Dex Restaurant.
Mickey and Mandy tore through the food, leaving the plates spotless. Mandy wiped her mouth, savoring the lingering taste.
"That was amazing," Mandy praised genuinely.
Mickey shot a glance toward the kitchen where Dexter was working. Because Dexter hadn't hired him before, his stubborn pride kicked in. He refused to admit defeat. "It was whatever. Definitely not worth that much money."
Mandy knew Mickey too well. Hearing him talk tough made her laugh.
It was the first time she had genuinely laughed since Terry died.
Seeing her smile, Mickey suddenly felt a lift in his spirits too. He relaxed a little, deciding the trip was worth it just for that. "Alright, Veronica. Check, please."
Veronica walked over to their table.
Mickey was digging into his pocket for cash.
Veronica didn't rush to take the money. Instead, she smiled and said, "Mickey, the boss wanted me to ask you something. The restaurant needs a dishwasher who can double as security. You interested?"
"????" Mickey froze, completely blindsided by the offer.
Veronica added, "Meals are included. And, as you can see, it's not heavy work."
Mickey: "????"
A job?
Him? Working a 9-to-5? Not a chance in hell.
That was Mickey's immediate reaction.
Mandy, on the other hand, lit up immediately. She asked Veronica, "How much is the pay?"
"Since Mickey isn't eighteen yet, we can't hire him as a formal employee, so it would be under the table as 'help.' Three thousand dollars a month, six days a week," Veronica recited exactly what Dexter had told her. "If he's interested, he can talk to the boss in detail after the lunch rush."
"Not interested. Work my ass!" Mickey immediately shot it down with his usual swagger. "Do I look like the kind of guy who punches a clock? That's hilarious."
Mandy panicked. "Veronica, don't listen to him. Let me talk to him."
"Okay," Veronica said. She didn't really get why Dexter wanted to hire Mickey, but whatever. She had made a killing in tips just this afternoon; she was too happy to care about anything else.
Veronica took the cash and walked away.
Interestingly, Mickey played the big shot and threw down two hundred dollars without asking for change.
Veronica pocketed a thirty-two dollar tip instantly. She felt like she was walking on air.
Once Veronica was out of earshot, Mandy turned on Mickey.
"Why would you say no to something that good? Didn't you say you wanted to get our lives together?"
Mickey pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and sneered. "Getting our lives together doesn't mean I have to get a job. Screw working."
"Then what do you want to do? What can you do?" Mandy was getting agitated. She honestly thought this was a golden opportunity. "Just wander the streets all day? It's not like you're going back to school."
School was even less likely than a job. He wasn't exactly academic material.
To be honest, Mickey didn't know what he wanted to do.
"I don't need your nagging," Mickey snapped, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
Seeing his attitude, Mandy's temper flared. "If you keep messing around like this, sooner or later you're going to end up just like Dad! Is that who you want to be?"
Like Terry...
"F--- off!" Mickey snarled, clearly touched a nerve. He stood up abruptly. "Let's go. I'm taking you to buy clothes."
"Buy my ass!" Mandy was furious, but she knew she couldn't push Mickey too hard, too fast. After snapping back, she softened her tone slightly. "Wait for me outside. I'm going to go thank the owner."
Leaving it at that, Mandy stood up and walked over to Veronica. "Veronica, can I see the boss for a second?"
"Go ahead, he's in the kitchen," Veronica replied.
"Okay, thanks."
Mandy went to the kitchen door and pushed it open gently, staying in the doorway.
Dexter was busy plating food for other customers. Seeing Mandy, he smiled. "How were the noodles?"
"Really good," Mandy smiled back. "Thank you for the meal."
"Don't mention it," Dexter replied warmly. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, kid. When you make it big someday, just don't forget I treated you to lunch."
The words hit Mandy hard.
She stood there, stunned.
Make it big?
In all her life, this was the first time anyone had ever told her she had a future.
A moment later, Mandy shook her head with a self-deprecating smile. She didn't argue, assuming Dexter was just being polite, and changed the subject. "I won't forget. Hey, boss... about Mickey washing dishes. Can I give you an answer tomorrow?"
"Sure, no rush."
"Thank you so much. I'll let you get back to work."
"Come back anytime," Dexter said.
"I will," Mandy almost said 'I can't afford to,' but she stopped herself and just nodded.
Mandy left the restaurant and found Mickey crouched on the curb smoking, looking every bit the neighborhood delinquent. Looking at him, she couldn't resist—she reached out and smacked him upside the head.
Not too hard, of course.
"What the f---!" Mickey barked, rubbing his head.
"F--- you, you moron!" Mandy wasn't some delicate flower; she cursed right back, refusing to back down.
"What is your problem? I take you out for a nice meal out of the kindness of my heart, and this is what I get?" Mickey shouted back.
The two siblings walked off into the distance, cussing each other out the whole way.
---
12:30 PM.
The customers settled their bills happily and filtered out.
The lunch service at Dex Restaurant came to a close.
Veronica and Vivian had each raked in about a hundred and thirty dollars in tips.
Both of them were thrilled.
Actually, Veronica was beyond thrilled—she was buzzing.
It felt like a dream. Less than two hours of work, and she'd made that much cash...
She looked at the stack of bills in her hand and imagined keeping this up every day...
What? Guilt towards Fiona?
That could go screw itself.
Veronica stopped wasting energy worrying about Fiona's feelings.
The reason was simple: Life is yours to live. Taking care of yourself comes first.
---
The power of the internet is terrifying.
Fiona was back at the burger joint. The lunch rush had just ended, and she was catching her breath in the cramped break room, getting ready to eat lunch with Liam.
Just then, two female coworkers eating nearby started chatting.
"Did you hear about that new place, Dex Restaurant? It opened today."
"Of course. I even dropped off a resume, but I didn't get hired."
"Haha, well that's normal, right? I heard they only hire total knockouts. You didn't stand a chance."
"Shut up!"
"Haha! But seriously, it's a bummer. That place is practically blowing up on Twitter. A bunch of people who ate there are claiming the food is god-tier."
"Is it really that serious?"
"I'm skeptical too. I mean, can takeout really be that good?"
"..."
The two women chattered on.
Fiona sat off to the side, the conversation leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She hesitated for a moment, but curiosity won out. She pulled out her phone and opened Twitter.
The truth was, Dex Restaurant hadn't exactly gone "viral" nationwide, but it wasn't quiet either.
That insanely high-paying job posting had already given the place some buzz. Then, between last night and this afternoon, customers started posting photos with glowing reviews.
Overall, the hype was solid, and it was clearly trending upward.
In fact, some rich folks with too much time on their hands from the nicer neighborhoods were already posting that they planned to drive down tonight just to see what the fuss was about.