Pawn of the Billionaire (2 page)

I
screwed
my hair back into an untidy bun and made a face at myself in the small mirror that was just too low to see my face in unless I stooped. God! I hated my life at the moment. Long hours, crap job, too tired in the evenings to study my way out and onto better things.

But I had to keep this job, keep this roof over my head, and my bills paid. It was lucky that I only lived a few minutes walk from the diner. Most rooms this close to the hospital were too expensive, but nurses wouldn’t stand for crap places like this. I looked around with disgust at where I had to live. It was hard to keep it clean, all the surfaces were so grimy from years of neglect. And there was no storage for my belongings, even though I didn’t have much.

I gritted my jaw. I would get out of this somehow. I really would. I’d got a great idea. I just had to make it work. I shrugged my shoulders into my coat and held it tightly around myself as I strode along the sidewalk, head down against the usual rain. Even when it wasn’t raining here in San Francisco, it was so humid, I usually wished it was raining.

Turning into the diner, I was hit by the warmth from the kitchen and the stale, greasy smell from the back storage area. I didn’t have long before some of the families would be in for breakfast. They had such bad luck with their sick kids, and most of them had little money left for their own food. The hospital cafeteria cost too much, so they’d come in here. Some of them came back month after month, a long downward spiral of losing hope. Then they’d stop coming, and I’d know that they’d lost their child. I shivered as I hung my coat up. It was depressing. I had to stop getting too involved in people’s lives.

I swung through to the kitchen. “Morning, Pete.” The junior chef’s life was probably worse than mine, and I tried to keep his spirits up and the atmosphere sweet.

He glanced up. “Hello, Toni. Nearly ready.” He was so nice. A bacon sandwich each morning meant I didn’t have to have breakfast before I came to work.

“Thanks, hun. I’ll make some tea.” I shoved the teapot under the urn and grabbed a couple of teabags. It was relaxed here until about nine when Marco the owner would show up.

I went back out to the front. Checking that all the chairs were set straight and the night girl had wiped the tables down properly, I wondered if that chap in the suit from yesterday would be back.

He’d been so out of place, sitting silently. Typing on a laptop, for God’s sake! In here. He stuck out while he sat watching, drinking three mugs of coffee. He’d given me the shivers, though. I’d felt he was watching me, and I couldn’t think why.

I’d even asked Marco if it was him, arranging to check up on me, and he’d growled at me.

“I can watch you for myself, girl. You’re all right here, even if you do talk too much to the customers. At least it means they keep loyal.”

I’d had to accept that as a back-handed compliment, and I’d shrugged off thoughts of the odd guy, and carried on with my day.

I went to the back and took a bite from my sandwich before pouring out the tea. I took Pete his mug while he was busy topping up the oil in the fryer. Then I heard the main door swing open.

“Here we go.” I stopped for another bite, and swallowed it quickly before going through. These were a couple I knew from the last few weeks. They were with another couple, who stood nervously behind them.

I smiled. “Good morning.” I looked the first woman in the eye. “What sort of night did he have?”

“Oh, not so bad.” Her face was thin and anxious. “He starts a new round of chemo today and he’s really cross.”

“Oh, you poor things.” I led them over to their usual table. “They always take it out on their parents.”

“I know. We had to get out for a bit.” She shivered. “We’ll be busy the rest of the day.”

“Yup.” I waited. “You want your usual?”

“Yes. Thanks.” She looked over at the other couple. “We told these people that it’s cheap and filling here, and that you keep an eye out for us.”

I smiled over at them. “You got a kid on the same ward?”

“Yes,” the woman whispered. “She was admitted yesterday. We don’t know what’s going to happen.” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

“Okay. Well you sit down here, and have a look at the menu. A good breakfast will set you up for the day. Shall I get you tea or coffee to start?”

“Coffee, please.”

“All right. Coming right up.” I swung through to the back, my own problems receding a bit. I knew what they’d be going through right now from when Mom had first been diagnosed, then the long slide down to losing her, always hoping that this treatment would work, this one would save her.

