DARK QUEST (Sample)

Chapter Twenty Nine

Evelyn slipped into her jacket and sauntered to the counter. Most of the waitresses were turning the chairs upside down and positioning it on the edges of the tables in the center of the room except the stationed couches and tables by the walls that took at least four people at once. The diner was deserted and they were all ready to call it a night. She sighed as she checked her wrist watch again and realized that it was past eleven pm. Tony had his elbows on the counter and was smoking like he did almost every closing hour. "Hey." She said softly to him, feeling tired.

He sipped from his glass of scotch and smiled at her. "You look like you need a damn good sleep."

She yawned into her fist. "You bet."

He looked around and asked. "I don't see Jalil."

"He is supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago." She glanced at the door as if hoping Jalil would make an appearance just then. "Must be caught up with something." She said and leaned her side and her arm on the counter.

"I could give you a ride back to the dorm." Tony quickly offered.

"No." She shook her head. "I'll wait for ten more minutes and if he still doesn't show up, I'm going to grab a cab." She glanced back at the table where Nigel had sat and she swallowed hard. After she had caught him coming out of the changing room, she had totally ignored him and he had tried all to no avail to get her attention and after a while, he had given up and had left.

"Are you certain?" Tony asked.

She turned her attention back to him and said. "I know you have a date with with Samantha." She gestured at a brunette who just started working in the diner a fortnight ago. She knew Tony was interested in her. "I'm not going to be the reason for you to stand her up."

Tony smiled warmly and dragged at his cigarette again. "I'd love to do just that for you but thanks for understanding."

She smiled and looked around. "I don't see Jen around, she left already?" She scanned the diner for her.

"Her husband came to pick her up a while ago." Tony said and gulped down his scotch.

"Hey Eve." Sam came around and said to Evelyn who smiled at her and she leaned on the counter with one of her sneaker-feet jutting up as she beamed at Tony who was grinning like a boy. "Hey, I'm ready, you?"

Tony crushed out the cigarette in the ashtray and flinched his brows eagerly. "Gimme five minutes." He slipped out from the counter and disappeared towards the direction of his office while Samantha refilled the glass with some scotch and settled down on a stool next to Evelyn and began to sip it.

Evelyn grew weary of waiting so she leaned away from the counter after glancing at her wristwatch for the fourth time since closing hour. "I had better get going, Sam." She said. "Tell Tony that I've left, when he returns."

"Sure will." Samantha said halfheartedly and continued sipping while Evelyn made for the door. She stepped out of the diner and paused. The night air was chilly and she pulled her jacket tightly around her body. Most of the shops had closed but the street lights still brightened most of the place. She looked left for any sign of Jalil but saw nothing. She resigned to her fate and began to walk on the curb. It would take twenty five minutes on foot to get to her dorm and she was not going to ruin Tony's date or stand out there and freeze to death waiting for Jalil.

She continued to walk alone on the quiet street when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and frowned when she recognized her unwanted escort. "What are you still doing around?"

"I hung around waiting for you." Nigel fell in step beside her. "I realized that if you won't talk to me while on duty, I could as well wait till you closed from work."