Big Box Of New Adult Romance Page 8

  The waitress brought them their drinks, as Elijah and Caelyn studied the menus.

  “I think I’m going to get the Mean Burger,” she said.

  “Same,” Elijah replied.

  “Great. And how would you like that burger cooked?” she asked.

  “I’d like mine medium well,” he said.

  “Same for me,” Caelyn added.

  “Oh, you two are cute. I love when couples get the same meal—me and my boyfriend have totally different tastes,” the waitress laughed, before taking their menus and walking off.

  Elijah grinned at her. “Here we go again,” he said. The moment seemed to have loosened him up. He took a big swig of his soda and leaned back in his chair. “I could get used to this,” he said.

  Caelyn nodded agreement.

  The food was really good, but by the end of dinner she was ready to call it a night.

  Everything was catching up to her now, and she felt heavy with food—and most of all, tired.

  The waitress brought the check and Caelyn went to pick it up.

  “No way,” Elijah said.

  “Let me pay just this once,” Caelyn cried, trying to take the check.

  The waitress laughed, watching them argue over it.

  Elijah grabbed it out of her hands. “Listen, I got this. You can pay me back when you get a job.”

  “Oh, come on—you don’t have a job either,” she said.

  “Well, I don’t need one right now.”

  The waitress looked at Caelyn. “You’re looking for work?” she said.

  Caelyn waved her hand at Elijah, shaking her head. “Yes, I’m currently looking,”

  she said.

  “What kind of work?”

  “Anything. I thought maybe waitressing,” she said, grimacing as she said it. She was half-expecting the waitress to laugh and tell her how impossible it was to find waitressing jobs around the area.

  “Well, you might just be in luck then,” the woman told her. “We’re actually hiring right now. We lost a couple of girls last week and Kenzie is looking to replace them right away.”

  Caelyn straightened up, feeling suddenly more awake. “Really?”

  “Yeah. If you want, I’ll introduce you to her before you go.”

  “Oh, wow, that would be awesome.”

  The waitress grinned. “Well, I am pretty awesome.” She nodded to the check.

  “I’ll come back for that in a minute,” she said, and then turned and left.

  Caelyn turned to Elijah. “Wow, wasn’t that so cool?” she said.

  He nodded. “Yeah,” he said, but not very enthusiastically. “Very cool.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  He took a final sip of his soda. “Nope.” And then he took out his billfold, counted out the money, and put it with the tab. “We’re good.” He stood up. “I’m gonna hit the bathroom,” he said.

  She watched him go, puzzled by his behavior. Maybe he’s just tired, she thought.

  But she knew that couldn’t explain all of it. He’d been acting strangely ever since they’d gotten to town.

  While he was away, the waitress came back to pick up the bill, and she brought Kenzie with her. Kenzie was short, with dirty blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was pretty, but her face was sort of weathered, and she had a look in her eye that said she didn’t want to be messed with. “I hear you’re looking for a waitressing gig,” Kenzie said, sticking out her hand.

  Caelyn took it and the woman’s grip was like a vice. “Yeah,” she squeaked, as Kenzie squeezed and then released.

  “Well, I’m the owner of this little establishment, so you’re talking to the right person.”

  “Oh,” Caelyn said, gulping nervously.

  “Any experience? It’s okay if you don’t have any.”

  Caelyn explained how she’d waitressed at Friendly’s in high school.

  Kenzie asked her why she didn’t have a job at the moment, and Caelyn hesitated to answer.

  “Listen,” Kenzie said, her blue eyes penetrating. “The only thing I expect is the truth. Don’t lie to me.”

  Caelyn decided to be honest. “I left college,” she said. “I drove here and just arrived today. So that’s why I’m not currently employed.”

  “You left college? Where did you go to school?”

  “Cambridge, in Boston.”

  Kenzie laughed. “Come on, you’re serious?”

  Caelyn nodded. “You wanted the truth.”

