And Something Good Happens

Chapter 1: Jerks in the Diner

              "Cady!” My boss bellowed from behind the counter. “Cover table five.” I retied the apron around my waist and grabbed a fresh note pad. Heading to table five I plastered a fake smile and cited my memorized lines. “Hi. My name is Cady and I’m your waitress tonight. Is there anything I can get you?”

                These guys were jerks. I could tell before they even opened their mouths. The way they sat gave them away. Their smirks and sadistic smiles didn’t help their case at all.

                “Just you hot stuff. Are you on the menu?” A dark haired boy answered while a smirk snaked its way across his too full lips. He waited for approval from his gang of mismatched toys. These boys looked like the left overs in the bottom of the barrel. The kids that nobody else wanted to hang out with. They started to giggle just like a bunch of school girls. This made the guy’s smirk grow ten times larger.

                I was used to this kind of treatment because of my skimpy outfit. The top showed off a good portion of my breast, and the skirt barely covered my entire behind. Sometimes the outfit could work to my advantage though. Tonight it might just do the trick.

                I mentally counted to ten and sucked in a calming breath. “Unfortunately for you, no. Now maybe if you can get yourself under control under the table there, I’ll come back later and we can try again.”

                I sauntered off in a way I knew made my skirt slide up a bit and show off my butt. I could hear the laughter from the rest of the little group and the dark haired boy yelling to, “Shut Up!”

                Mark, my boss, laughed behind the counter. “You know that mouth of yours is going to get you in some real trouble one of these days.” He whipped his hands off and slung the towel back over his shoulder.

                “Who me?” I asked innocently. I splayed my fingers across my chest and acted like I didn’t have the faintest clue about what he was saying.

                “Pull your skirt down shorty and get back to work.” He gently smacked my backside with the dish towel and started preparing another order.

                I saluted him and grabbed a tray. “Sir yes sir.” I giggled as I got back to work.

                Since my mom left me with my dad and sister I came to work here, for Mark. He is really nice to me and treats me as if I were his own daughter.

                My dad was depressed at first and quit his job. My sister, Jaylee, started working at a strip club for money. We had to eat and one parent being gone was bad enough, but for the most part both of ours were MIA.

                Eventually dad got out of his funk and started to hit us. I always had bruises and cuts. I got to where I would wear long sleeves all the time to hide the damage from my father’s fist. I was in all the clubs and in the middle of everything at school. After Dad started to hit us it lowered my self-esteem and I dropped out of everything. I was nothing more than a ghost in my shell.

                Our neighbors called child services and he got arrested. It had already been two years since he started to hit us. Jaylee was eighteen. She decided to keep looking out for me and we stayed in the house.

It’s hard for us to pay the bills, but we get by. Jaylee still has to work at the strip club, but since I started working here, at Mark’s Dinner, things have been better and she doesn’t have to take as many shifts.

I drug myself out of my thoughts and walked over to my favorite customer Mr. Albert. “Hey Mr. Albert. What can I get for you, the usual?” I asked him with a genuine smile. He was an elderly man that’s family had all but passed away. He was pretty much on his own, and I could relate.

“Cady.” He said my name with a smile. His voice was the only one that could say my name so warmly. I looked at this man as a sort of grandfather. “Why you get pretty everyday my dear.”

“Thank you Mr. Albert, and may I say, you don’t look a day over 50.” I smiled and sat down in front of him.

                Mr. Albert laughed and said, “Cady Worth now don’t you go telling those lies.”

                “I won’t Mr. Albert, but it’s the truth. You look great. I hope I age as well as you did.” I stood back up and began to write down his order.

                “You need to come and visit me sometime dear. I haven’t seen you in ages. Well, don’t let an old man like me hold you up, back to work with you.” He flashed me a dentured smile and nodded me off.

                I giggled and walked towards the counter. “I’ll be back with your pumpkin pie and coffee.”

                After I handed the order over to Mark I headed back to table five. I was only going to talk to these bozos one more time. They better not waste their last chance. “Alright, let’s try this again. Hi. My name is Cady and I’m your waitress tonight. Is there anything I can get you?”

                The dark haired boy didn’t speak. Aww, I guess I crushed his tiny ego. A boy with fair hair and a light sprinkle of freckles said, “You sure can. We’ll have two Cokes and three Dr.Peppers.”

                Now this boy knew how to talk and not get his teeth knocked out of his head. “Is that all, and would you like ice?”

                There was a bit of discussion before it was decided they were just getting drinks and they all wanted ice. “That’ll be 8.76$. I’ll be right back with your order.”

                The boys left and I ended my shift. I went into the changing room and quickly stripped out of my outfit and changed into my street cloths. Oh how much more comfortable I felt in them. I said a quick goodbye to Mark and the rest of the staff and headed out the rear exit.

                The door had just shut when dark haired boy slammed me up against a wall. “Let’s see if that smart mouth can help you now.”