Her Loving Shadow

[OOC - This thread is closed for Daydream_weaver and myself. We hope you like it.]

Walter walked out of the office block stunned. He stood still as the tide of humanity flowed past him on the sidewalk as the frantically tried to gather his scattered thoughts. It took him a minute before he decided that he needed to sit down to process the rest of his thoughts. He was only half aware of what he was doing and where he was going as he walked to the park. He easily found a bench and sat down.

"That bastard," he whispered harshly. The person in question was his grandfather's younger brother, recently deceased. Walter had just come from the reading of the will. Walter shook his head. "This kind of crap happens in movies, not in real life. I mean... why? Why did the old goat do that? I have no fucking idea how much of that fortune he's left me I am going to loose in getting the place fixed up. And fucking doing it myself? He's got to be joking."

He sat patiently, fuming while a few people walked past and out of earshot. "And I have to have a job, and earn better than whatever the lawyer said a year before the rest of the money's freed up. WHY?!?"

The twenty year old man was surprised to know that he was named as a beneficiary, then excited when he found out how much he would received, then was crushed when he found out what he had to do to get it. He sat back on the bench, staring into the future as he now saw it. Singlehandedly trying to restore a large mansion just so he could earn a few hundred million dollars.

"Fuck."


8 years later...

Walter walked into the office, mostly ignored by the rest of the staff. He nodded to a few people on his way through, who had waved to him, or made some other indication of greeting. Just another day at the office. He sat down at his desk. He started the computer. Unlocked his cabinet and table draws (with different keys of course). He took out his note pad, and pens. Then he read his emails. Looked at his to do list.

With a sigh, he walked over to the in tray for the team, seeing a stack of failed scans of various forms. He saw that no one had looked at them since the last time he emptied the tray. Walter wondered if his filling on all the tasks that other people didn't do was holding him back. All he needed was a promotion, or even the raise he should have got two years ago. If he managed either of those, he would fulfill the last obligation placed on his Great-Uncle's will. Just the day before, an independent inspector cleared that the mansion was successfully renovated, as per the provisions of the will. He was therefore able to use professionals for any other work that was needed.

He slumped back at his desk, and proceeded to check and see how much of the forms were successfully transferred to the system, and how much he needed to manually enter. The work was enough to help the morning blur, and a few hours later, he was finished, and in dire need of a break.

"Mmmmm... coffee..." Walter put everything away and locked up. He was in the mood to walk rather than use the lifts. He eventually left the office building, and playing dodge with the traffic as he crossed the road to Trask's to grab a much needed coffee.

Jenni sighed as she pinned her name tag to the collar of her uniform. Another day…another bout of sore feet and aching back. She smoothed the seams of the dark skirt that went with the white blouse and glanced in the mirror. At least she had a job. These were the words she whispered to herself every day as she left the tiny apartment she was able to call home and headed down the block to Trask’s.

She was very lucky to have found this job. It paid the few bills she had and it was even rather interesting. Her boss was a good man, his wife the sweetest lady Jenni had ever met. They had really been helpful to her when she first came to the city. They had given a naïve young woman from a nowhere town a chance. They even helped her find an affordable apartment within walking distance. Without them she would have had no choice but to go back home. That just wasn’t an acceptable option.

For a moment memories flashed through her mind. Her parent’s smug satisfaction as they informed her of her impending marriage. The leering look on the face of a much older man she had often seen but never spoken to. Jenni had known that these kinds of things often happened in their small close knit community, but she had never thought her own parents would stoop to arranging a marriage without even consulting her. Why? Because they thought at 23 she would never marry otherwise? Because he owned a larger farm than theirs and had connections they could benefit from? Because he had actually offered them a bride price? Jenni remembered screaming that she would not be sold like chattel and the feel of her father’s hand across her cheek. She had left that night. Packed what was really important to her in two bags and slipped out the window while her parents slept. That had been a few years back. She had arrived in the city with her small savings and two bags full of her belongings and that was all. She hadn’t come far since then, but she was happy in a way many wouldn’t understand.

Shaking the memories off she pushed her thick braid of warm brown hair back over her shoulder she grabbed her keys and small bag and headed off for work.

