Chapter 4

• [Amanda]
• I hurried to the cafe as soon as I could. Well, I knew it should open by 8:30 but still I did not want to be the first one to enter and not as a customer. I had taken my resume which basically consisted of written documentation of two temporary jobs and two not-so temporary ones including my last job. 
• I came to a halt before the cafe. Would it seem bad for me to just go in and ask? I studied the outside, there wasn’t any ‘Hiring Now’ sign anywhere. Was the post already taken? Would I just be leaving with an embarrassed face? 
• You don’t have a lot of options, do you? Sneered my conscience. There wasn’t any room for dawdling and being bashful. I was well past that now. Taking a deep breath I entered the cafe. I sighed in relief when I saw a few people already sitting in the cafe. 
• “Hey! Welcome back!” the blondie from yesterday chirped. I plastered a smile and nodded before walking up to the counter. 
• “How may I help you?” another woman behind the counter asked. 
• “I…” the words wouldn’t just come out of my mouth. The woman waited patiently. 
• “I...uh...I was looking for vacancies online and I found that you were hiring”, I said hesitantly. She blinked before nodding, “Wait a moment, I’ll call our employer”. Embers of hope kindled in my heart. I nodded before she vanished through the door. 
• I glanced at the cashier who was diligently doing something. I was sure she heard me. I was glad she wasn’t looking at me right now. Which customer comes in the next day and asks for a job? No one! I guess. 
• I glanced around to see that blondie, too had gone to attend a new customer. A sudden throat clearance made me look back at the counter. An elderly man stared back at me.
• “Cassey told me that you were looking for a job?” he asked in a business-like manner. Well, that wasn’t exactly what I had said. But anyway, I nodded my head, “Yes. I saw that you people were hiring as in I was browsing the internet and saw-” 
• He held up his hand, “Yes, we are. We are looking for a waitress. Have you done this kind of job before?” 
• “Yes, I have. I even have a resume-” I was yet again, interrupted by the man and by Cassey’s rude snort. When I looked at her, she pointedly looked away. He silently asked for the resume, I handed it. It was a two-page, very mundane looking resume. He skimmed through it before handing it back. 
• “You start your job tomorrow. We will discuss the payment tomorrow as well. Be here by 7. We close at 5 and clean-up takes another hour. You will get your uniform by next week. Till then wear a white shirt and black pants to work”, he informed me before going back in.
• “Thank you so much Sir”, I said, all the while grinning widely. The woman at the cash counter offered me a genuine smile. I couldn’t believe my luck. Well, I never did but from now I will. There was actually a thing called lucky stars as well. Maybe. 
• I was in a happy mood on my way back. Humming a soft tune as I weaved my way through the crowd. However, my mood did not stay that way. As I was waiting for the bus, I heard one girl squeal to her friend excitedly, “Dom is coming to New York to shoot a film!”
• My mood instantly took a one-eighty degree turn. 
• “Dom as in Dominic Giovanni? Why is he not getting enough films across the pond?” the girl, Jenn asked sardonically. Her friends smacked her arm lightly, “Hey! Don’t talk anything about my Dom. I am so excited!” she squealed again. My heart clenched at the phrase ‘my Dom’. I used to say that once, I used to have that right once. But now…
• The bus’ arrival jolted me out of my morose thoughts. I blinked back the tears and boarded the bus. I can’t afford to think of him. I had a new job waiting for me tomorrow. I should be concentrating on that and not on my ex-husband.