Chapter 7: Meeting Zack
"Do you work for Mr. Walker?" Isadora asked, her voice barely rising above the din of the restaurant.
Zack gave a single, curt nod. "Yes, Miss. If you don't mind, we need to hurry. We can't keep the Boss waiting."
"Boss?" Isadora asked, confused.
"Mr. Walker," Zack clarified, his tone implying it should have been obvious. "He's my boss."
"Oh," she said, the word heavy with resignation. "Let me just get my bag."
As Isadora disappeared into the back room, Lily saw her chance. She slinked over to the counter where Zack waited, leaning against it with one hand on her hip, a practiced, coy smile on her lips.
"So," she began, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Where do you know Isa from?"
Zack's silver-eyed gaze slid over her, assessing her from head to toe with a detached coolness. A slow, knowing smirk touched his lips. "Not your business."
Lily pouted, a calculated expression of playful hurt. "Oh, come on, you can tell me. Is she your girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?" Zack asked, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow arching in what looked like genuine amusement. It was all the confirmation Lily needed. She saw not amusement, but disgust a clear sign he was looking down on Isadora. I knew it, she thought, her mind racing. She's nothing but a plaything to him. A rich man's temporary distraction. Well, I won't end up like that. I'll be smarter.
Her plot solidified. She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out her phone, unlocking it with a swift tap. "Fine, don't tell me," she purred, sliding the phone across the counter toward him. "But a guy like you should have my number, just in case you get bored."
Zack looked at the phone, then back at her ambitious, desperate face. The smirk didn't leave his lips. He found the entire transaction pathetically transparent. Yet, he picked up the phone, his fingers swiftly typing in a number before sliding it back to her.
Thrilled, Lily snatched it back and immediately dialed the number. A second later, a generic ringtone buzzed from Zack's pocket. He pulled out his own expensive-looking phone, showing her the screen with her number displayed, before silencing the call.
"Bye for now, handsome," Lily said, waving her fingers.
Zack responded by slowly running his tongue over his bottom lip, a gesture that was both dismissive and vaguely threatening, before turning his back on her just as Isadora emerged from the back with Lena.
"Jerry, I'm going now," Isadora announced, grabbing her worn backpack. She gave Lena a quick, tight hug. "Call me later."
"Be careful," Lena whispered into her ear.
Isadora then waved at Jerry, who was furiously scrubbing the grill. "Bye, girl," was all he grunted, not looking up from his work.
Zack led the way, and Isadora followed, a reluctant shadow. Lena watched them go, a knot of worry in her stomach, before heading to the bathroom to finish her shift.
Zack pushed the restaurant door open, holding it for Isadora. She stepped out into the cacophony of the busy street, the sudden change from the restaurant's greasy warmth to the cool, exhaust-filled air making her shiver. He didn't wait, striding across the street toward the less congested side. Parked there, looking like a predator amidst the neighborhood's beat-up sedans, was a low-slung, flashy red sports car. Its polished surface gleamed under the weak sun, an obnoxious declaration of wealth.
He walked to the passenger side, opening the door with a silent, fluid motion. Isadora slid into the bucket seat, the interior smelling of new leather and expensive cologne. He closed the door with a solid thud, sealing her inside, then circled the car to the driver's side. When he started the engine, it roared to life with a guttural growl that turned heads up and down the street.
Inside the restaurant, Lily watched from the large glass window, her face pressed close enough to leave a smudge on the pane. She watched the red car, a symbol of everything she wanted, pull away from the curb. Her hands clenched, the fabric of her cheap waitress uniform twisting in her grip.
"That bitch," she whispered to the empty window. "She really landed a rich one, huh?" The sight of the car was a physical ache. But then she remembered the number saved in her phone. A cold calm settled over her. "Good thing I got his number. I'll call him right after my shift. Our rent is due anyway."
The thought of the overdue rent notice made her dig her nails into her own palms, leaving angry red crescents. The frustration rose, heating her skin and turning her neck an ugly shade of blotchy red. But she forced herself to breathe, to focus on the image of Zack's handsome, smirking face and the memory of that roaring engine. He was a ticket out. She just had to make sure she was the one to punch it.