Trask’s was still fairly busy when she arrived for her mid-morning shift. They were lucky enough to be located in the midst of several office complexes and word had spread about their delicious food and fair prices. There was always a rush at breakfast and lunch, as well as a fairly good dinner crowd.

Jenni clocked in, grabbed a clean apron from the hook in the kitchen and tied it around her trim waist. An order pad and pen went into the apron’s pocket and she was ready. She knew from habit which tables were hers to wait on. Her schedule and section were the same every day that she worked, which was every day except Saturday and the occasional Friday. She liked having a routine. She liked working. She liked being on her own. There had been a few attempts to fix her up with some eligible young man but Jenni had made it clear she wasn’t interested. All she wanted from life right now was to take care of herself.

She stepped up to a table where a couple of young women had just taken a seat and laid a menu in front of each of them…and so her work day began.

Walter ran across the street, dodging the cars with practiced ease, including the one who took his evasions as a challenge. He slowed his step until he was walking, then he made his way to Trask's. He wandered in, seeing the waitress serving two other women. It only took him a moment to shift the woman from "waitress" to being "Jenni". The thick rich brown hair that always seemed to shine in the sunlight was the instant giveaway. Walter loved the colour of her hair, and he knew that no bottle, cream or any other device gave it to her.

He peeled his eyes off her as he took his table. He sat in the same place, at the same table whenever he came in. He would also allow others to sit there with him if there was no other space elsewhere. He chose it for a few reasons. It was one that Jenni served that table. It also afforded him a good view of the tables that Jenni served, and on her normal travel path, it gave him a good chance to watch her easily, without being overly obvious about it.

She was one of the few people around who seemed to notice him. Many people saw him, spoke to him, even did things with him. But they didn't notice him, or even care about him. Jenni, however, smiled when she greeted him, or even looked his way. She never flirted with him, not that he ever noticed, but she was always nice. Nicer than just about anyone else. He even managed to work up the courage to ask her out on a date once, but saw how she easily rebuffed a more suitable candidate. He knew then whatever fantasies he harboured about her would remain just those - fantasies.

He sighed as he looked down at his interlaced fingers on the table top before him. He ran over the list of tasks that awaited him once his little break was over. He was sure that there would be other less thrilling tasks left hanging around for him to pick up for the rest of the team.

If I didn't spend every single moment I was awake outside of work rebuilding that pile of shit I was given, I might have gotten my degree, and been doing something with my life. Hell, I might have even had a life, with friends and social outings... maybe even a girlfriend that looked like Jenni. But, no, I might not be able to get any further up the fucking ladder thanks to my team mates over the road.

"At least I am not getting them coffees today," he muttered to himself.

Customer service was high priority with Jenni. She wanted each customer to feel that she was glad to see them and happy they chose to bring their business to Trask’s. She greeted each with a smile and a cheerful attitude. There were a few however, a very select few, who she found herself actually looking forward to seeing. She made it her business to remember things about them and their likes.

The man at table nine was one of those few. They didn’t really talk, she didn’t even know his name, but there was something about the man that she found appealing. From the way he always made sure to sit in her section she thought that perhaps he shared her interest, but he never let on. He had always behaved like a gentleman. He didn’t make lewd suggestions or even socially acceptable advances. He was soft spoken and polite. Jenni appreciated that. She didn’t want any complications in her life right now.

There were times, though, when she wished for someone to share things with. Sometimes, when she was alone in her tiny apartment, she was so lonely that her heart ached. She knew this was a weakness she could not allow herself to give in to. She had seen what happened to women who did. They became pale wraiths in their husband’s shadows. Their individual personalities overwhelmed and lost. No, that wasn’t for her. She had left home to save herself from that sort of enslavement. She wasn’t about to voluntarily give herself over to it.

True she had seen that this wasn’t always the case. Her boss and his wife were extremely happy together, from what she had seen of them, and they were two very different and unique individuals. Jenni had come to look at their relationship as the ideal, the rare almost unobtainable dream. Something a girl like her could never hope to have.