  “And where are you planning to live?”

  “I don’t know. We’re in a hotel right now.”

  “You and your boyfriend?”

  “We’re just friends,” she said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do next.”

  Kenzie looked pained. She sighed, kneeling down. “Look, Caelyn. I’m not sure what your story is. But you seem nice and you must be a hard worker if you got into Cambridge. So I’ll tell you what. You can work here for as long as you want—“

  “Really?” she said, her eyes widening.

  “I’m not done yet,” Kenzie said. “I even have a room you can stay in, it’s got its own door, like a little unit off the side of my house that nobody’s using right now.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that for me,” Caelyn said, blown away by the offer.

  Kenzie stood up. “You’ll find I’m fair but I expect my girls to work hard,” she said. “If you work hard, you’ve got a job here for life. Okay? And if you decide to go back to school, I won’t be mad.” She grinned.

  Elijah was returning to the table as the conversation ended. He eyed Kenzie warily, and she him. “This must be your friend?” Kenzie said, and her voice carried an odd tone, as if she immediately found him wanting in some way.

  “I’m just a guy,” he replied. “No big deal.”

  Kenzie nodded. “Sure. Just a guy. Well, okay, guy. Can’t say I have a job for you—“

  “I wasn’t asking for one.”

  “But you,” she said, turning to Caelyn, “are good to start tomorrow. Eleven a.m.

  sharp for orientation and training.”

  “Absolutely,” Caelyn said. “Thanks again. Thanks so much.”

  “After work tomorrow, I’ll show you that room I was telling you about.”

  “Okay,” Caelyn smiled.

  Kenzie waved, walked off to another part of the restaurant.

  As they left Mean Margarita’s, Elijah was walking slightly ahead of her. He was heading toward the motel, but going at a quick pace. Caelyn struggled to stay with him.

  “Hey, slow down,” she said.

  “I’m tired, I want to get back to the room.”

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing. I just told you, I’m tired.”

  Caelyn grabbed his forearm, and he finally slowed. His eyes met hers and now she could see the hurt in them. “Elijah, something’s wrong. Why won’t you just tell me?”

  He stopped walking. “So you got a job, that’s cool.”

  “I thought so,” she replied, wiping a strand of hair that had blown into her eyes.

  “But what was that stuff about her showing you a room?”

  “She mentioned that she has a spare room in her house—“

  He interrupted with harsh laughter. “Of course she does.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He just shook his head and started walking again, albeit a little slower this time.

  “Elijah, she said. “What’s wrong with her showing me a room?”

  “For free?” he said.

  “She didn’t say. But at least it’s something.”

  “And what do you have now? Are you sleeping on the street?”

  “No. You paid for a room, but—”

  “Oh, I guess it’s nothing, though.” He waved her off.

  “Elijah, I’m totally confused.”

  “That lady is a creep,” he said. “The minute I saw her, I got a bad vibe. I don’t know what her deal is, but I don’t trust h
er.”

  “I don’t see what’s so bad about her offering to let me stay somewhere for awhile.

  Maybe she’s used that for other waitresses in the past.”

  “I’m sure she has,” he laughed.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “Of course you don’t.” He didn’t elaborate.

  They walked in silence until they got back to the room. Once inside, the room felt small and almost claustrophobic. Elijah spread out on the bed and turned the TV on, while Caelyn sat in a small, rickety chair nearby.

  She looked at him, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. “I don’t understand what I did to get you so upset.”

  He wouldn’t look at her. “I guess you’re happy with how everything played out.

  You don’t have to try and smooth it over now, Caelyn.”

  She took in his words and then a flood of anger jolted her to her feet. “Happy with how things played out? Do you think I chose any of this? I’m just trying to survive.”

  His eyes met hers briefly, then went back to the TV. “That’s the thing. You don’t have to try and survive, because if things go bad here, you’ll always be able to call Mom and Dad to help you out of it.”

