At 22, Skyler had a lot going for her. She was beautiful, shoulder length blonde locks, blue piercing eyes and a wide smile paired with a set of full pink lips. Young, smart and a whole life ahead of her. Although, that isn't how she felt.

Skyler came from a torn family, one where her father wasn't present and her mother was just scraping by. She was the first to attend college, and she would make sure her younger sister followed suit. But she couldn't focus on Marie right now, she had to focus on herself.

Skyler was attending University of New Mexico near Los Alamos, a small campus that had just what she was looking for: creative writing. Skyler was a writer who wanted to draw from her talents and develop short stories, although she wasn't sure that it would pay the bills. But while she was nervous, Skyler was passionate and she would do what she wanted, even if it meant scraping by for a while.

To pay her current bills, Skyler worked as a hostess at the nearest diner, Red Moon. Yes, it wasn't the best job; the hours were long, the cooks were snotty and the men that came in from the nearby areas wouldn't leave her alone; but the job allowed her to help pay tuition and have a sense of control in her life.

After four months of working there, Skyler finally felt more comfortable. As spring rolled around, and April rolled into May, Skyler had received a raise and was now the head hostess, which meant she could do as she pleased and choose her own hours. She had more freedom, yes, but that didn't mean she would work any less. Skyler was often clocking 30 hours a week, along with classes; she barely had time for herself. The most she had time for was a quick phone call with Marie and maybe some catching up with her girlfriends on a Saturday night. Other than that, she didn't have time for anything else. And that was fine.

That was until one day in May, a group of three men walked into the diner and it would change her life. Forever.

The bell rang over the door as the three guys enter. Skyler's head popped up, scanning each man as he walked to the podium. One had very large ears and a big goofy grin, the other a plain blonde, and the last… the last had Skyler's glance much longer than the others.

This man was different than the other two. He seemed quiet, his hair a dark auburn, thick locks covering his head. His face and arms covered in light freckles, as they poked from the forest green t-shirt taught across his chest. Skyler felt herself blush, as the man slowly brought his gaze to meet hers, a smile formed by his thin lips and the mustache he wore. Skyler moved her gaze to the other men, but her mind was focused on him.

"Welcome to Red Moon. Dining in, I assume?" Skyler asked. The guy with the big ears smiled and responded, asking if they might sit by the booth near the window "Of course. This way". Skyler walked the men over, feeling eyes from someone on her. She turned to her right, as the auburn man quickly turned his head, and his stride went to just one ahead of hers. She sat them, handed the menus, and went back to the podium.

About forty minutes later, the three men got up to leave. The other two took lead, as the one stayed seating for a moment then followed behind, sending one last look in the direction of Skyler. He smiled softly, then turned his head, walking out the door. Skyler smiled to herself, and returned to the crossword she had been working on.

Even a week later, Skyler still hadn't forgotten about that handsome man that had been in. Tuesday at around 1, the shift slowed up a bit for Skyler to work on her crossword. Her eyes drifted downward, for a while and then a name called her from the back. A waitress took her spot, and Skyler went to handle a question from a cook. As she walked to the kitchen, the bell rang and she turned her head to see the man she had seen just the week before. Skyler gripped her fist, annoyed that she had been stripped away from the opportunity to share word with this meek and attractive stranger. She heard him ask for a seat at the bar, and she grit her teeth walking to the back.

Shortly after, Skyler took her place at the end of the bar where the podium was. She caught sight of her stranger. He ate a grilled cheese, flipping through the newspaper and obviously out of touch with his surroundings. Skyler eyed him for a while, and then turned quickly as he raised his head to ask the waitress for another cup of coffee. She fumbled, looking for her crossword and she felt the pair of eyes latch onto her again.

Weeks went by, and every Tuesday and Thursday when Skyler worked, the man would come back. Little by little, his seating at the counter would change, and Skyler became more invested. Soon, she noticed that he too was doing the crossword puzzles and she then realized that this was no coincidence.

It had now been a month since the first day Walter had walked into Red Moon Diner. Skyler was anxious, waiting for the right opportunity to talk with him, and today just so happened to be the day. Through the window, she watched her interest lock his bike and stroll through the door. He looked up, waved a hello and a soft smile, then took a seat at the counter only a few stools away from where Skyler was. He ordered his usual, and then pulled out the paper, flipping to the crossword. A few minutes after, Skyler opened hers.

Walter waited, and then slowly looked up, turning his head to face Skyler. "Six Across. A four letter word for veers the other way?" Skyler turned her head to face him and she softly smiled.

"ZAGS". She replied, and quickly turned her head back to her own crossword to hide the blush on her face. We're getting somewhere, Skyler thought to herself.

END CHAPTER ONE