Jenni grabbed the pot of coffee off the warmer and walked over to table nine. She knew that the man liked a coffee at this time of morning and always made sure that there was a fresh pot brewed and waiting. Partly because he sometimes took a few to–go cups back to work with him, but mostly because she liked to serve him fresh coffee.

She smiled down at him as she efficiently poured the dark liquid into his cup. Not a drop spilled.

“Can I interest you in a fresh cinnamon roll?” She asked in her soft, rich voice. “They’re still warm, just out of the oven…”

Walter was so caught up with his thoughts that he only noticed Jenni's arrival when her shadow crossed over his hands. He looked up to see her pouring him a coffee. She never spilled a drop when she poured, and she always seemed to fill the cup just enough to make sure that he didn't have to be extra careful drinking from it.

Walter looked up at Jenni and smiled. "Thank you," he said softly. He liked Jenni's face. He liked the gentle shape of it. There was nothing harsh, strong, or linear about it. It was a face made for smiles, which Jenni always shared with him. It was a face that Walter never tired of looking at, exploring and noting all the little details that made it such a glorious sight to look at. He even imagined what she would look like with her hair worn differently. It was definitely one advantage of coming to Trask's.

“Can I interest you in a fresh cinnamon roll? They’re still warm, just out of the oven…”

"Yes. That would be nice. Thank you."

Her voice was soothing to his ears. He could sit all day and listen to her talk to him about anything. There was a woman that he would give almost anything to get to know a little better. But he saw her while she worked. Polite to everyone, friendly as well, to a point. She maintained a working relationship with the customers. He knew that, and while that made him sad, it made him happy as well. At least he wasn't singled out.

He watched Jenni as she went back to fetch the roll, watching the way her rich earthy coloured hair swayed as she walked. Given it's length, his eyes strayed from the end of the braid to her hips. Even those moved in a manner that made him feel a little weak at the knees. He often wondered why a wonderful woman like her was working in a place like Trask's. He wondered what her story was. He wanted to ask her, but then he knew she would easily brush aside the question, not answering it. She would leave herself to be the delightful mystery she was to Walter.

His gaze flicked back to her as she started to return to his table. This was the first time he had seen her offer anyone something apart from the coffee. She would ask them if there was anything they wanted, but she had never asked if they wanted something specific. Walter felt himself straighten a little, a small glow of pride warming him. His smile changed a little, having a touch more life in it than originally.

'Wow... Jenni did something special... just for me. Does this mean she likes me? Is this a sign that she sees me differently to the other customers? Maybe... maybe there is a chance after all. Calm down, Walter. Let's not get too carried away.'

He took a sip of his coffee while she approached, mainly to hide the smile so he didn't give her the wrong impression about what was happening.

Jenni carefully set the plate containing the warm cinnamon roll in front of Walter and laid a knife and fork on a napkin beside it. For a moment she hesitated, her lips parted as if she would speak, but she had no idea what she intended to say. She felt a flush of color spread over her cheeks and turned without another word to hurry back into the kitchen. She went straight to the walk in cooler and stepped inside where no one could see her.

‘What is wrong with you?’ she thought to herself. ‘You had better get a grip on yourself girl. So he’s a nice looking man, so what, you know absolutely nothing about him. Not even his name. You don’t need any complications. You are doing just fine on your own.’

Finishing her internal lecture she smoothed her apron and went back out to work. There was a whole day ahead of her. She steeled herself, putting on her polite but distant smile, and went to place the check on table nine.

“I hope everything was alright.” She tried to keep her eyes on the printed tablecloth as she spoke to the man, but she found her gaze drawn up to meet his. Her smile started to widen, to become a bit more real and she stopped herself. Her last words were uttered quickly and she turned away. “Have a good day.”

The couple at the next table signaled her for a refill on their coffees and she gladly fetched the pot from the warmer. She focused on her job, on her customers and didn’t let the man with no name dwell in her thoughts. She would get through her shift and then maybe treat herself to a walk in the park or window shopping at the book store down the street. Something to help her clear her head and remember just exactly why there was no room in her life for a relationship.

Jenni was so polite to Walter, in his mind anyway. She brought him the roll, even going as far as laying out the cutlery for him. He felt slightly embarrassed by it, but did his best to accept it in good grace. He caught the moment's hesitation, looking up to see her about to say something, then blushing before making a quick exit.

