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found her.”
    “Really?”
    “You might think you want Reggie. He thinks he runs this place, but really it’s my show. That’s why it’s got my name out front. On paper, Reggie owns the place. But everybody knows the score once they’ve been here once. So, do you want Reggie, or do you want Purdy?”
    I was a little confused, but plastered a smile over. “Um. Who do I talk to about getting a job here?”
    “Me, darling. Then I tell Reggie who I’ve just taken on. You see what I’m saying?”
    I think I liked her. She was a little crazy, you could see that in her eyes, but at least she was funny with it. And the place was hers.
    “You need a job. Are you a student, sweetheart?”
    “Yeah. Actually, Brandon Lynes said to come here. He said you might have a vacancy for someone like me.”
    “Brandon Lynes, eh? Maybe we do. Someone like who?”
    “My name is Ashley Pearson.”
    “Ashley. Yes, I think we could find a place for you.”
    I felt like cheering. This place had the hallmark of quality. It felt safe, and if Purdy was looking after me I knew no one else was going to mess with me.
    “Can you start today?”
    I thought about missing another class so early on into the course. But then I thought about having the money to pay for the course. It was a chicken and egg, and the chicken had to win.
    “Of course. What, now?”
    “Now is always the best time for anything, don’t you think?”
    She showed me where to put my stuff, then she gave me a little steel grey apron with the Purdy’s logo stitched on, and then I started cleaning the tables to make them shine. Suddenly I had a fresh start. And it was all thanks to one amazingly handsome guy with smiling blue eyes.
    I worked all the way from lunchtime through until five pm when the trade started picking up again. Some of the trade were local workers seeking a quick beer before going home, and some were students who lived away from campus. By now I had picked up some of the ways Purdy liked her customer service, and I didn’t mind. I was good at it. I knew how to give a smile and how to get a smile, from my years spent bagging dresses at the fashion stores back home. I liked this new busier life already.
    By six pm, Purdy had changed the tunes to Motown and turned up the volume. Pretty soon the place was bustling – much busier than I expected for a Tuesday night and I didn’t mind. The money was good, and so far the tips had matched it. I was going to buy my way out of my college debt in no time if every day was like this.
    I think I must have recognised his silhouette first of all. The light by the front door made all the new customers look like shadows as they came in, but as soon as I saw this particular shadow, my heart started up again and my stomach burned. I was right, it was Brandon Lynes. He walked in wearing another lumberjack shirt – red check this time – and he waved right at me. He had two of his people following in his wake, but these were guys, with no Amanda in sight. I was relieved and I was buzzing, but I was serving tables and couldn’t run to him like I wanted to. The other waitress, Isabelle, got to seat Brandon and his friends. They ordered three bottles of Desperado with a slice of lime in the top. “Hey, Isabelle, can I take those drinks?”
    Isabelle was not yet my friend. Trust had to be earned at work and favours like I was asking were not a good sign from a new colleague, but I had to ask. “Are you crazy?”
    “You can keep all the tip, all of it. You do the rest of the order, but I just want to say hello.”
    “Yeah, I bet you do. Down girl. Fine, you take the drinks.”
    She shook her head and left the tray for me to carry. Purdy was behind the bar talking to Reggie. I hoped she hadn’t heard my request. I picked up the tray and headed for Brandon. They were laughing and talking guy stuff, the usual kind of high-fiving rubbish, but as soon as I got near the table Brandon looked at and his face changed. He smiled.