council member, one who looked familiar but whom she didn’t place. “What can I bring you gentlemen?”
“A tall mug of your strongest and best coffee,” said the short, older man.
“Me, too,” said Stan. “Get yourself one, as well. Then you can sit on my lap and drink it.”
It was all Kelly could do to prevent herself from gagging. Or, more preferable, grabbing the pitcher of water from the table and bashing Stan in the head with it.
His face was round, his hair thinning, his wide grin evil and unsexy, but he undoubtedly still considered himself the world’s greatest gift to women.
For now, Kelly had to go along with it. “Well, thank you, sir,” she said in the new soft and lower voice in which she’d been coached. “But I’m sure you’ll understand that I have to help your friends get their meals, too.”
She did it. She looked straight into his eyes and all but batted her lashes.
If he was going to recognize her, better that it happen now, with all these people around, than later.
“Oh, I understand, all right,” he responded, giving her a huge and ugly wink. “But I come here often. We’ll grab coffee—and more—another time. You’re new at the Haven, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” She made herself pause. “It’s such a wonderful place. Filled with wonderful people.” She didn’t glance away, despite how painful it was to watch him.
Did he know who she was?
Apparently not. A brief feeling of relief shot through her as he continued to treat her like a total stranger. A total female stranger he chose to flirt with.
“Sure is,” he said. “Like the rest of our Blue Haven. Welcome, and I hope you stay a long, long time. I’m Stan, by the way.”
“Me, too, sir,” she lied. “And I’m Kelly.”
She forced herself to continue to take his order—ham and eggs and all the makings of a big breakfast. The others also gave their orders, although a couple of additional waitstaff now joined Kelly to help.
When she was finally finished, she saw that Alan, the good-looking guy she didn’t dare trust, had seated himself with another man in a suit at a smaller table nearby.
He was watching her. And as she hurried into the kitchen to place the orders, she turned back. Alan’s gaze hadn’t left her. As sexy as she considered the man, she felt certain that physical attraction was far from his motive for observing her.
Alan might be the person who was supposed to be here, undercover, to bring Stan down.
But at the same time he might bring Kelly down, too.
Kelly wished she could stand there and eavesdrop on Stan’s conversations—unobtrusively, without encouraging his disgusting flirtation with her. But she knew she had to stay on top of the requests made by all customers at the tables to which she’d been assigned. At least that included the one where Stan sat.
She didn’t believe he would spill the information she sought right here, in public. But he might drop even just a tiny hint that could lead her, eventually, to what she needed.
Consequently, she passed the table often, refilling water glasses and coffee cups, smiling and inquiring whether everything was okay. Stan had started a loud, friendly conversation with one of his colleagues and more or less ignored her, except to ask for a coffee refill now and then. Kelly also made sure that Alan, as well as his tablemate, were satisfied with the service. To them, she was a server here, and that was all.
She hoped.
Kelly didn’t realize how much of a strain it all was until the entire group, presumed security guys included, finally filed out of the restaurant. Only then did she start breathing normally again.
“Good job,” Ella told the entire group of servers as they stood in the kitchen awaiting the next food items to bring out to remaining and new customers.
“She always says that,” Tobi Marolo whispered out of the corner of her mouth. Tobi had told Kelly she had worked there for decades, even though she was only in her late twenties, around Kelly’s age. When Kelly gently called her on it, she admitted it only felt like she’d practically been born working at this place. “It’s supposed to make us feel happy and actually do a good job...next time,” Tobi continued.
Kelly laughed. She really did feel happy—or at least relieved. Her second hurdle since arriving back in Blue Haven had been leaped, and seemed to have been successful. The first had been landing this job. The second was seeing Stan in person and not being identified by him. He’d never have simply ignored her if he’d thought she could possibly be Shereen—or anyone else who mattered to him.
She still had no idea how she would accomplish hurdle number three: seeing her nephew, Eli, the real reason she had broken promises and rules when her identity had been changed for her protection, and she’d returned to Blue Haven.
Hurdle number four? She had anticipated she might face it—having to deal with someone undercover here who was part of the Identity Division, the government agency that had helped her tremendously but whose commands she was now ignoring. She just hadn’t thought she’d have to face it this soon. If Alan was who she believed he was, that obstacle was now potentially as urgent as the others.
And then there was the most critical, number five: finding a way, at last, to bring Stan down and help Eli.
For the rest of the morning, Kelly went through the usual rituals of greeting customers, handing them menus, making suggestions and taking their orders. Then she served them with a smile, making sure their experiences here were completely positive.
She didn’t always love the aromas floating through the kitchen, particularly the occasional burning of a dish. And it was tiring to be on her feet all the time. Plus, trays full of food could be quite heavy.
Then there was the uniform she wore. Stan wasn’t the only one who eyed her as if she were bed-bait. Maybe that had been Alan’s only interest in her, too, despite her suspicions. If he weren’t security in any form, she might even have considered reciprocating, since the guy was pretty darned hot.
But many men seemed to notice her here—and not only her. Ella had chosen the cutesy outfits for the female servers who made up most of the waitstaff, Kelly was sure, to appeal to male customers. The Haven was essentially a glorified coffee shop, but it had a longtime reputation for catering to the powers-that-be in Blue Haven. It didn’t hurt to give the men some eye candy while they were here.
Or that was what Kelly had heard, anyway.
Soon, the early lunch crowd began to arrive. Kelly ramped up her energy and her serving skills, but was disappointed when she didn’t see anyone she recognized as being on the city council. She glanced outside as often as she could, toward the other restaurants and shops across the street and foot traffic coming from the east, the direction of the city offices.
But nothing and no one useful to her appeared.
Until...
When