'What was she going to say that caused her to blush like that? Not like she was going to ask me on a date.'

Walter turned his attention to the roll. He cut a small piece, seeing the little column of steam rise up from the core of the food. That first morsel was delicious, particularly fresh and warm. Walter took his time enjoying the roll, the coffee. He caught sight of Jenni as she approached his table.

“I hope everything was alright.” He absentmindedly nodded, having a mouth full of the roll when she asked her question. She looked up at him, and he saw the smile change, becoming something more personal perhaps, possibly more intimate. Whatever it was, Jenni realized it was happening and brought it to a stop.

“Have a good day.” The words seemed to tumble out faster than she normally spoke. Walter was really confused by how she was acting. The only thing he could think of would be how he would act and react if he tried to ask her out.

'I would get flustered like that too. Especially trying to ask her out.' There was a slight shake of his head while her back was to him. 'She looks so nice. Hell, who am I kidding, she looks sexy. Even in her uniform. She has great curves, a wonderful face. She'd probably be quite an active bed partner too. Maybe someone who really enjoys it. Ease up, Walter. Just take the niceness for what it is. Her being nice to a customer. Nothing wrong or belittling about that.'

As he ate and drank, he continued to look at Jenni without making it look like he was. He continued to mull over the way she served him, and reacted to him, trying so hard to figure out what it might have meant. Before he knew it, the coffee and roll were gone. He left everything neatly stacked for Jenni, along with the money for the coffee and the roll, along with his normal generous tip. Nothing too big that would make her wonder if there was more to the offer, but enough to let her know that he was genuinely pleased with the service he received.

As he walked out, he looked over her way and gave her a small wave. "Thank you, Jenni. I hope you have a good day."

He went back to the office. As suspected, he found a pile of crappy jobs that the rest of his team had overlooked in their haste to work on other tasks. He set about completing the work that had been left to him, not bothering to say anything to anyone about it. He worked through his lunch break, and clocked out early. The events of the break over at Trask's ran through his mind. He stopped off at one of the shops on his way home, and got a thank you card for Jenni. When he got home, he ran off a little note on the printer, using a very cursive font for his message.

Dear Jenni,

Thank you for being one of the brighter parts of my day.

F.W.B.

He sealed the envelope, addressing it to Trask's, and putting on the back - Attn: Jenni. He decided to post it the next morning on his way to work. He then settled into his normal nightly routine before heading off to bed.

A ray of sunlight found its way through the curtains of Jenni’s small bedroom and played across her closed eyes. She turned her head, warm brown hair tumbling in a tangled mass across her face, and tried to focus on her alarm clock. It was too early. Her alarm wasn’t set to go off for another half an hour, but she’d forgotten to close the shade…again. Seemed she was always forgetting to pull the shade down all the way. The bedroom window was small and only looked out onto an alley and the next building over. A building that was empty as far as she knew.

Jenni stretched, savoring the feel of muscles waking up and blood pulsing through her veins. She felt good, despite the strange and conflicting emotions she had been feeling. Her walks through the park after work were good for her. It had given her a chance to figure out her thoughts and get herself under better control. After the episode with the man at the diner she'd had remind herself that she may be living a small life, but it was hers and it was good and she was in control of it. She was fine on her own. All through the morning she felt secure in her new understanding with herself as she tidied her small apartment.

Her apartment was barely one step up from a studio. There was one open room that combined a living area with a kitchenette and dinning area and off of that was a small bedroom that had to be passed through to reach the bathroom. Most of the furniture had come with the apartment. A slightly shabby yet comfortable sofa, a coffee table and a small desk defined the living area and there was a dinette table with two chairs near the kitchen. In the bedroom there had been a dresser and a nightstand, but Jenni had actually used a sleeping bag as her bed for the first few months she lived there. It had been a big day for her when she had saved enough money to buy herself an actual bed. There was hardly any walking room around the double bed, but it was worth it.

Each payday Jenni spent a little of her hard earned money on something to make her apartment more homey. She bought throw pillows for the sofa, a small stereo so she could listen to music, a nice table cloth and pictures for the walls. Over time the apartment had begun to reflect a bit of her personality. It was warm and welcoming and she adored it.

