Page 31 of Dirty Saint

Tori

Icaughtuponmy rent thanks to Koah’s five hundred dollars. I probably should have felt bad for spending his money, but I didn’t. He owed Gracie and me, and it wasn’t like I blew the money on useless things. I was a responsible woman, meaning all extra money went to bills regardless of where it came from.

After working doubles for three days in a row the following week, I almost passed out in the shower at one point, but I pushed through. If I kept working, at some point, I would be ahead. Thanks to the doubles, I paid our electric bill balance in full. I was sick of calling for extensions and fearing we would lose power, but for the first time in forever, I didn’t have to worry about that.

“You look tired, hon. Did you sleep at all last night?” Sadie asked as she slid past me to pick up her order.

“Gee, thanks, Sadie. Way to tell a girl she looks like shit.”

She snorted. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

I wasn’t offended. I had seen myself in the mirror before I went to work. I knew I looked like the walking dead.

“Liar. That’s exactly what you meant. And to answer your question, no, I didn’t sleep. I stayed for a double last night.”

She stopped and put her hand on her hip like my mother used to when I was a little girl. “You’re going to work yourself to death.”

I chuckled, flipping a patty with my greasy spatula. “I’m pretty sure that’s not possible.”

“I’m pretty sure it is. I read something once about a man who worked himself to death.”

At that, I snorted. “Fake news.”

If it were possible to work yourself to death, I would have already been six feet under.

“You’re a ray of sunshine today, aren’t you? You need to sleep tonight, woman.”

“Sleep is for the weak.” I yawned.

“Keep it up, and you’ll be as weak as they come.” She grabbed a handful of straws and stuck them in her apron pocket. “Well, if you’re not going to sleep tonight, at least come out with me.”

“No way. I’m not staying out until the sun comes up again.”

She laughed. “No. That won’t happen again for a while. I promise.”

I found that highly unlikely.

“Uh-huh. Where are you going anyway?”

I plated the order I was working on and slid it onto the line.

“A friend of mine is having a birthday party for her boyfriend tonight. You should come.”

Tossing a few strips of bacon onto the grill, the sizzle blocked out the sounds around me for a bit and filled the space in front of me with smoke. “On a weeknight?”

She laughed. “Yes, Grandma, on a weeknight. Do you even hear yourself?”

I heard myself. It was embarrassing.

“I do. I sound like a miserable old bitch.”

She held her hands up, palms out. “You said it. Not me.”

She took her orders and moved around me with two plates across her forearm. I chuckled at her as I cracked two eggs and scrambled them. My stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten in a while. I would need to snack once we slowed down. The last thing I needed was to pass out in front of the grill.

“What do you say?” Sadie asked when she returned for her next order.

“I’ll go if you promise to get me home before midnight. I have to work tomorrow, and as you can see, I’m shit without sleep.”

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