Chapter 4 – The Waitress

Den's Diner was situated on the corner of a busy intersection and was crowded with customers when Tru arrived. She ordered breakfast and sat down in a recently vacated booth at the far side of the room, directly opposite the door. From her position she had a clear view of most of the diner with the advantage of being hidden from view if she moved just a little to her right. Sipping her coffee, she looked discreetly round the room but could not see Cassie anywhere about.

"You're late!" a loud male voice barked out. Tru looked towards the door and quickly scooted across her seat and out of sight when she saw Cassie rushing in the door with a dry cleaning bag that she quickly pushed out of sight in the back room. She returned to the counter a minute later, having donned her uniform and grabbed a pad and pencil.

She wondered how Cassie would feel if she suddenly approached the counter. After the previous evening she wondered whether it was a good idea to come here and risk having food thrown back at her. But realistically there was no other lead she could take without asking Harrison where Cassie lived or worked and he thought she was an interior designer. No, she reasoned, there was no option other than to come to the diner this morning.

Finishing her coffee quickly she made a move to stand up when a familiar voice rang out from the entrance. Sitting back again Tru watched as Harrison walked across to the counter and took a seat across from where Cassie was standing.

Unsure what to do, Tru sat back and decided to observe for a moment before making her presence known.

"The usual?" Cassie asked brightly. Tru frowned from her seat. So Harrison had been here often enough to be a regular customer. And Cassie was happy to see him, and didn't appear even remotely worried that he might have found out about her date the previous evening. She continued to watch them as she tried to figure out what it was that was wrong, besides the obvious. It was something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something that was, off. She just couldn't figure out what.

Cassie served Harrison and poured him a coffee before placing a piece of paper in front of him.

"You expect me, your boyfriend, to pay for breakfast?" Harrison asked with a grin.

"That's not for your meal," Cassie replied. "That's what you owe me for dry cleaning."

"What?" Harrison asked with a bewildered look on his face. Tru suspected her own expression was of a similar nature.

"My dry cleaning bill," Cassie repeated patiently. "For my black dress. The one I was wearing last night when your sister Tru decided to throw a bowl of soup over me."

"Tru did what?" Harrison laughed.

"Threw a bowl of vegetable soup over me," said Cassie as she leaned forward over the counter. "In defence of your honour, hence it is now your bill."

"I'm confused," Harrison said as he shook his head as though to clear it.

Tru listened in amazement as Cassie provided Harrison with the full details of the events of the previous evening. There was not a hint of remorse in her words. If anything she sounded amused by the whole business, although rather annoyed about the soup. Tru drew in a sharp breath and waited for Harrison's reaction. Even so she was not ready for his joyful laughter resounding through the diner.

"If I get this job, I'll pay for the dry cleaning," Harrison offered once he had finally finished laughing. "Deal?"

"And if you don't get the job?" Cassie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Then I'll buy you lunch." Harrison grinned. "I think I can stretch my budget to cover a bowl of vegetable soup."

"Okay," Cassie agreed with a matching grin. "On one condition. You tell Tru the truth...today."

Harrison stood up and nodded. "I'll sort it," he agreed.

"Really, Harrison," Cassie insisted.

"Okay, okay. Now are you going to wish me luck?" he asked as he headed for the door.

"Good luck," Cassie called with a shake of her head and a small smile.

It was only then that Tru finally realised what it was that had seemed strange about the two of them this morning. Whenever they had been together before they had been the most clingy couple she had ever known. This morning Harrison had not given his girlfriend so much as a peck on the cheek.

She was about to follow after Harrison when she realised that Cassie was heading in her direction. Sitting back she watched her pass by with a coffee and donut and take a seat in the adjacent booth with another of the waitresses.

Tru realised that she was trapped and couldn't leave without Cassie seeing her and realising that she had been blatantly spying on her and her brother.