The usual cheerful smile was playing around Jenni’s lips when she walked into Trask’s for her daily shift. She knew by the end of her shift her feet would be sore and her back would be achy, but she was grateful to have a job.

Slender hands smoothed her crisp white apron and tied it in place, but as she slipped her order pad into the pocket she noticed an envelope already inside. It was addressed to her, care of Trask’s and there was no return address. For a moment she felt a sense of dread. Had her parents found her? If so, what did they hope to accomplish? Maybe they wanted to apologize…or try to coerce her to return home. Jenni stopped wild thoughts. The only way to know was to open it and see what was inside.

She turned it in her hands a few times, then squared her shoulders and neatly tore the envelope open. The words made little sense at first…

“Dear Jenni,

Thank you for being one of the brighter parts of my day.

F.W.B”

She stared down at the neatly printed words, the fancy style of lettering giving it a graceful air. She ran the tip of one finger over the initials at the bottom of the note, wondering. Who could have made such a thoughtful gesture? No one she knew had the initials F.W.B.

“Oh good, you found it.” May, the boss’s wife, came bustling out from the back room with an armful of fresh table linens. Her cheeks were rosy and her salt and pepper hair was escaping the bun she tried to keep it confined to during work hours. “That came in the morning mail, it did. Local post mark, but no return. Who’s it from?”

“I’ve no idea.” Jenni said softly. She held the note out for May to see, but didn’t relinquish her hold on it. Something about this small note made her feel…special.

“Oooh…seems you’ve got yourself a secret admirer then.” May winked at Jenni and moved on to an empty back table to begin folding napkins.

A secret admirer? Jenni felt her cheeks grow warm and glanced quickly around to see if anyone had heard May’s comment. That sort of thing was only for movies and fairy tales wasn’t it? Certainly not for small town fugitives like herself. She read the words again, a small smile curving her full lips. Well maybe, just this once, she could let herself have this one little dream.

The new day brought nothing new or exciting into Walter's life. He knew with a dread certainty that he would be faced with the same old crap tasks left to him by his co workers. And when his day was over, he would be faced with even more crap jobs to unlock what was left of his inheritance. He went through the mechanics of getting himself ready for work, doing his absolute best to not think about the time before he went to sleep that night.

He got to work, going through his work routine again. He sat down, started the computer, unlocked his draws, took out his notepad and pens, checked his email and then his to do list. With a sigh, he stood up and went to the tray and gathered all the failed scans and other tasks the rest of the team didn't want to touch. He returned to his desk, sorted out the pile of paperwork, and then reordered his list of tasks.

Three hours disappeared in the mind numbing repetition of jobs that should have been evenly spread out amongst the team. But he knew if he didn't do them, they would just build up until the supervisor got cranky. Walter was normally the receiver of the crankiness whether he deserved it or not. But he cleared the backlog, as well as getting a couple of the more critical of his own tasks done.

He peered at the corner of his desk, and sitting there were the mugs of his team mates, along with the money for their coffees. There was one thing he put his foot down on right from day one. They asked him to get their coffees for them if he was going across the road. But he never got them their coffee, and had them pay him back later. They paid up front. It happened twice before they realized he was not going to buckle. He grabbed their mugs, and headed out for Trask's. What they didn't know was if he wasn't in the mood for coffee, he was not going to get theirs. The chances of them finding out the hard way were very slim. He liked going over there if for no other reason than to get away from the rest of the team for a little while.

He walked in, placing the coffee mugs on the counter, giving May a wave as he went past. She saw the mugs, and gave him a nod in reply. Walter moved to his normal spot, sitting down quietly. He watched with only half interest as his thoughts turned to other matters.

The previous night, he had sanded a floor in preparation for varnishing. He also double checked his plans and the rules he was placed under to ensure that he would be permitted to hire professionals to deal with some of the cabling he needed done. Even going by the strictest interpretations, he would be allowed to get the professionals in to do the work. As per normal, he made sure that he got his plans updated properly by the contractor whenever any work was done. It gave him a chance to try and fix things himself later on, making it easier to call in professionals again.

