“What, those two drunks?” Tiffany glances over then turns back to that mess of fire-engine hair. “I appreciate it, Ness, but I wouldn’t worry.”

Blood-red nails fiddle nervously with phone keys.

Tiffany’s brow furrows and she continues in jest, “Besides, this is a twenty-four-seven diner. Isn’t it our job to take care of these idiots?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure. But if I ain’t worrying, then who is? Who’s watching out for you then, huh?” Ness rolls her eyes into the back of her head, the whites looking purple under the neon lighting of the diner. “No worries. You know me. I’ll watch out for ya even if ya mock me. I’ll be back here with my phone ready to dial nine-one-one.”

Vanessa’s face, with those green eyes that stare so beggingly outward, disappears as she returns to the comfort of her phone screen. The clicking of keys continues. The constant tap-tap-tap sound reminds Tiffany of a time when she found Ness staring out the window, tapping her nails against the register and biting her lips so hard, Tiffany thought she might pop one open.

“No gum today, Ness?” Tiffany had asked in a passing joke.

Ness’s eyes met hers instantly, like a wind-up toy with springs strung so tight, the slightest breeze from saying hello would trigger it like a whip. Tiffany backed her weight onto her heels, shocked by that hollowed and pale face. She recognized the depth of that fear immediately. It was like looking into a mirror.

Tiffany’s lungs inflated and she broke the fear-filled silence. “Are you okay?” She placed her hand on top of Ness’s, stopping her from scratching ugly designs into the plastic register keys.

Ness shuddered, then relaxed and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thought I saw a guy I knew pass by. Was scared he was gonna walk in here.”

But that’s how Ness is with every guy who walks into the diner. The bell chimes, a man enters through the door, and Ness is as stiff as a board. Like her body might seize into paralysis if he takes a step too close to her.

It’s no wonder she’s never had a serious boyfriend.

But then again, Tiffany isn’t one to talk.

Tiffany watches the screen’s light shift back and forth ever so slightly across Ness’s face. She shakes her head, annoyed by how quickly Ness’s moods change, then walks over to the two men as they loudly complain about the lack of service.

“Hello and welcome to Big Daddy’s Burger, where we always feed you right! Will that be a table for two?” Tiffany strains a smile as she greets them.

The two men turn to her with tight, quivering lips. They look her over, their eyes traveling up her legs, her stomach, taking a pit stop at her chest, and finally settling on her face. As they attempt to take in steady breaths, they burst into laughter. Droplets of spit land on Tiffany’s cheekbones. She flinches, frowns, and wipes the saliva from her skin.