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Melanie used her hand totoothe table, wiped it down, and shuffled off to take an order for a party of three that had just seated themselves Melanie could fool herself all she wanted, but Jessie was not under any illusions Money coot home she had a paper to complete She would ace her business class, but she need a few shots of caffeine to keep her going tonight

She couldn't wait until the day she could say goodbye to Burt's Diner

Chapter Two

It o o'clock in theheavy and, bit by bit, her brain was shutting down After coht home from a hectic double shift at the diner, she had stayed up late working on an assignment that was due the next day The diner had been extre around like a reasy food in and out of the kitchen She was exhausted, to say the least, and caffeine had stopped helping hours ago

Jessie slouched over her desk, mentally and physically drained, and replayed the events of her shift in her mind The television in the diner had its sound ame Burt was usually quite strict when it ca his beloved Cubs Whenever a game was on, he'd crank the set so he could hear it clearly fro around for hours on end, and since the diner sold alcohol ood

“I hate this,” Jessie had commented to Melanie

Melanie had laughed it off, saying, “You better get used to it, girl Until Prince Char sweeps you off your feet, this is your life”

Jessie lost her temper with her snide coworker and shouted back “Look, can fantasize about so you away froet out of here on ot it?”

“Oh, really?” Melanie had placed her pudgy fists onto her large hips and inding her neck around in an effort to relieve the stress and strain of carrying heavy plates of food all day

“Yes, really,” Jessie had continued “It's about tis For Christ's sake, stop relying on your precious Twitter in your pathetic atteet a life of your own, already, you dumb bit—”

Burt burst through the swinging door and dragged Jessie back into the kitchen to chew her out As always, she was the one on the receiving end of his repriet off with a slap on the wrist, if that

“Listen, I didn't employ you to be a side show for my customers Take orders, serve the food, and clear the tables That's all you have to do Consider this a warning, Jessie I've got a business to run, and this isn't a boxing ring for you and Melanie”

She had no choice but to bite her tongue She needed the diner A part-time job with decent tips was hard to coh college

Jessie's eyes sprang open and she realized she had briefly fallen asleep at her desk With a yawn, she got back to work and son into bed and falling into a deep sleep within seconds

Unfortunately, with her otten to set her alar Before her classes she was scheduled to work the breakfast shift at Burt's Diner bright and early, but she had overslept by an hour and woke in a panic

Burt was not ih the doors at seven thirty in thewhen she should have been there at six He stared at his watch and scowled at Jessie, who quickly put on her apron and did the best she could to catch up on the orders that had been piling up Melanie was the only other waitress on staff that , and the breakfast rush was chaotic as always

“I'rily She worked straight through her shift with no break, and after punching out she plopped down in one of the back roo chairs and nodded off for nearly an hour When she awoke to Burt nudging her, the lunch crowd already begun bustling in She had completely missed her bus to school, and with the next bus not scheduled for another forty-five minutes, she knew she'd never ns and her life was beginning to suffer from the lack of sleep

It was during the diner's afternoon rush when things went froant wolasses to the tip of her nose, and began scanning the rooer She was completely out of her ele the usual patrons thanks to her expensive designer clothes and five inch-high heels Without so h she could be featured on the cover of a glaht away, but couldn't place how she knew the wo familiar about her flawless face

Suddenly she ree from the previous day This was Kimberly Harwood; ex-supermodel wife of John Harwood, the billionaire banker What the hell was she doing in a seedy little din

er, and as she glaring at Jessie as if she recognized her as well?

Ki loudly on her cell phone, h she had clocked out, Jessie was holding tls of soup that she had planned on delivering to table eight before grabbing her bag froet the sleep she so desperately needed With everyone in the diner noare of the celebrity's presence, a hushed silence fell across the roolamorous Kimberly marched over to her with an obvious fury in her stride

“You!” Kier in Jessie's face

“Can I help you?” Jessie answered in shock while glancing around the diner, her eyes landing on her boss as standing just outside of the kitchen with a growing look of agitation spreading across his face

“The only way you can help me is to keep your skanky ass away from my husband” Kimberly's voice was loud and shrill, and from the back of the restaurant Jessie heard the faint sound of so a photo

“Your your husband?” Jessie stuttered and looked at Burt, who had taken a few steps closer and now looked irate

“You think I don't know about the affair you're having with him? You could have been a bit subtle” Kis about sleeping with astupid you didn't think I'd see it?” Jessie could sreasy food

“I really don't knohat you're talking about, lady,” Jessie replied in confusion, still holding the bowls of soup “I think you have the wrong person”

“Jessica Drew, right?“ Kimberly sneered, clearly still incensed

“That's me,” Jessie answered with her face still full of confusion