Work showed no signs of changing either. It seemed he was stuck where he was, with little hope of escape. He did most of the work, and the rest of them reaped the glory. Pay rises, at least two promotions, one of which got the team member into a better office in another part of town. He hadn't seen a pay increase in years, every chance at another role in the department was declined, and there was no chance of moving up the ranks internally.

Between the two of them, he had no social life to speak of. No hobbies. He rarely even had the chance to sit down and watch TV or any of his movies. He had no girlfriend. He barely had any money for a date, if he had the time for one. Even then, he doubted he'd ever have a second date close enough to maintain interest. There wasn't anything he would be able to talk about, unless she was someone who loved doing renovations.

He caught sight of Jenni doing her rounds, and she appeared to have a little more bounce in her step, and there was something about her that was different, in a good way. For the briefest moment, he thought that she might have got his note. He daydreamed that his little note had caused the sun to rise within her, making her shine and be happy. But then reality returned and his little dream vanished. He never had the guts to put his name on it. She would have got more elaborate gifts from those she knew. It was obviously something else far more significant than what he did for her that gave her that added glow.

Walter let the normality of his life wrap around him like a blanket. Optimism was not for him, not yet. He might be able to engage in more positive thinking once his inheritance was finally his. But until then, he would slog on, one day at a time. At least he got to enjoy his time at Trask's. And looking at Jenni. Jenni was very nice to look at.

Laughter bubbled past Jenni’s lips. She couldn’t help it. The little boy at one of her tables was just too cute. His chatter was mostly nonsense, but the tone of his voice was pure and sweet. He was scribbling on one of the children’s paper placemat May kept on hand for their younger customers. His purple crayon scrawls followed no pattern. She lay the check on the table beside his mother’s plate and reached out to ruffle the child’s hair.

The bell rang and Jenni slipped behind the counter to collect plates of food and deliver them to those waiting. And so her shift went. Her upbeat mood seemed to rub off on customers and coworkers alike. Her smile was infectious.

She became aware of May watching her and suddenly pulled herself up short. Self consciously she pushed her thick braid back over her shoulder.

“Is there something wrong, May?”

“Oh no, sweetie, nothing wrong.” May tapped her pen against her chin speculatively. “There’s just something different about you today.”

Jenni glanced down reflexively and checked her apron and skirt. Her uniform looked just as it did every day she wore it.

“No, I think it’s something about your face.” May’s voice had taken on an affectionate, teasing, note. “You’ve got a look about you. I know! You’ve met someone!”

Jenni felt her cheeks flush and glanced around the café. Several customers had paused at May’s exclamation and were watching with amused interest. Jenni’s eyes caught a familiar gaze and dropped quickly. She wasn’t sure if he had heard May, the man with no name, but she felt conflicted. In a way she didn’t want him thinking that May was right, even if she had no intention of even learning his name.

“I have not.” She hissed, reaching out a restraining hand toward May. As dear as the older woman was she sometimes just didn’t know when to keep her voice down or drop a subject.

“Well, something has put a twinkle in your eye.” May continued. To Jenni’s dismay she turned to a nearby customer. “Oh wait, I know! It’s that note she got in the mail. Our Jenni has a secret admirer, so she does.”

Jenni felt the order pad slip from her fingers as she stood and stared at May. She was beyond mortified. She took such pains to stay below notice. She tried her hardest to keep herself from drawing attention from other people. May knew this. She didn’t know all of the details of Jenni’s past, but she knew that Jenni didn’t like people knowing her business. The older woman turned and caught the expression on Jenni’s face and her own changed drastically.

“Oh Jenni, I’m sorry. I was just…just teasing.” May took hold of Jenni’s wrist when the girl would have turned away. “I didn’t mean anything by it, honest.”

“I’m going to take my break now.” Jenni’s voice was barely above a whisper. Her good mood had been dashed and all she wanted at the moment was to hide from the curious stares. It was very unlikely that anyone in the diner would care at all about her life or her past, but now she felt as if everyone in the world could see her and knew everything.

Without waiting for May’s permission Jenni dashed into the back and locked herself in the employee’s restroom.

