Terrible Habits

Hard Knock Life.

Lenny

It's been eleven days since I've heard from my family. It's been two days since I've had a drink. Now that's what I call progress.

I bump my leg up and down against the desk in my room and stare at the blank walls. When I first moved in, I had imagined the pictures that would fill it. The only pictures that I have on my phone were pictures of Kylie and Tate. They weren't even friends...not anymore. I twirled my phone in my hand, resisting the urge to call Tate. I know that if I do, I won't have enough money for rent and that is something that I desperately need.

Which reminds me, I have my interview....I look at the clock, in fifteen minutes. I quickly throw on a rain jacket, trekking into the rain and down six blocks to the small diner at the end of the road. Luke got me the interview and it was for a job that I wasn't even qualified for; a waitress. I distinctly remember filling out the application, especially the part that read must have three years experience in the food industry. Yeah right.

But I'm going because it's a job and when I opened my drawer of money left over, I have exactly a fifteen hundred dollars left, after I cashed the check from Hadley. 

I heave open the glass door, eager to be in the warm interior of the diner. The walls are decorated in 1940s pin up girls and post cards from WWII. It looks like the menu solely consists of burgers, fries and shakes. The whole restaurant smells fried. I shake the rain and water from my coat.

"Hi, I'm here for Georgia," I ask the lady behind the counter and she smiles, asking me to wait. I lean up against the counter and look around at the customers. They are mostly older couples and families.

"Eleanor?" I hear someone address me.

"Lenny," I correct her shyly and smile.

"Oh that's right, Luke told me that's what you prefer," she smiles. Georgia is probably in her late sixties with blonde gray hair pulled back into a bun. I could tell that she was quite the catch in her younger days. "Right this way," she leads me to a booth and I slide in.

"So how long have you known Luke?" she asks.

"About two weeks," I say and she smiles.

"He is a fine young man, brings his brother here every Saturday just like his father used to bring him here."

Oh, I didn't known he came here with his father.

"Yeah, he is," I say, because I'm not entirely sure how to respond. I haven't seen Luke since I moved in. A part of me wonders if I was just his good deed of the day. A wrong that he made in his past life that he felt obligated to fix. I squirm in my seat, trying to refocus on her questions.

"Do you have any prior restaurant experience?"

"Um, not really," I say because I kind of hate this place and the fact that I have to seek employment from a diner. She looks up from her paper.

"What about any other type of work experience?"

"Zero," I reply honestly again and this time she holds my stare.

"Do you want to provide any sort of reasoning why I should hire you?"

"You are down a waiter and I have two hands and a semi-working brain," I say and I she stares at me before finally smiling.

"I like you," she says and writes something down on her piece of paper. "And although you come with no work experience and you are what, 22-years old?"

"21," I say and she nods.

"I am desperate," she looks up again. "Can you start next week?"

"Sure," I shrug. I sign a few pages of paperwork, shake her hand and I am back out the door with a schedule that requires me to be responsible and on-time three days a week. I shove the paper in my purse and pretend to forget about it for a few days.

I should feel relief that I have a job to pay the bills, buy things that I need. I should feel this way, but I don't. I was kind of hoping that she would laugh in my face and tell me to get lost. I've never held a job in my life. Jobs means reliability and dependability, both not my strong suits.

I walk through the rain soaked sidewalks of downtown Seattle, kicking the puddles with my feet. I really didn't mind the fact that I wasn't wearing boots and that my Michael Kors flats were getting wet sewage water on them. I can't even remember when I got these shoes anyways. For some reason remembering the date and location of where I got the shoes was on my mind the last three blocks....until I heard a whistle behind me.

I spin around and I see Tate leaning out the car window. His black hair, falling just above his eyes as he flips it out of his face, grinning from ear to ear.

Shit.

I thought that if I was off the radar he wouldn't find me.

Don't panic. The voice echoes through my head, he would know something was wrong if I ran.

"What the fuck are you doing on the street? Cause you know I don't share." he smiles, shutting the door of the car behind me, sauntering across the street towards me.

"Good one," I force a laugh as he approaches me.

He stops in front of me and I look up. Tate was huge, his 6'5" frame towering over me and he was hot, the kind of hot that made girls drop their panties with one look at him. He bit his lip that made his hoop ring attached to it move.

"You didn't show at Kylie's last night," he starts and a part of me is relieved. Kylie didn't tell anyone...yet.

"Yeah, I had this stupid family charity," I lie, flipping my hand away to dismiss it.

"Well you missed out," he smiles, looking down on me. "Speaking of, you got that grand that you owe me?"

"Shit, I forgot," I lie and grab the wad of cash that I just cashed out of the check from Hadley. I almost visibly cringe handing it over to him.

"Sweet," he grabs it and pushes in into his back pocket. "You coming out tonight?"

"I was thinking about it," I lie and press my arms together so that he can see my chest, usually he gets to the point faster when he is tempted.

"You should," he grabs my hand and winks. "52nd and Wabash, text me I gotta run," he smiles, once side of his mouth pulls up farther than the other.

"Bye," I smile and wave as he gets into his car and revs the engine, propelling down the street.

My smile and my shoulders fall as soon as his car disappears from site and I shiver. A part of me wanted to run back to the apartment, the nearly full pill bottle that I jacked from Hadley is sitting in my top drawer. I could waste the day away, not that the day didn't deserve to be wasted, it was starting to rain again this time falling down like a mist. I turn my head around and I recognize the street. I am close to the precinct, maybe Luke is working.

Before I can convince myself that it is a bad idea I turn down the road.