Chapter 6 - Sunday Afternoon at the Corner Diner
The following afternoon, the air outside the corner diner smelled of stale fry oil and damp autumn leaves. Inside, the vinyl booths were cracked at the corners, and the overhead fluorescent tubes hummed with a low, irritable vibration that rattled my teeth. I sat across from my brother, Leo, watching him trace the rim of his heavy ceramic coffee mug with a scarred thumb. A tattered notebook lay open between us, covered in his rapid, angular handwriting. Leo was twenty-four, two years younger than me, with the same reddish hair tumbling over his forehead, though his eyes were a paler, more guarded green.
"You're quiet today, Tessa," Leo signed, his fingers moving with fluid, practiced speed. "Did someone leave a bad tip last night, or are the managers complaining about your shoes again?"
"Neither," I signed back, my fingers resting on the sticky laminate tabletop. I hesitated, then pushed the thick, matte black card Salvatore had given me across the Formica surface. "A customer gave me this. A regular. Well, not a regular yet. He came in for the first time."
Leo picked up the card, turning it over between his fingers. There was no glare on the heavy stock, just the single silver phone number catching the harsh diner light. He didn't smile; his brow furrowed, a shadow of suspicion crossing his face.
"A black card," Leo signed slowly, his eyes narrowing. "That's not from someone who tips five bucks and leaves a tract on the table. Who is he?"
"His name is Salvatore Marquetti," I replied, keeping my hands steady. "He wears a black suit, has a scar near his eye, and watches people like he's adding up their debts in his head. He noticed when I signed to him. He asked about you."
Leo set the card down as if it were burning a hole in his palm. "People like that don't give out numbers for free, Tessa. They want something. Maybe he wants an edge, or maybe he's just bored. You need to be careful. You're working hard enough without getting tangled up in whatever world he comes from."
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"I know," I signed, pulling the card back and slipping it into my apron pocket. "I told him no, basically. But he didn't take it back."
Leo watched me for a long moment, his gaze sharp and protective. "Just keep your distance, Tess. We don't need charity, and we certainly don't need complications."
