Amanda pulled the RV off the main interstate, and found a small restaurant, with a nice large parking area. She parked the vehicle, and grabbed her purse, making sure she had the keys, before locking the door. She looked back over her shoulder at the RV, still amazed that it was hers. She walked into the small home-style restaurant and immediately liked the atmosphere. She found a booth and sat down, taking the menu from the metal holder at the back of the table.
Instead of studying the menu to decide what to eat, she found herself looking around the small diner, appreciating its old-fashioned charm. It looked like it was caught in time, like a flash back to the fifties. It still had the small jukebox at each table, to select the music. She couldn’t resist the temptation, and fished in her pocket for the right kind of coins. She deposited the money, and then selected a song from sixties, one her mother used to always listen to as Amanda was growing up.
At the counter, a man had been watching her, enjoying the expressions on her face as she first looked around the restaurant, and then upon deciding to play some music. He wasn’t sure of the young woman’s age, just knew she was a lot younger than he. But something about her drew him. She had a beautiful face, composed of arched eyebrows, and thickly lashed eyelids surrounding dark brown eyes. Her skin was clear, in spite of her young years, and a translucent glow seemed to come from within her. Her lips were lush, full and looked like bees had stung them. What he had seen of her body was centerfold material, ill disguised by the white T-shirt she wore.
The waitress, asking if he wanted more coffee, drew his attention. He nodded, not moving his gaze away from the young woman. Betty, who had worked at the restaurant for more years than anyone dared to count, looked from Tom’s handsome, tanned face to where his attention was centered. She had seen the young woman come into the restaurant, as had many of the other regular patrons. Betty decided to serve the table her self, instead of leaving it to the younger waitress, Carol.
Amanda was startled when a glass of water set down beside her on the table. She looked up into the kind and smiling face of a woman who looked like she was in her fifties. She looked and the woman’s tag claimed her name to be ‘Betty.’ Amanda smiled.
“Hi!” Amanda said to the other woman. “I love this restaurant, especially the music thing.” She gestured to the small jukebox.
Betty smiled back, deciding the young woman obviously didn’t have a stuck up personality to match her gorgeous looks. “It’s been like this for years, honey. What can I get for you today?”
Amanda looked back down at the menu, and unconsciously moved one hand to rest on the slightly rounded bulge in her tummy, partially hidden by the table and loose T-shirt. Betty didn’t miss the gesture, and began wondering what this young girl’s story might be.
Amanda ordered a salad and two glasses of milk. Betty went to turn the order in, having every intention of returning to the table to find out about the young woman. But as she started back towards the table, she saw that Tom had deserted the restaurant’s books on the counter, and was now standing at the table of the young woman. Betty gave a very unladylike curse. She should have Tom to his chair. The man was too damned nice for his own good, and had a history of helping ‘strays’ that wandered into the restaurant in the past.
Amanda looked up as she became aware someone was standing at the edge of the table. She looked up into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. His face was tanned, and had smile crinkles at the eyes, and mouth. He was tall, muscular and dressed in a navy T-shirt and jeans.
“I’m Tom Carter, owner of this place. Mind if I join you for a few moments? I like to meet my customers.”
Betty had just reached the table, and snorted in disbelief at his outright lie at the end of his introduction. Amanda looked from the attractive man, to the kind waitress who had brought one of her glasses of milk. She reached up to accept the milk as Betty shoved Tom out of her way. Tom looked at Betty in surprise, staggering under her forceful and unexpected interference. He caught the glare in her eyes, but just grinned.
“Would you bring me some more coffee, Betty?” Tom asked the older woman as he slid onto the bench seat opposite Amanda.
Amanda sipped her milk, looking at Tom, who was now sitting across from her. She lifted one hand and pushed her waist-length blond hair back behind her shoulders. She had no idea how the simple move shifted her breasts beneath the thin shirt, and had them jiggling side to side, before they settled once again, proud and jutting out in front of her.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Carter. My name is Amanda Trebi… Smith. Amanda Smith.”
Tom wondered at the stumble over her name, and wondered if she decided to use a fake name at the last moment. She was so beautiful, and they were only a couple hundred miles away from ‘tinsel town,’ that he had to wonder if she was running away. Perhaps she thought he would recognize her name, even here in this small town, at the edge of the desert. He watched as she chewed her full lower lip for a moment. Tom was jolted once again by a lightening bolt of arousal, shooting through his body. Damn, he said to himself, this ‘woman-child’ was the sexiest thing he had seen in years!
Betty returned and set his coffee down with a loud clink of china. Once Tom looked up at her, she glared at him before she turned away. Tom turned his gaze back to Amanda though. He grinned at her, showing his perfect, white and even teeth. “Welcome to the end of the world, as most of the local youngsters call it.”
Amanda laughed as he had hoped, and he glimpsed her smile. Dimples appeared in her cheeks and her eyes lit from within. As if she hadn't been attractive enough, now she was radiant, as she smiled. She sipped her milk, reminding herself that she had to drink it all down. “It can’t be that bad. In fact, do you know if there are jobs open? I need a job, and this town seemed like a nice size and friendly.”
Tom wondered at why this beautiful woman would bury herself here, when she could go back to Hollywood, or continue on to Vegas. With her looks, she could make big money at the hotels there, working the tables, or even waitressing. Tom ignored his inner voice of caution, and the fact that there was a job open at the bank, just down the street. He also didn’t mention the job in the local market, which was open due to Charlie’s wife being off after her surgery. Instead, he smiled across the table at her.
“It’s funny you should ask. I need some extra help here, at the restaurant. I just hadn't gotten around to putting a sign up yet, or an ad in the paper. You must be heaven sent, coming at the right time indeed!”
Amanda smiled slowly. “I’ll be honest, Mr. Carter. I’m not really trained for anything, but I am willing to tackle any job, and work hard.”
“Call me Tom, Amanda. We don’t stand on formality here. Just one thing though, you look awfully young…” he let his voice trail away.
“I’ll be nineteen in a few months,” she told him, and offered to show him her driver’s license as proof. Tom shook his head, though he added he would need her to fill out a few papers.
“There is a small hotel in town, but I have an extra room over the restaurant, if you haven’t found anywhere to stay yet.”
Amanda thanked him. “Actually, I my home with me.” She pointed out the window, to where her RV was parked. “Could I hook it up to the restaurant? I will be happy to pay for the electricity, or just deduct it from my paycheck.”
