. He looked at her again, his expression quizzical. “Mate?” He asked. Okay, he’s insane or Australian, unsure which, Lily thought to herself. She gave him a sheepish smile and ducked under his arm to run into the women’s room, calling out a quick sorry over her shoulder. She ran straight into Amelia— one of the other severs, as she entered the bathroom. They smacked into each other and in the process of trying not to fall, they both ended up on the bathroom floor. “Jesus Christ, Lily, why are you running like your pants are on fire?” Amelia scolded as she stood up and rubbed her hip. Lily stood up, gently rubbing her knee. Her heart was still hammering. “Some guy just sniffed me in the hallway. I was in a hurry.” Amelia’s blue eyes widened. “Sniffed you? Like a dog?” Lily nodded quickly. “Yes— like leaned forward and full on almost inhaled my hair.” Amelia’s eyes widened. “Well, that’s creepy. You should go tell Peter what happened. I wonder if the guy is still here. What does he look like?” “Probably one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen, if you put the creep factor aside. You won’t miss him.” “I’ll go find Peter and see if I see anyone who looks delicious. You should probably fix your hair,” she noted. “It’s a little everywhere.” Lily sighed as Amelia exited the bathroom. It wasn’t the first time a guy had creeped on her or another waitress. Peter was a good manager— he always handled it quickly and quietly and made sure the girls and the rest of his staff felt safe. She was appreciative of him. Lily turned toward the mirror above the granite countertop lined with sinks, and examined her blonde waves with scrutiny. Lily wasn’t conceited— but she knew she was pretty. She always knew by the glances she got from men, which had started when she was about fifteen. Lily had never had much interest to return to boys or men— she was too busy trying to earn money to get herself out of the system and on her own. And even now that she was an adult, she had no interest in romance. She was too tired. She examined herself in the mirror. Her long, platinum blonde waves that normally hung down to her waist in a silky curtain were misplaced and tangled. Her pale cheeks were flushed and her ice-blue— eyes so pale blue she caught herself wondering where they came from— were strained and tired, with dark purple circles forming under them. Lily found herself wondering which one of her birth parents she may have looked like frequently— her small, button nose and delicate porcelain features had to have come from somewhere. She’d always been very slim and of a very petite build. She ran her hand through her hair, trying to pull out the tangles and smooth it down. She splashed some cool water on her face before heading back out onto the floor. Amelia and Peter were standing at the end of the bathroom hallway when she emerged. “Is he still here?” Lily asked as she approached them. “No, no sign of anyone like you described. None of the servers remember seeing him either,” Amelia explained. Peter turned to Lily. “If you see him again, let me know. I mean it.” Lily nodded and gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Peter.” “It’s almost ten,” he told Lily. “You go home and get some rest. Amelia can take over your last table. You’re going to work yourself sick, kid.” Lily opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it. She sighed. “Fine. I’ll go. I know I’m not scheduled tomorrow, but call me in if you guys need any help.” Peter chuckled. “Your work ethic is tireless. I’ll give you a shout if we need you, but I think we can survive for a day while you rest up.” Lily headed off to the break room to gather her things, not feeling like arguing with Peter any longer. In reality, she was extremely tired. She took off her waist apron and put it in her locker, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Lily drove home without even turning the radio on. She drove through the tiny town square of Choteau, Montana— admiring the scenery as she drove the few miles to her home. She noted that the moon was full and huge tonight— it cast a silver glow over the roads. It didn’t take long before Lily was dragging her tired feet up the stairs to her apartment. After she unlocked the door, she closed it gently behind her and examined all of her accomplishments in the last three months. The once empty little apartment with cracked paint and patched over holes in the walls now resembled a home. She’d touched up the paint. She’d bought a new sofa and other mismatched furniture. Her paintings covered the walls— a painting of her first foster home, a small cottage with a wooden swing set out front, several landscapes and abstracts, the moon shining over the town square here in town. She admired it and felt her heart swell. This is worth being dead tired, she thought to herself. Lily showered and threw on her favorite old sweats and a tank top before climbing into her squeaky bed with wet hair, curling up under her blankets. She was asleep as soon as her head touched her pillow.