Stephanie's POV

I woke feeling rested and the anxiety I had been feeling ever since leaving Trenton seemed to be easing. After showering and dressing I made my way back to "Jake's Diner" where I ate yesterday, to see what they had as a breakfast special. It was pancakes, hash brown and coffee. Perfect.

I had finished eating and was sipping my refill of coffee when Betty, the waitress from yesterday, slid into the seat opposite me.

"You're back hon! How was breakfast?" She asked, looking me over as though to see if I was OK.

"Yes I'm back, and breakfast was delicious." There's nothing like pancakes with maple syrup to lift your mood. I might not have felt talkative yesterday but Betty seemed down to earth and genuine and I knew I was going to be a regular here.

"I saw you walk up from Ernie's motel this morning. Ernie's my ex brother-in-law, he and my sister divorced years ago… but he's a good guy, and that's a story for another time. He tells me you might be looking for work?" Betty asked.

Her comments took me by surprise. The tone of her voice sounded like she might have a job lead. My breath hitched and I put my coffee cup down, scared that I might spill it.

"um, yeah….I've just moved here and I'm hoping to find some work. Do you know of anyone hiring?"

Betty eyed me closely as she responded. "Maybe. But why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself first."

Crap. I immediately felt deflated and dropped my eyes to the table. I couldn't lie to this woman, she was generous and kind yesterday and I was pretty sure my thoughts and emotions were completely transparent at the moment.

I took a deep breath and looked out the window to avoid eye contact, but before I could answer Betty spoke again. "What are you running from hon?"

I swallowed hard before answering. I was right, I was totally transparent and readable. "A broken heart. A life of lies," I gave a small shrug, "take your pick." I turned my attention back to my coffee cup and could feel Betty's eyes still on me. We sat quietly for a moment until Betty broke the silence.

"Have you ever waited tables, or been a short order cook?" I gave a small huff of scepticism at this question. I'd waited tables and tended bar during my college years but my lack of abilities in the kitchen left a lot to be desired.

"I've waited tables, and I can wash dishes, but I have very limited cooking skills." I replied honestly. I couldn't help the little spark of hope that flared that Betty might need some help at the diner. But I wouldn't mislead her into thinking I could cook.

Betty seemed to give my reply some careful consideration before continuing the conversation.

"Ernie told me you booked into the motel under the name Stephanie Michaels. Is that your real name?"

Crap, this is going to blow any chance I have of getting a job in this town.

"No." I whispered, feeling my cheeks suffuse with colour from embarrassment.

"So the person or persons you're hiding from, are they violent?" Betty asked.

My shocked reply was genuine, "No! No…never. They would never hurt me, at least not physically, ….unless you count a broken heart ..." and my eyes dropped again to the table.

"So why are you hiding?" She asked with quiet concern.

I really didn't want to answer these questions but I felt if I didn't then I would have no chance of getting a job in this town. It was crunch time and I was going to have to trust some strangers if I wanted to move forward with my life.

The diner was gradually emptying from the breakfast trade and so I decided it was now or never. I sat up, looked at Betty … and said in one breath…

"My boyfriend cheated on me, my best friend lied to me, my life sucked, I'm starting over, and I don't want to be found." Saying it out loud was harder than I thought. I started to gather my bag to leave because I could feel the tears about to start again. I hadn't cried in several days and I did not want to start again here in public.

Betty reached out and grabbed my hand to stop me leaving.

"Oh hon I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She motioned for one of the other waitresses to bring a refill for my coffee. I clenched my jaw and shut my eyes until I felt I was in control again. I heard the waitress fill my cup and leave, and after a couple of deep breaths I opened my eyes again.

"Sugar?" Betty asked, grabbing the bowl and spoon to fix my coffee. All I could do was nod. "Just one?" another nod accompanied by a rather un-lady-like sniff. Betty handed over the napkin dispenser as well. I took one and dabbed at my eyes and nose.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm not used to talking about it. But Stephanie is my real name" and I tried to manage a weak smile to put Betty at ease.

"Well Stephanie, I'm sorry I upset you. I didn't mean to pry, but when Ernie said you may be looking for work I wondered if you might be interested in waiting tables here. I can't pay much but I could offer you a temporary place to stay and meals with a small wage, in exchange for your help in the diner."

My heart started beating rapidly, this was almost too good to be true.

"I'd love to … but … you don't even know me."

Betty let out a sigh and a smile and explained her reasoning.

"Well hon, Jake and I have owned this diner for 30 years, and I've come to be a pretty good judge of character. Yesterday you looked like you might have been a bit down on your luck but you were polite and respectful and still went out looking for a job. And you seemed to genuinely appreciate my chocolate cream pie" she finished with a smile. "The downturn in the economy has hit this town hard, … like many towns I suppose, and a lot of the young people have left to find work elsewhere and those that remain seem to object to working weekends and think tasks like mopping floors and wiping tables is beneath them." "How about you? Do you think you would be interested?"

My heart was pounding and I could have leapt over the table and hugged Betty but I thought that might be a bit much. Instead I managed to take a shaky breath and tell her that I would love nothing better than to work for her.

Betty went and got another cup and a pot of coffee and returned so we could work out details of my employment. It turned out that she lived next door and the accommodation on offer was a small self-contained trailer in her back yard. The trailer was old but clean, it was retro just like the diner, and it was perfect. She was willing to pay me cash and let me work under my assumed name. The only thing I had to do was pay for the waitress uniform, and Betty was willing to let me pay that off with hours worked.

We agreed that I would start tomorrow after the breakfast shift when it was quieter and I could learn the ropes. If all went well for a week I could move into the trailer in Betty's yard.

Knowing that my meals were taken care of for the next few days I went back to the motel and paid Ernie for another week of accommodation. I felt like I was floating. I hadn't felt this light or such relief in weeks. Things were starting to fall in place.

TBC