The Right and the Real by Joelle Anthony

like they were keeping track of how long it’d been since I’d gotten my last one.
    The cute guy, Trent, who had leapt over the counter to get my coffee that first night I’d gone into the café, worked the morning shift, and so I started dropping in before school too. It wasn’t like I wanted to date him or anything, because I had Josh, but he was funny. And he had those floppy bangs I was a sucker for. I could imagine myselfpushing them out of his eyes for him, which I knew was totally wrong, but still…The real bonus was Trent didn’t know anything about me, which made him safe to talk to. I was anonymous at the Coffee Klatch.
    On Friday morning I sat there sipping my lukewarm coffee and filling out job applications for fast-food places. I’d already turned in about a dozen apps to the stores at the mall, but every place I’d tried told me they didn’t hire in February. Fact was, they were laying people off. It was going to be fast food or nothing. At least I’d get discounted meals.
    Trent came over to clear the table in front of me. “I’m starting to think you’re homeless,” he said.
    I’d been kind of dozy, but that woke me right up. After five days of living in the skanky motel, I was still too scared to undress in my room in case someone broke in, so I’d been showering after dance class instead. I’d put a bunch of mousse in my hair this morning, but instead of the cool bed-head look I was going for, it was just flat and greasy. The hour I’d spent as the filling inside a stinky wrestling-mat burrito yesterday hadn’t done much for it either. I probably did look like a street person.
    “I have roommate issues,” I said.
    “Been there.”
    Trent had an old-fashioned movie camera tattooed at the base of his neck, which I hadn’t seen the first time we’d met, and I’d been meaning to ask him about it, but before I could, he said, “Are you seriously thinking of working at Rotten Ronnie’s?”
    I looked at him blankly and he tapped the job application in my lap. “The Golden Arches doesn’t seem like your style.”
    “Yeah, well. Not a lot of choice this time of year.”
    “True. Plus there’s the bonus of the outfit they give you. Mustard gold polyester. There
is
something to be said for a girl in uniform.” He made the hourglass shape with his hands. “Oh, yeah. Hubba hubba. Plus, free Whoppers.”
    “That’s Burger King.”
    He smirked, and I saw that sexy oh-so-slightly-crooked tooth again. “I know,” he said. He stacked a few dishes onto a tray. “Taco Hell is always hiring.”
    “Ugh, that assembly line? Slapping refried beans onto tortillas?” I said. “I so could not do that.”
    “Snob.” He grinned. “You can’t get a job anyway.”
    “Why not?” He probably thought no one would hire me because of my hair issues.
    “You’d miss me too much,” he said.
    I couldn’t stop my smile. Some actress I am.
    “I’d love to stay here all day and fascinate you with my titillating conversation,” Trent said, “but duty calls.”
    As he leaned across me to pick up the tray, his knee touched my leg so lightly I wondered if I’d imagined it. A little zing went all the way through me, regardless. And yeah, I’ll admit it. I watched him walk away, thinking about touching his tattoo the whole time. But at least I felt guilty about it.
    After he left, I was kind of bored, and the café was slammed, so to keep myself from falling asleep, I ditched the applications and grabbed a bunch of dirty mugs.
    “Don’t make me fall in love with you,” Trent said when I dumped them off at the busing station.
    I managed to suppress my smile this time and grabbed a tray. I was hoping he would think I didn’t hear him, but I was pretty suremy pink face gave me away. After we finished clearing, another rush of people came in for their morning fix and Trent had to help behind the counter. I grabbed a rag and started wiping down the tables, but they looked way worse than when I started