I looked through the small hatch as the door swung again. It was old Sam, carrying all his worldly possessions in two plastic bags. Awkwardly, he pushed through, both bags in his left hand, his right sleeve swinging empty. I hurried through.

“Here you go, Sam. I’ll take those for you.” I was the only person he let help him, he’d growl at anyone else, but he had a big soft spot for me, and I always gave him his coffee before Marco got here, and then he’d fill up all day with the free refills. He beamed at me as best he could, and shuffled through to the men's room where he’d try and tidy himself up a bit. I dumped his bags on the floor by the table where he always sat. His entire life revolved around the diner. Day after day he’d be here. Damn, I didn’t want my life to be like that. I went to get his coffee while thinking hard. What was the next thing I needed to do with my plan? My plan to escape this dead-end job. My dead-end life.

It was still quite early, and I was busy with the breakfasts, when the door swung again. I glanced idly out, and my heart sank. It was the tall, out-of-place guy who’d been watching me yesterday. I scowled, and turned away. Let him find his own seat. I picked up the plates as Pete slid them onto the hot server, looking them over to remind myself which customer they belonged to.

I hit the door with my ass to swing out with both hands full of plated meals and I was hit with a sudden tingling sensation. Oh, God, what was it? I looked around. The man standing by the door waiting to be seated wasn’t the guy from yesterday. He looked just as uncomfortable, but fucking hell, this man was hot! I swallowed hard and forced my eyes away from him. I served the silent couple at their usual table and smiled mechanically at them. “Any extra table condiments?”

“No. Thanks, Toni. We’re fine.”

I nodded and went over towards the door. “Can I help you?”

I could feel my heart beginning to race out of my control, and my panties dampened. I wasn’t used to this. I had little time to meet men, go to parties. But here was someone who just by being here was making me feel like a teenager again.

He was staring at me too. He looked — I don’t know. He looked shattered. I had to pull myself together.

“You here for coffee, sir?” I asked and gestured towards the back table.

He started. “Oh. Yes, thanks.” I could see him pulling himself together. “Yes, coffee, please.” His voice was quiet, authoritative but sexy, with the faint English accent of someone who’d been over here for some years.

“Coming right up.” I swung to the back and made his coffee, finding myself choosing one of the newest mugs.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” I called to the boy’s father, who was waiting to pay for their breakfast. I knew I had to concentrate. Everyone said I was clumsy, and the one thing I didn’t want to do was tip coffee over the sexiest man I’d ever seen in here.

“There you go, sir.” I put the mug in front of him. “The menu’s there if you want anything to eat.” I glanced at his face, and then looked away fast. He was studying me curiously. I wondered for a moment if I’d got something on my face or my makeup had smeared. My insides clenched.

I hurried over to the register, feeling my face burning.

“Seven dollars, then.” I took the dad’s ten spot, and gave him his change. His wife came up and stood next to him.

“Try not to worry too much.” I felt so sorry for them. “He’ll take it out on you, because he feels secure enough with you to risk it.” I smiled at them and slammed the register shut.

“Chemo’s horrible, especially when you’re watching your kid go through it.” I made a face. “Tell me how he’s got on in the morning, okay?”

The pale woman smiled back. “We will, Toni. Thank you. You do make things easier for us all. We all tell each other about this place back on the ward.”

Marco was coming in the door at that point. He preened himself. He knew that the extra customers from the oncology ward helped his bottom line. My smile fell from my face and I turned to the back. Marco didn’t realize just how much all this shit affected me, though. I caught a glimpse of the sexy man’s face. He looked thoughtful. I scowled and swung through to the back.

Sitting there with his new clothes, all fitted as if they were made for him. His warm coat, his careful grooming. What the hell was he doing here, messing up my emotions, and making me wonder why he was watching me?

I had to pull myself together. I made Marco his coffee and set a muffin out for him. Then I went out to clear the tables.

Three of the couples had gone almost together, so I stacked the tray high, wiping and cleaning the tables and tidying the sauce bottles.

Sam watched me with his dogged devotion, and I smiled over at him.

“Bit wet outside, Sam.”

“S’right, Toni.” Sam had his hand curled around his mug. “Nice an’ warm in here though.” He gazed at me. “You okay today? You look a bit … different.”

