My All

Part 5

Four days later, Deborah was at her mom's hometown and where she had been born. She would begin her new life as her mother did in this town, working as a waitress. Helga had given her a letter of recommendation before she left. First she went into a motel and checked in. Then she went driving around town looking for a bar or diner to work at. It was really late when she finally found a 'Help Wanted' sign. She parked her car and went in. Inside she found drunk guys and half dressed women smoking and flirting. Pretty much the same crowd she was used to at Bobby's. At the counter a handsome guy called her over.

"Hey, are you lost? You don't seem to be from around here." He said.

"Actually my mother lived here all her life and I was born here."

"Okay, but you shouldn't be out at this time of night." He said cleaning the counter.

"I'm actually looking for work and saw the sign." She said pointing at the window.

"You're looking for work?" He asked, looking at her from head to toe.

"Is something wrong?"

"You look too classy and fancy to be working, especially here."

"Look, I've worked at worse places than this, and why am I even talking to you? I should be talking to the owner."

"Okay, first, young lady, by working here I didn't mean it was a bad place. I meant it was too low for the looks of you. And second, I'm one of the owners."

"Sorry, please, I really need the job. Here I got a letter of recommendation from my last boss. I worked as a waitress at a bar. I'm really good at it."

"This isn't a bar, it's a diner."

"It looks like a bar to me with all these people." She said looking around.

"You know what time it is?"

"No, I forgot my watch."

"It's eleven-fifty. There's a bar next door that opens in ten minutes. These people come here to stay warm. You can wait with them until it opens and go ask for a job there."

"Look, whatever your name is, I'm done with bars, okay? I just need a job. And I am good as a waitress, so please, give me a chance."

"Shawn."

"What?"

"My name is Shawn."

"Ok, Shawn. Are you going to give me a chance?" She said sitting in an empty stool in front of him.

"Wait." He said looking for an application. "Tell me your name."

"Deb..." She thought about it, she was in hiding. She couldn't give her real information. "Desiree Carter." She said using Helga's maiden name.

"Address?"

"Monny's Motel, room 305."

"You are living in a motel?"

"I just got into town."

He looked at her again and shook his head. "Age?"

"Nineteen."

"Your true age, please?" He asked without looking at her.

"I don't look nineteen?"

"No."

"Fine, I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen in two weeks."

"Okay, one last question. How am I sure your folks aren't going to kill me for giving a seventeen year old a job without their consent?" He asked, looking straight at her green eyes. "Or should I call the police now?"

She looked around and found the place empty. No one was around, just silence and Shawn's eyes on her. "Why do you ask that?"

"I know you ran away from home."

"What makes you think that?"

"You are wealthy, I know by the way you dress, you act and that car you're driving. You're seventeen, living in a motel and desperately looking for a job. What am I going to think? That you got tired of living the way you live?"

"Exactly."

"Look, I don't want any problems. My dad is really sick, almost dying. My mom can't handle this place alone. They expect me to take over the place, but if I screw up, we lose this."

"You're not going to screw up. My mother died a long time ago. My dad only cares about himself. No one is going to come looking for me. So, please, Shawn. I can't live at the motel forever."

"Okay, fine. I'll give you a chance, but the first sign of trouble and you're out of here. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"You can call me Shawn."

"When can I start?"

"Tomorrow at five am. Let me get you a uniform."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She said, grabbing the uniform.

"Wait, I'll walk you to your car."

"It's fine, it's just across the street."

"I better have you safe in here tomorrow." He walked her to the car and said goodnight, regretting giving her the job. He just hated rich girls, but this one seemed different. She was hiding something and he was going to find out what it was.