  “I’m sorry I don’t have enough street cred for your liking, Elijah. And I’m really sorry that ever since we got here, you’ve been acting like a total baby. But please—please don’t try and convince me that these are all my problems. Because I know that you’ve got plenty of your own.”

  His eyes hardened and his jaw set in the way she’d become accustomed to seeing when he was angry. “You just keep telling yourself that, Caelyn.”

  “No, Elijah.” She was going to continue, but she knew it was useless. He wasn’t listening anymore. He was lost in his own world, and she didn’t really understand how it had happened—but everything between them seemed to have come apart in an instant.

  ***

  That night, Elijah slept on the floor.

  She’d told him not to be silly, that she didn’t mind sharing the bed—but he’d refused, and then she’d given up.

  In the end, Caelyn was too tired to keep fighting, especially when she had no idea what they were even fighting about.

  Before bed, she’d gotten another text from Alicia.

  I’m still worried about u.

  Sighing, she texted back hastily: Don’t worry I got a job waitressing on the island.

  It’s all good.

  But was it all good? She didn’t know anymore.

  She’d fallen asleep sometime later out of sheer exhaustion, sleeping through until the next morning, when she was woken up by Elijah talking on the phone.

  He was standing just outside the motel room, but she could still hear him through the paper-thin walls.

  “I’m coming back, that’s all you need to know,” he was saying, as Caelyn blearily opened her eyes.

  She saw that she had to get ready for work anyway, so she sat up and tried to piece her thoughts together.

  Elijah’s pillow and blanket were lying in a messy pile on the floor. She felt sadness well up inside her at the sight of it. She’d wanted him next to her last night. She wanted to be talking and cracking jokes with him right now, instead of this.

  Hearing him say he was ‘coming back’ sent a chill down her spine. Did he mean back to Boston, back to those bad friends he’d been alluding to?

  “Give me a couple of days,” Elijah said. “Don’t worry about it. Just tell them what I told you. No, this last part.” He laughed, but it wasn’t the same laugh she was used to—

  it was bitter. “Yeah. I just got caught up in some stupid shit, brother. I’ll hit you up later when I’m on the road.”

  A moment later, the doorknob turned and he re-entered the room, slowing down when he saw she was awake.

  “Hey,” she said, softly.

  “Hey.” He looked at her. “You sleep well?”

  “I guess. You?”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be okay.”

  What did that even mean? What did any of it mean? She was so frustrated, she wanted to scream at him. But somehow, she couldn’t find the words.

  She was scared that he was leaving Florida and going back to Boston. She was scared that she’d never see him smile again, hear him laugh, feel his fingers stroking her hair.

  But she was also scared to tell him any of those things, because ever since last night he’d been unreachable. He seemed angry and distant, like he was finished with her for some reason.

  “I guess I’m going to shower and get ready for my first day at the restaurant,” she said, smiling. “What about you?”

  He bent down and picked up the pillow and blanket, tossed them on the bed.

  “Guess I’m going to hit the road.”

  Her stomach dropped. “Where to?”

  “Don’t know just yet.”

  “Boston?”

  He glanced at her. “Maybe.”

  “I thought you said you needed to get away from…bad influences.”

  “Maybe I did. Maybe I’m going back anyway.” His eyes met her as if challenging her to say something to sway him.

  She wanted to tell him that he should stay, that she wanted to see him again. But she got afraid once more. The truth was, he didn’t want to stay and she couldn’t bear to hear him say it to her face.

  So she just smiled again. “Will I see you when I get out of the shower or are you just going to—“

  “Nah, I should get an early start,” he said, cutting her off. “You take care, though.”

  She felt tears spring to her eyes and turned away, moving toward the bathroom.

  “Have a nice trip, Elijah,” she muttered, as she closed the bathroom door and heard him readying his things.