“I’m fine Sam. You enjoy your coffee.” I couldn’t deny I felt a bit light-headed. I wondered what the well-dressed guy was doing here. He didn’t seem to be doing anything, except sitting and looking around. Why? Why was he here?

I loaded the last few items onto the tray and lifted it carefully. It was a bit fuller than usual, everyone seemed to have wanted extra toast, and those little plates made the stacking harder.

I couldn’t stop it. As I wriggled past the tables, I could see the cutlery sliding. “Damn!” I managed to keep the word under my breath, but both Sam and sexy man looked around.

As the silverware rained to the floor, Sam struggled to his feet. “Let me help.”

“No! No, Sam!” I hissed at him. “Sit back up, or I’ll get into trouble.” And he sat back, uncertain, because he knew what was likely to happen.

“Toni! Not again!” Marco’s voice roared out from the kitchen, and I made a face at the offending items.

Dumping the tray on the nearest empty table, I crouched down to pick up the silverware. My head met the stranger’s with what would have been a sickening crunch if he hadn’t seen me coming and jerked backwards.

“I’m sorry, sir. Thank you for helping.” I gritted my teeth. “I can manage, though. Please sit down.”

His face was expressionless. He nodded “All right, then. If you’re sure?”

I looked up, caught his eye. Suddenly I felt the world teeter. My whole world seemed to change in an instant. How the hell had I only just found out that love across a crowded room was a real thing? As my eyes met his, it seemed as if I already knew him.
Stupid girl!
I dropped my eyes fast. I couldn’t think like this, there was no way that he and I were even on the same planet.

I hurriedly collected the cutlery and piled them onto the tray. This time I was much more careful, and I made it out to the back without cocking everything up again. But I’d hardly started loading the dishwasher when Marco’s voice from the front echoed through to the back.

“Toni!” He sounded really cross this time, and I stopped doing the loading. I rolled my eyes at Pete, who grinned sympathetically back, and hurried out to the front, drying my hands.

“What can I do, Marco?”

Sam was shuffling to the men’s restroom. His head was down and he looked even more downtrodden than normal. I watched him go, ignoring Marco, whose exclamation of disgust was a sign of increasing blood pressure.

Once the door swung behind Sam, I turned to Marco. “What did he do?”

“He’s a liability, Toni. He can’t keep coming here, and it’s about time he moved to another diner. He upsets all the paying clients. Look!” He gestured towards the man at the back table.

I looked over with reluctance, knowing my body betrayed me every time I looked at him. He looked uncomfortable, but there was a smear of grease down the sleeve of his light colored coat. I knew Sam must’ve brushed past him going to the men’s room, and cursed myself for seating the stranger there.

“I’ll pay for it to be cleaned.” I gritted my teeth. “Take it out of my wages. Sam needs somewhere to go when it’s wet.”

“It’s not that!” Marco’s blood pressure must be through the roof. I listened, head down. Maybe his wife had given him trouble this morning.

“I can’t have him here, Toni. Look at the state of his table, all his bags. Then falling onto another customer. It won’t work.”

I cast a glance at the men’s room. I really hoped Sam couldn’t hear this. Rage overtook me.

“He fought for this country. All his hopes and dreams of the future lost when he was injured obeying orders, defending us!” I couldn’t help myself, all the anger at the desperate need to change things, the helplessness of the poor, the inability to make things right. Even the sadness of the parents fighting disease in their children. It all added up to a miserable existence for them and for me. I couldn’t help them.

“Now you just don’t want him in here, because his balance is gone and he makes you uncomfortable!” I suddenly realized what I was doing. I was throwing away my job here. And I needed it.

I dropped my head. “Marco, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” I looked up at him, trying to produce a tremulous smile. “I really feel sorry for our vets. Maybe I could give him that table in future, then he won’t be so much in the way?” I widened my eyes, “I’m really sorry.”

My eyes flickered over to the man sitting at that table. I couldn’t help myself. He looked as if he was trying not to grin. He’d seen through my attempts to manipulate Marco. I looked away hurriedly, feeling my breathing rasping. God, I had to concentrate on my job here.