Walter was thinking of the last few things left on his list, before he had what he hoped would be the final inspection of his mansion. He had a total of four rooms that needed the floors done. Three more that needed to be sanded, then all four of them to have the floorboards treated. After that, just getting the cables for the AV and data networks finally hooked up and he would be done.

He frowned slightly as he watched Jenni come to a stop near the counter, checking her uniform. From where he was sitting, he saw nothing wrong with how she was dressed. She looked as she normally did any time he came over.

“I know! You’ve met someone!”

May's voice carried through the dining area of the cafe. That little spark of hope that his note was the cause of the shining Jenni was snuffed out. Of course she would have met someone. A woman that pretty would have little trouble finding someone.

But then Jenni glanced around the room, her cheeks noticeably red from where he sat. Her eyes met his, and she dropped her gaze. Walter pulled his head back, the frown becoming more pronounced.

"What..?" he mouthed, keeping an eye on Jenni and May. His mind raced along with his heart as he tried to make sense of what he had seen. 'Was she concerned about what I might have thought? Was she embarrassed that I heard she had met someone?'

“Well, something has put a twinkle in your eye. Oh wait, I know! It’s that note she got in the mail. Our Jenni has a secret admirer, so she does.”

Walter almost fell out of his chair. He caught himself just in time, making it look like he was adjusting his position on the stool. By the time he got over the initial shock, May was apologizing to Jenni. But a rather stiff looking Jenni moved out of the dining area very briskly.

'So... it was the note that put the spring in her step. She liked it that I have noticed her in a nice way. Maybe if I send her another one, it might cheer her up again.'

When it became clear that Jenni was not coming out, Walter got up, and went over to the counter to collect the filled mugs of coffee. May took one look at him and she was apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, Walter. Please, give me a moment. Yours will be on the house as way of saying sorry." Walter gave a wain smile and nodded. May quickly filled all the mugs with the preferred blends and extras, placing plastic caps over the tops. She gave Walter a soft pat on the wrist after he paid. "I should know better by now, shouldn't I?"

"We all have bad days, May."

May nodded with a sigh and got back to work, picking up Jenni's tables as she went. Walter headed back to the office, his mind neatly distracted by the impact of the 'secret admirer' declaration. Walter wasn't sure that his note was the cause of her earlier good mood. Maybe Jenni was upset with having the news blurted through the diner? He gave everyone their coffees, and proceeded to loose himself in his work for the remainder of the day. He did abuse his position a little and used the work computer to run off his next note.

Dear Jenni,

Have I mentioned that I look forward to seeing your warm smile whenever I am fortunate enough to be served by you?

F.W.B.

He addressed it to Jenni, again care of Trask's. He dropped it off in the postbox on the way home where he spent the night continuing to sand the floor of the room he started the night before, and vacuuming up all the dust he created in the process. But when he went to bed that night, he was happy that he managed to get the boards ready for their protective treatment. Another step closer to being freed of mercies of his inheritance.

Jenni forgave May, of course. She knew the older woman didn’t have a mean bone in her body and cared for the workers at the diner were like they were her own children. Sometimes May just didn’t know when to leave things alone.

Once Jenni had gotten herself under control she returned to work. She did feel a small twinge of regret when she noticed that the gentleman who usually sat at table nine had left. Had he overheard? She was fairly certain he had, everyone in the diner had heard May’s declaration. What must he have thought? Jenni told herself that it really didn’t matter, that it was probably for the best anyway. Still…

She finished her shift and, with a bit of the old spring back in her step, headed toward home. The weather was so nice however that she didn’t really want to be indoors. The small neighborhood park was quickly becoming one of her favorite places. She strolled under the trees, her face tilting to catch the suns rays and the fresh breeze. It was a good way to relax.

A soft giggle caught Jenni’s attention and she turned her head to watch a young couple walk past. They were holding hands and walking so close that they often bumped hips, but then Jenni supposed that was the purpose. Jenni found herself staring as they walked away along the path. There was something about them, an air of something that Jenni found herself drawn to.

She pondered as she walked toward her apartment. It wasn’t until much later when she was in the laundry room of her building that it came to her. It was the expression on the boy’s face. He looked at the girl as if there were no one else in the whole world, as if he was desperate to maintain even the simple contact of their hands. He looked at her as if she was all he wanted in life and more.

Jenni paused in the middle of removing a warm load of towels from the dryer. She wondered if the girl knew how her life would change once she gave herself to the relationship. From what she had seen, in every relationship the woman was taken over, her needs dismissed, her sole purpose to see to the comfort and pleasure of another. She didn’t understand how so many seemed to be perfectly happy paying that price. For what? Companionship? A roof over their heads? It was wrong.

And yet…Jenni’s mind mulled and mulled, turning the issue over and over until she was clenching her teeth in frustration. As she settled into her bed for the night she picked up the note she had received and read it again. There was something to be said for being noticed, maybe being wanted for something besides having babies and keeping someone’s house would be nice. She drifted off to sleep thinking how it might be, if the world were different.

The next day when Jenni arrived at work she found another note in the pocket of her apron. She steeled herself for the stream of comments sure to come from May and was pleasantly surprised when the older woman simply smiled. Jenni ducked into the back room for a little privacy and opened the note with more than a little excitement.

"Dear Jenni,

Have I mentioned that I look forward to seeing your warm smile whenever I am fortunate enough to be served by you?

F.W.B."

Jenni couldn’t help smiling. She tucked the note into her pocket and stepped out to begin her shift.

Walter got into work the following morning, to find that one of the team members had called in sick. He groaned silently as he went about his morning routine. Any chance of getting out earlier, on time or for even a break was gone. He knuckled down and covered his own workload, the team's work that the rest of them didn't want to do, plus half of the work of the missing coworker. He put in an extra two hours, but the backlog was still there.

He went home, feeling cheated that he missed out on seeing Jenni. He worked on the next of the remaining rooms that needed the floor sanded. He then climbed into bed, dreaming of what it would be like with Jenni laying beside him. Naked, with that dreamy expression bathed in the afterglow of great sex.

Friday morning was not greeted with the normal levels of disdain, but with something bordering on loathing. Not only was it another weekend lost to the inheritance, but there was the extra work to get done as well, which meant four days of not seeing Jenni.

The day disappeared behind a light red haze of anger and frustration. He knew if he asked her out, she would politely refuse. She surely had other men that were catching her attention more than him. He wasn't even sure that she knew his name, though May probably had by now. But he harnessed his emotions, funneling them through his work. Walter was surprised when he finished his last task with a hour left of his day. Since he put in time the previous night, he packed up and left early, much to everyone's surprise.

He stood outside the office's main entrance, gazing at Trask's. He wanted to go over there, see Jenni and feel better. He wanted to talk to her, tell her his name and how he felt about her. He chuckled to himself, turning to start his journey home.

"Talk to her about things that aren't coffee. Tell her my name? She's seen me how long now, and never thought to ask? Yeah, I'm just someone who she gives coffee too, and gets good tips from. I'm sure if she knew that it was me leaving her the notes, she'd freak and run for the hills.

"Hell I know nothing else about her apart from her first name. I cant ask May, or Trevor, because they will tell her and that would go over really well too. I know, I'll wait for her to come out, then I'll go and talk to her. Privately."

Walter started to walk, but his feet took him to the corner of the street, where he could still see Trask's. He bought a newspaper, and leant against the wall. He had a rough idea of when she ended her shift, so he killed time reading the paper. A few minutes before she was sue to leave, Walter folded up the paper, and got ready to go and talk to her.

He miscalculated the time. Jenni had already left, and she was getting further away. He scrambled to follow after her, but the flow of people hampered his efforts to catch up with her. He was determined to speak to her, so he kept pushing. He followed her long enough to get within a good range to call out to her when she turned into a building.

Walter was shocked at how close she was to Trask's. He looked at the apartment's letterboxes, seeing only a few had names on them. But none of those named were Jenni, or some variant on the name. What was worse, there were more unnamed than named. He was kicking himself as he left for missing his opportunity. The despair he felt about his life and direction hit him again. He truly started heading for home, all the while wondering why he even thought he had a chance with her.