  She didn’t shower for long—maybe five or ten minutes. And then she got out of the bathroom fast, hoping to catch him before he left. But he must have been more intent to get out of there without seeing her.

  She stepped out of the bathroom and found the room key sitting alone on the table with a handwritten note next to it.

  I paid for an extra night in case that other room doesn’t work out.

  -Elijah.

  She sat on the chair and read it, feeling the ink on her fingertips. Tears were rolling down her face. She wished she could have at least gotten his phone number or something.

  Now she knew she’d never see him again.

  ***

  Something strange happened when she got into work.

  The waitress who had introduced her to Kenzie was working behind the bar, setting out freshly dried glasses. When she saw Caelyn walk into the restaurant, she grinned widely. “Hey, you.”

  “Hey,” Caelyn said.

  “Ready for your first day?”

  “As ready as I can be. A little nervous.” And sad, she thought, but saw no reason to mention that.

  “Your name’s Caelyn, right?”

  “Yeah. What’s your name again?”

  “Rosemary, but everyone just calls me Ro.” Ro smiled again as she set another glass on the bar. “Well, Caelyn you must be popular, because someone already called for you.”

  “Really?” Caelyn frowned. “Who?”

  Ro shook her head. “I don’t know. He didn’t say. He just asked if you were waitressing here today, and I said I thought so. I told him you weren’t in yet and asked if he wanted to leave a message. He said no thanks and hung up.”

  “Weird.” Caelyn felt an odd thrill run through her body.

  It had to have been Elijah looking for her. Maybe he wanted to apologize for the way he’d left things. Perhaps this meant that she was going to speak to him again after all.

  The thought picked her mood up and she was able to start her day of training with renewed enthusiasm.

  Before Kenzie arrived, Ro showed her some of the ropes—showed her the schedule and gave her a quick tour of the restaurant. They only had a skeleton crew on until about noon, when more of the staff began arriving.


  But everyone was incredibly friendly and made her feel welcomed. Once Kenzie and the rest of the staff showed up, everything kicked into overdrive. Customers were beginning to appear and be seated, food was being prepared, a few folks sat down at the bar.

  Caelyn’s duties were mainly to follow Ro around and help her as she watched her do her job, learned the menu and the procedures of the restaurant. Even though she wasn’t waitressing, it was still hectic, as she was running food to tables, getting drink orders, and dealing with customers the whole time.

  She was breaking a sweat, but basically enjoying herself.

  It was a lot different than sitting in class all day, but she wasn’t sure it was a bad thing.

  The hard part was when she occasionally allowed herself to envision what it would be like at night, going back to a room with nobody waiting for her.

  And it wasn’t even that she missed her roommates in the dorms.

  She missed him.

  Elijah.

  He’d left so suddenly, and she was still hung up on wondering why.

  It wasn’t until the evening, just a few hours before her shift ended, that everything turned completely upside down.

  Up until then, she’d been doing her job, hustling, learning everything as fast as possible. Ro seemed happy with her, and Kenzie was happy if Ro was happy.

  At around eight o’clock, Caelyn took a break. She grabbed a Diet Coke and stood out back with some of the other servers and kitchen staff, most of whom smoked. They all talked while smoking, and she drank her soda.

  Then she went inside, dumped her drink at the bar, and went to the bathroom. The woman’s bathroom was towards the back of the restaurant, and there was a long hallway leading up to it, that hooked around a corner.

  Caelyn was coming out of the bathroom when someone familiar rounded the corner. It took her a moment to place who it was, because she had no way of imagining that this person could show up there.

  When she saw him, it was as if her entire mind just shut down.

  She almost seemed to go deaf, and her vision narrowed. She stumbled a little.

  He smiled at her. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said.

  She tried to swallow but it was like there was a boulder in her throat. “What are you doing here?” she asked, but it barely came out of her mouth.

  Jayson smiled wider. “I came to find you, babe.” He reached out to touch her and she stepped backwards.