Betsy's Diner

Chapter three in TBD.

Crusty. That was the first word that popped into Dakota's head when he walked into Betsy's Diner. The black and white checkerboard floor clearly hadn't seen a good cleaning in too long. The red vinyl on nearly every table was ripped in some way. The chairs were scratched, and the jukebox looked dusty. Everything had some sort of stain on it, and all the things you'd expect to be silver in the kitchen were brown. 

A woman sat on one of the barstools at the counter that creaked as she turned to face Dakota. She puffed on a cigarette, and took in every inch of him head to toe. This woman looked as if she had never smiled in her life. Her hair was done up in a classic fifties hairdo with a faded red bandana, and she had the bleeding lipstick to match. Her face was sprinkled with creases and wrinkles that looked as if they had dust in them. Her eyes were sunken, and her makeup was nothing short of extreme. When Dakota really took her in, he didn't think she could be over forty, but the clear history of smoking and neglect to her body aged her initial appearance at least fifteen years. 

"Betsy's Diner. What do you want?" Her voice was harsh and rough. 

"Um... are you Betsy?" Dakota asked. This woman couldn't be Len's wife. She just couldn't, and she seemed to match the description Len gave of his wife's boss. The woman gave him a slow nod as if to say, "Duh". 

"I'm looking for Len's wife?"

"Oh you mean Sue..." replied the woman, turning her head to the room Dakota assumed was the main kitchen, since what was behind the counter seemed to only be equipped for drinks and side orders, not to actually cook or fry things. "SUE!!!" Betsy hollered. Right on cue, another woman raced into the room holding a mop in one hand and a rag in the other. The woman had a trickle of sweat racing down her temple. She wore the same red bandana in her hair, and matching lipstick, but she looked much... cleaner than Betsy. 

"Oh my goodness I am so sorry I must not have heard the bell when you came in!" she immediately apologized upon seeing Dakota, and leaned her mop against the counter, placing her rag in her apron to free her hands to help him. Not remembering a bell, Dakota glanced back at the door, and saw one sad bell hanging on a piece of twine from the doorknob, and the little piece of metal that was supposed to swing inside the bell as it moved to make the sound, the clapper, sat upon the ground underneath the bell. Sue seemed to see this at the same time as Dakota. "Oh no I am so sorry! Here let me take that, I'll go fix it up next chance I have! 

Sue ran up to collect the bell and clapper, and turned back to Dakota, straightening herself up, and collecting herself. 

"I am so sorry for the bother, let me get you a drink on the house to start you off today. Sit anywhere you like!" Dakota looked around the empty diner, and chose a stool on the other side of the bar from Betsy. As he sat, he heard a "tsk tsk" from Betsy, and saw Sue rush over. Listening in, Dakota heard Sue reassure Betsy that she'd take the money for the drink out of her tips, and it wouldn't cost the restaurant anything. Betsy sighed, saying she was going to go on her break. She got off her chair, and left the diner, leaning against the wall outside and glaring at passers-by. No wonder the diner was empty. 

"So what would you like to drink today?" Sue asked with a huge smile on her face, returning to Dakota. Her smile, while clearly strained and forced, somehow retained a genuine kindness behind it. 

"Oh... no I don't need a drink. Len actually told me I should come to you. I met him earlier today, and, well..." Dakota slung his bag over his shoulder and onto the stool next to him, opening it up to show Sue the sparse contents. "This is all I've got right now. This is everything I own. I can see that you're probably not in a place right now, seeing how the owner treats this diner, to pay me, but I was hoping that maybe you could use an extra hand around here in exchange for meals maybe? I'm a hard worker, and I really wouldn't ask for much in return." Dakota cringed. He hated asking people for help, and it felt so awful asking this overworked woman to go out of her way at all for him. Just as he had decided to call it all off, tell her to forget it, and take off, a tear dripped down the woman's cheek.

"Yes! Yes, please! Betsy has me working here as the only chef, waitress, dishwasher, and host. Having another hand. Who knows, maybe we could actually get this place looking nice, and get some customers in here! Having help would be so incredible, and you can definitely eat whatever you want from here, and I'll give you as much as I can in cash on top of that." Sue almost seemed to be pleading, as she wiped the single tear from her cheek. This woman was being worked to collapse.

"No, please. The food will be enough. If we get some customers in here, we can talk after that. Are you sure Betsy will be okay with it?" Dakota added. This woman seemed evil, who knew what could set her off and ultimately make it worse on Sue.

"Betsy should be fine, so long as she doesn't have to pay for you being here. Here, let me check." Sue hurried outside. Dakota could tell through the window that she was apologizing for interrupting Betsy's 'break'. As if she was working to start out. Dakota couldn't believe this woman. This was completely inhumane treatment of her employee, and how could she expect people to come and spend their money here with her smoking in the entrance, and treating everyone like roaches? 

Sue returned shortly. "You can work here, just try to stay out of her way? She'll be fine. I'm sorry." 

"Of course," replied Dakota, "when do I start?"

"Well, my shifts go from eight in the morning until sometime between seven and nine each night. Seven days a week. Sometimes I have to stay later, but I can generally get out by nine at the latest. Since you're not an official employee, you don't have to be here any specific time. Just whenever you find time to come by and help out, I'll do my best to accommodate as much as I can in tips, and make sure you get a free meal out of it." Sue looked up at the door, and Dakota turned around to see a few people from his school come into the diner. 

In the front of the pack was the blonde kid who had been harassing Diane earlier. Crap. Dakota had completely forgotten about their 'meeting'. The boy hadn't noticed Dakota yet, busy talking to his friends. Dakota turned quickly to Sue.

"Well, I don't see a better time than now! I'll go in the back and start on some dishes. Maybe fix that bell for the door!" And shot into the back before the group caught a glimpse of him. He'd make up an excuse tomorrow, he didn't want Sue to see him arguing with anyone. It'd be a bad first impression to bring a fight into the diner. He set to work scrubbing up some dishes. 

...Don't love the ending, will come back and change/add some probably, but for now I'm going to move on with the story and start the next chapter. Expect changes to the end of this one...

Author's Note

Very rough draft, please ignore grammar problems. I'm very new here, and this is my first novel. Super hungry for constructive criticism, would be honored if you take the time to read this and leave your honest opinion below. Thank you so much :)

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

It was a good ending. A open ending. The best kind. I liked the meeting and the conversation at the restaurant. The ending was fine. I liked the thoughts and things he would do. Thank you for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote

[siloqui]

Thank you so much! You're making my entire day by taking all this time to read the chapters I've put up here, thank you :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Was my pleasure. I have enjoyed this story and you are welcome.