Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Since the library was open late on Fridays and half-days on Saturdays, Laney and Sarah had a rotating work schedule. Sarah had worked last Friday night and Saturday, so Laney would be working this weekend. In exchange, she had Monday off. That gave each of them a three-day weekend every other week, which would have been nice if Laney could've ever afforded to go somewhere. This week, it just gave her more time to brood about Zach. Deciding she needed some friendly company, she stopped at the Dine-n-Dash. Andrea usually worked the breakfast rush herself, so Laney could sit at the counter and talk to her between customers.
Andrea bustled over with a pot of coffee and a broad smile. "Hey, Laney. How's it going?" Her question seemed more than usually pointed.
Laney looked around. None of the other patrons were close, and it was too early for the bulk of the breakfast crowd. She leaned in close and murmured, "Okay, what have you heard?"
"Just that you were seen dining tête-à-tête with a certain handsome detective Friday night, and playing tonsil-hockey with him on your front porch afterward." Andrea beamed. "You go, Laney! It's about time you had a little fun."
Laney buried her face in her hands. She'd been sure everyone knew about the date, but the kiss? Most of her neighbors were like her, too poor to be part of the town's social scene. On the other hand, one neighbor cleaned houses and liked to chat with her older clients and another was a hairdresser. Damn.
"So what was it like riding in his convertible? Did he put the top down?" Andrea pushed a cup of coffee at Laney, who laughed.
"That's exactly what Parker wanted to know. He didn't care about the guy, just the car."
Andrea grinned. "Well, it is a really cool car. But I'd rather hear about the guy - especially the kiss."
"He was nice. He took me out, we had a great dinner and he kissed me goodnight. Nothing out of the ordinary for a date." Liar. That kiss had been as un-ordinary as a kiss could get. At least, based on her experience.
"Are you going out again?" Andrea's green eyes sparkled with interest.
"I doubt it." He didn't call. "I think I'm in the mood for waffles."
"What, you think you came in here for actual food?" As if sensing Laney's disappointment, Andrea's teasing shifted tack and she made a goofy face. "Some people. Next thing you know, you're going to want blueberries on those waffles. And sausage on the side. What do you think this is, a restaurant?"
Laney laughed with her friend and felt a little of the weight lift from her shoulders. "Yes on the blueberries. No on the sausage." With her well-padded curves, she had to constantly watch what she ate, but today, she felt like she deserved the waffles at least.
Ten minutes later, she had a plate in front of her with two waffles, covered in a thick layer of fresh fruit. Pushing all thoughts of Zach Shannon out of her mind, she dug into her food, determined to savor every bite.
The diner started to fill up with locals, both daily regulars and others like Laney who only stopped in now and then. She smiled and waved, chatted briefly with a couple of library patrons and discussed gardening with an elderly neighbor as the restaurant began to fill up. She nodded back at lawyer Mick Wilding when he winked at her. Typical Monday in Hawthorne.
When Mayor Blake Benedict walked in, though, Laney was glad her food was almost gone. Hopefully, she could leave before he went off on some rant or another. The mayor came in periodically because the diner was one of the only restaurants in town, but he definitely looked down his nose at the mere mortals who frequented the place. Worse yet, today his wife was with him. Even Andrea rolled her eyes before hurrying over to take them their coffee.
Laney managed two more bites before she heard Stella Benedict's voice raised purposefully high. "And it's clear that some people in this town don't know their place. Can you imagine some little Latina whore flaunting herself in front of a local hero like Zach Shannon?"
Two other locals piped up and agreed.
Ignore them. Laney was proud of her one-quarter Mexican heritage. At least, her mother hadn't deserted her like her unknown father had. And one thing Laney sure as hell was not was a slut. She wouldn't have gone to bed frustrated the other night if she was.
She kept her back turned to the crowd and fumbled in her purse for her wallet. Andrea shook her head and murmured, "On me."
"No." Laney slapped down a ten dollar bill and stood, turning to face the mayor and his wife. She gathered her courage. She'd let these people pick on her for her whole life, and she wasn't going to take it any more. Not when it spilled over onto Parker.
She walked up to the mayor's table and looked his wife right in the eyes. "Whatever happened between Zach and me - trust me, there were no financial transactions involved, not that it's anybody's business but ours. And I'd be cautious about throwing stones. This is a small town, and all of you live in pretty transparent houses." With that, she held her head high and stalked out of the restaurant.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone