Page 14

14

FAITH

I fly through my shift, floating on cloud nine knowing I’m meeting up with Thor.

Tonight.

I’m absolutely dying to see the face attached to those abs. And that voice.

“Hey, Brian, I need a re-fire on those fish tacos for table eighty-two.”

Brian, the cook, squints at me. “Who are you?”

“I’m Faith. A trainee.”

“Yeah, alright. Two minutes.”

I grab a drink of water from my cup and down it fast. As I linger by the expo window, waiting for Daphne to come back, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

No phones at work—the rule was stated loud and clear on day one.

But I’ve been dying to hear where I’m meeting Thor tonight.

I sneak a glance.

Thor: Hey, I’m so sorry, I know we were planning to hang out tonight but I can’t make it.

Wait. What?

Luna: Why not? What happened?

Thor: I got called into work.

Luna: Where do you work?

I watch the little typing dots bubble up, pause, bubble again.

Thor: I work in transport.

I squint. Transport? Okay, sure.

Luna: Transport? What does that even mean? You’ve never mentioned your job.

Thor: It’s boring.

Luna: I work in food service. Try me.

Thor: Fine. I’m a long haul truck driver.

Oh. That’s...oddly hot.

Luna: Oh. Cool.

Thor: Yeah, someone called in sick. I had to sub in for a shipment. I’m already halfway through Kansas. I’m so sorry. I should’ve texted earlier, I just… I was really looking forward to tonight. Didn’t know how to break it to you.

I sigh, both touched and a little annoyed. This man is a walking contradiction. Mysterious and sweet? A blue collar truck driver who looks like that? Hard to stay mad.

Luna: Ah, okay. That’s too bad. I was looking forward to hanging out too.

Thor: I know. Me too. I REALLY was.

Luna: Where do you live, anyway? And how are you texting? Please tell me you’re not texting and driving.

Thor: Nope. I’m pulled over at a rest stop. Promise.

Thor: So how’s work?

Luna: It’s fine. Not slow, but not crazy.

Thor: Good job? Good boss?

Luna: That’s... another story. Shoot—gotta go. No texting at work. Talk later!

“Hey there,” Daphne says, suddenly appearing at my side. She grins. “Getting in some texting on the company dime?”

I quickly slip my phone back into my pocket. “Is it that obvious?”

She laughs. “It’s fine. Just don’t let Ty see. He’ll go full ‘workplace discipline.’ Sheldon, though? He doesn’t give a shit. He’ll just roll his eyes and mutter something about technology taking over the world.”

I exhale, grateful. “Thanks for showing me the ropes.”

“I know. I’m basically the greatest trainer in restaurant history.” She pulls out her own phone as Sheldon walks by. She smiles at him like she’s doing absolutely nothing wrong.

He whispers in her ear, “I hope that’s for me,” winks, and continues walking.

“Uh…what just happened?” I ask.

“Oh, nothing.” Daphne frowns looking at her phone. “Shoot. My sister’s car won’t start. She’s supposed to pick me up.”

I shrug my shoulders. “I’ll give you a ride.”

“Really? That’d be amazeballs.”

“Sure, why not?”

Brian the cook’s voice cuts in. “Hey, new girl, do you want this re-fired fish or not?”

Daphne whirls around. “Just tell us it’s ready, ass! What’s with the ’tude?”

“Christ, sorry,” he says, holding his palms up.

“Learn some manners,” Daphne says. “Say, ‘Hi, your fish tacos re-fire is ready.’ The new girl has a name. It’s Faith.”

Sheldon flies by again in a hurry. “Yeah, Brian, clean up your act,” he jokes. “Girls have names!”

He sighs. “You gotta get me in trouble like that? Come on, now.”

* * *

We head toward the west side of town where Daphne lives.

“Thank you so much for the ride,” she says, settling into the passenger seat. “Seriously, you don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

“It’s no big deal.” I shrug.

“Where do you live? Nearby?”

“I’m on the east side of Vansborough.”

“Ohhh, the east side. Fancy.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, please. I’m not judging. But let’s be real—the east side is the nice side. I’m out here in the trailer park. If I save enough this summer, I might swing something downtown. Or maybe east side, if I’m feeling bougie.”

I smile. “Smart. Real estate queen in the making.”

“I gotta think about my baby.”

“Oh! You have a little one?”

“Yeah. She’s turning one next weekend.”

“What’s her name?”

“June.”

She pauses. “And before you ask—yeah, everyone wonders where her daddy is.”

“That’s not what I was thinking,” I say quickly. “I’d be the last one to judge you.”

We pull up to a stop sign.

“Thanks. I was engaged last summer. He died two weeks before the wedding.”

I stay at the stop sign a moment too long. My chest clenches. “Oh, Daphne… I’m so sorry.”

She wipes under her eye, blinking fast. “It’s just me and June now. My sister moved back from L.A. to help. I’m grateful for her. But yeah. That’s life. You think you’ve got it figured out, then boom—it bites you right in the ass.”

I shift the car into park and give her a long hug across the console.

“Tell me about it,” I murmur, before easing back into drive.

“We don’t have to get into all that.” She glances at me. “I am curious about you, though.”

The moonlight glows over the cornfields, just barely coming into full.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, who were you texting earlier at the bar? Your fiancé?”

I let out a breath as the GPS chimes for a left turn. “Oh God. You got an hour?”

“This is me up here,” she says, pointing to a tiny mobile home on the edge of the trailer park.

I pull into the gravel drive.

“So it’s that complicated, huh?”

“Let’s just say… probably more than an hour.”

A woman with jet black hair and a take-no-shit vibe steps out onto the porch. “Hey Daphne! You ready for margarita hour? That baby of yours is wearing me out.”

“Well, I’ve got sweet tea, too,” the black-haired woman says, then looks at me. “And if you end up crashing since you’re driving, I’ve got a little trundle bed you can use. No big deal.”

I think for a moment. I’m sad that Thor ditched me tonight, and those were my big plans, not only for tonight, but for the week, aside from working. And Daphne’s got good vibes. So why not?

“Honestly…what the hay. Sure. I could go for a drink.”

Two margaritas later, I’m crying laughing on the patio. Turns out Mary Ann is hilarious—and the good kind of unfiltered.

Shoot. Dadgummit. Has it already been two hours?

“I need to call my parents,” I say, stepping aside to dial.

Mom picks up on the first ring. “Faith! Where on Earth are you?”

“I’m at my friend Daphne’s house.”

“Who’s Daphne?”

I gulp. If she finds out I’m on the west end of Vansborough, she’ll throw a fit. Safety concerns. Image concerns. Just…everything concerns.

“She’s a colleague. At the restaurant.”

“I don’t like this, Faith. I don’t know this girl. Are you coming home?”

“I’m crashing here. Everything’s fine, Momma. She’s a friend.”

A long pause. “Give me the address.”

Oh no.

I rattle off a fake downtown address.

“You sure this is safe?”

“Positive.”

“Well… see you bright and early. We want the full report on the competition.”

Oh. Right. The “mission.”

“Love you, Momma.” I hang up and head back inside.

If I’m going to be a terrible daughter tonight, I might as well be one with salt on the rim of her glass and good company.

“All good?” Daphne asks. “If you’re in a pinch, my cousin Becca can drive you home.”

“No, it’s late, it’s fine. What is it, midnight?”

“Half past,” Mary Ann says. “This is when the wolves come out.” She cackles and sips her drink.

“Let’s not tell Faith all my secrets,” Daphne says, giving her sister a look before turning back to me. “Okay, fine—I’ve been hooking up with Sheldon at work.”

“Ah,” I say with a knowing grin. “That explains the vibe.”

“Yeah,” she shrugs, half-smiling. “It’s casual. Fun. Sometimes he comes by after a shift.”

“Oh, it’s fun all right,” Mary Ann cuts in. “You should hear them trying to keep it down.”

We all burst out laughing. The buzz is working its magic, and I feel looser than I have in a long time.

“Y’all are good people,” I say, hand over my heart. “For real.”

“So…” Daphne leans in, voice dipping just a notch. “What about you?” Her eyes flick toward my hand. “That’s a big ring. You getting married?”

“It’s still two and a half years out,” I say, then add, “We’re planning way ahead.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

I hesitate, then look at the two of them. Maybe it’s the tequila, or maybe it’s the fact that they’re not part of my usual world, but I trust them.

Plus… no one knows who Thor is. Not even me.

“Well,” I say, setting my glass down, “we’re sort of on a break.”

“A break? But you’re still wearing the ring?”

“I know. It’s confusing.” I sigh and launch into the story—how Keith just told me, not asked, that he was going to D.C. for the summer. Called it his ‘Rumspringa,’ like we were Amish or something.

“Aw, hell no,” Mary Ann says, already refilling my glass.

Daphne holds up a hand to cover her own. “No more for me. June’s gonna be up at six on the dot.”

Mary Ann waves her off. “This is some bullshit,” she declares. “Your families are friends—so what? This is your life. You’re young, hot, smart. Take that ring off and go live a little.”

Daphne leans in with a mischievous grin. “Let me give you a little ‘off the book’ advice that’s not in the trainee handbook: take the ring off, flirt just a little—nothing crazy—and your tips go up, five to ten percent, easy.”

I laugh. “Y’all are terrible influences.”

“It’s not cheating to live your life,” Mary Ann says.

I swirl the drink in my glass. “It’s my family, though. And I know it’s probably crazy but… I don’t know. I think we’ll get back together. Maybe.”

Daphne raises an eyebrow. “So who were you texting with a giant grin on your face earlier?”

“Just… this guy I met.”

“Where?”

I hesitate.

“Where?” Daphne repeats, tilting her head.

“You ever heard of Mont du Marquette?”

Both of them stare at me blankly.

“The hell is Mont du Marquette?” Mary Ann asks.

“It’s a sex club,” I blurt. “I went there on a whim with my college friends.”

Their jaws drop.

“You met this guy at a sex club ?”

I nod, grinning sheepishly. “It sounds so shady when you say it like that.”

“Did you sleep with him at the sex club?”

“Oh God, no!” I laugh. “We were fully clothed the whole time. You wear masks in there. We just… flirted. And watched a naked woman get flogged.”

Both of them recoil like they’ve been splashed with cold water.

“You watched her? Like, out in the open?”

“Yeah.” I sip my drink again. “I think that’s the appeal—being watched. But everyone’s masked, so it’s not completely public.”

Mary Ann blinks. “Girl, you need to write a memoir .”

Daphne fans herself. “Okay, now you have to tell us about this man.”

“He’s tall. Very sexy. Deep voice. Really nice arms. He sent me a selfie,” I say, trying to keep it cool.

That’s all I manage. Because, truthfully, I still haven’t seen his face.

“I wouldn’t even know him if I was standing next to him,” I add.

“Would you recognize his… equipment?” Mary Ann asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Mary Ann!” Daphne cries, half laughing, half scandalized. “She already said they were clothed, remember?”

I shake my head, chuckling, and pull out my phone. “Okay, okay… I’ll show you the non-naked selfie. You have to promise not to scream.”

I flip the screen around.

Mary Ann’s eyes go wide. “Oh, my holy abs . And that is definitely the outline of his— mmm-mmm . Nice work.”

I can’t help but giggle. “It’s… a good size. Definitely. Bigger than my, uh?—”

“Bigger than your kinda-sorta fiancé?”

I nod. “Doesn’t matter though. Bigger doesn’t mean better.”

“Honey,” Mary Ann says, pointing at me with her margarita. “You need to take off that ring.”

I blush, flipping my phone screen-down. “Anyway. He just… lights me up. But it’s wrong. I really shouldn’t see him again, right?”

Daphne leans back in her chair. “Oh, sweetie. I think you already know what you want to do.”

“True,” I sigh. “It just feels… different with him. Like I’m exploring some hidden part of me. It’s not even about sex, exactly. It’s about being seen. But even with everything going on with Keith... I mean, I’m loyal. I know what my body wants to do, but…”

I trail off, staring down at the photo again. I thought about using it this morning—for… inspiration. But I chickened out.

Daphne watches me for a second, then says softly, “My two cents? I don’t think you’re in love with this Keith guy. I know your family’s all gung-ho about him, but you? I’m not hearing it.”

I bite my lip.

She tilts her head. “You’ve got a long life ahead of you. Do you want to spend it with someone who makes your family happy —or someone who makes you happy?”

I swallow. “I can’t just tell you. That’s something I’ve gotta figure out for myself.”

“I like you,” she says. “But this is one drunken margarita night. You don’t owe me your soul.”

Mary Ann eyes Daphne and narrows her gaze. “Okay… what are you plotting?”

Daphne shrugs. “Nothing. I’m just wondering why Hunter Holloway sent me down with a job application... specifically for Faith.”

My stomach lurches.

“He did?”

“Yeah.” She studies my face. “Didn’t seem random.”

I try to laugh it off. “Probably just being smug. His restaurant’s hotter right now and he knows it.”

“Faith…” Daphne raises an eyebrow. “You’ve got a backwards idea of Hunter Holloway, if you don’t mind me sayin’.”

“Really? He’s a dick. He tried to fight my daddy. In church.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one. Man’s got a temper. But life isn’t black and white. We’re all a little bit good, a little bit bad. Anyone who tells you they’re all one or the other is lying.”

I polish off my drink. “He’s a rich, cocky hot shot who didn’t even hire me in person.”

Daphne goes quiet for a beat. “Hunter’s over ten years younger than me, but I used to babysit him. His momma’s trailer was next door.”

My eyes widen.

“Last summer, after my fiancé passed away… I didn’t know what to do. Mary Ann was still in California, and I was barely scraping by. Next thing I know, Hunter mails me a check. Ten thousand dollars.”

I go still.

Daphne nods. “I thanked the Lord and bought formula and diapers that same day. Then, when he opened this place, I was his first hire.”

I blink, swallowing back a wave of guilt.

“He’s a good man. He just… doesn’t always show it.”

She stands and stretches. “Anyway, I’ve got a tiny human who’s up at dawn. I don’t care what people say about East Vansborough folks. You’re alright, Faith.” She gives me a wink.

“It’s been fun drinking margs with y’all.”

“Oh, and one last thing as your training mentor,” Daphne says with a sly grin. “That drink test? It’s no joke. Thursday after next. Better study your little toosh off.”

I laugh and give her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

They set me up with a pillow and blanket for the trundle bed in their small, air-conditioned trailer. I lay down, eyes heavy and heart spinning.

What is Thor doing right now?

He’s probably halfway across the country. I picture his hand gripping the shifter, those abs tensing under a tight shirt. Eyes locked on the road…

I laugh.

Funny that I still haven’t seen his eyes. I can only picture him in that ridiculous—but maddeningly sexy—mask.

My fingers trace the edge of my phone.

I slide the ring off my finger and slip it into my bag.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.

When I was little, I thought that’s exactly how my life would go.

Neat. Predictable. Safe.

But now…

I glance at the photo Thor sent me—the one that’s burned into my brain. And my body starts to heat, slow and steady.

There’s a part of me—one I’ve kept tucked away for years—that stirs at the memory of his voice. That velvet, commanding tone.

And I realize something.

I’ve always had a secret fantasy.

Not just about sex.

But about being with a man who’s only wearing a mask.

Someone powerful. Mysterious. Watching me.

Touching me like I’m the only woman in the world—without even needing to show his face.

I’ve never said it out loud. I’ve barely admitted it to myself.

But the idea sends a pulse of heat straight between my legs.

I glance again at Thor’s photo.

My finger hovers over the send button for a picture of my own.

But I hesitate.

Not because I don’t want to.

But because…

Life’s a lot messier than I thought.