I didn't sleep very good that night, my mind on things I had no business thinking about. At some point when I could the sky begin to brighten through my bedroom window, I gave up and decided to get up.

After a quick shower, I searched for appropriate outfit to wear to the diner. Normally it wouldn't matter, but considering I was applying for a job I figured I should make sure I looked presentable..just in case I was to be interviewed on the spot. From what Chanel said, I had a pretty good chance of being hired. But I still felt nervous.

I didn't want to dress up too fancy, not wanting to overdo it..considering it's just a diner. I decided on ripped blue jeans with tan ankle boots and a beige top paired with a beige long-knit cardigan.

This time, I decided to go ahead and do my hair and makeup. Might as well since I woke up so early. I even curled my hair, which took ages considering how thick and long it was. As I sprayed myself with hairspray, I took in my appearance in the full-length closet mirror. I had to admit, I looked pretty good. I mean, it definitely could be worse. I put on just a little of my favorite perfume that smelled like Orange Blossom, grabbed my phone and headed downstairs.

I froze when I entered the kitchen and saw my mother. She was doing something I rarely ever saw her do..something very out of the ordinary. "Oh my God..are you cooking?!" I couldn't hide the shock in my voice as my nose was overrun with the intoxicating smell of bacon.

She was over at the stove and jumped at the sound of my voice. She turned around to face me and held her chest while exhaling a deep breath, like I had scared her. But when she took in my appearance, her face lit up the entire room.

"Oh my god! Gia! You..you did your hair and makeup!" She clapped her hands together and acted like it was the most impressive thing in the entire world. I suppose I had it coming for throwing shade about the cooking thing. "Honey, you look so beautiful!" She actually looked like she might cry, so I made a desperate attempted to keep the conversation moving.

"Thanks, mom. So why are you making breakfast? What's the occasion?" She looked like the question had offended her somehow as I sat at the round glass table by the kitchen window. I was a tad confused, because I didn't mean it offensive. I was just surprised. Like I've mentioned before, we didn't have a lot of home-cooked meals back in Denver. That included breakfast.

She pulled out two plates from one of the cabinets and set it on the counter before getting the plate of bacon and setting a few strips on each plate. "The occasion since you must know, is that it's morning." I rolled my eyes at my mother's attempt as sarcasm. Let me just say, I get my sense of humor from my dad. My mom's not big on jokes. "I just thought it might be nice to have an actual breakfast our first morning here." Her smile reminded me of a kid on Christmas morning as she went to the stove to retrieve a pan filled with scrambled eggs and came back to put it on our plates.

"Well, this is nice I guess. Thanks mom. I want to go ahead and get going soon." My mother set one of the plates in front of me and then ran over to the toaster to get two pieces of toast. When she came back and handed me one, I grabbed a knife that was setting on the counter and began to spread a generous helping of butter on it.

"You look like you took a while to get ready. You must have got up early..did you have trouble sleeping?" My mother sounded concerned as she sat on the empty chair next to me with her plate in front of her. I suddenly felt awkward, not sure what to say. She didn't even know that anything out of the ordinary happened last night, so how was I supposed to tell her why I had trouble sleeping?

"Maybe a little. Probably just getting used to a new place, and all that. It's pretty quiet here, too." I took a big bite of my toast, and she seemed to accept this answer as she picked up her fork to dig in to her eggs. "So what are you up to today, mom? You look nice." Of course she always looked nice.

She fluffed her curled hair and smiled at my compliment, putting a bite of egg into her mouth. "Nadine is giving me a ride around town so you can have my car. You're not the only one that has to get a job, are you? We may not have rent here, but we still have plenty of other bills to think about. We're a one-income household now." I could hear the concern in my mother's voice but she tried to hide it by replacing it with her usual cheerful disposition. I suppose my mother and I are a lot alike in that sense, we both have a habit of hiding our feelings away. Not necessarily a good trait to pick up on. "But no matter, I may still have a few connections in this town. We're going to be just fine." She smiled at me as if trying to reassure me, though I got the feeling she was the one that needed reassurance.

"You know what? We are going to be just fine, now. Because we aren't going to be just a one-income household anymore. I'm going to start pulling my own weight and help out." My words seemed to touch her, and put her mind at ease to a certain degree. I really meant it, too. I was determined to make it work in Meadow Hills. Not just for me, but for my mother. To prove to the both of us that we don't need dad. We're just fine on our own.

I just hope this raising drama with Phoenix Santiago and Charlotte doesn't mess everything up. I would give anything to be able to just put it out of my mind and let it go. But truth be told, the events of last night was all I could seem to think about. No moment in particular came to mind, quite like the one when I thought Phoenix might kiss me.

"I'm very proud of you. Have you told that, yet?" My mother temporarily stopped eating to watch me with a content smile on her face. I awkwardly shoved part of my bacon into my mouth, not feeling entirely worthy of her praise.

"Thanks, mom. But you tell me that everyday." I pointed out as I started stuffing down the eggs on my plate. She laughed and lovingly squeezed my shoulder.

"Yeah? Well, I mean it everyday, too." We smiled at each other for a moment before finishing the rest of our breakfast in silence. I couldn't help but think about how lucky I was to have my mother, and someday I was going to figure out how to actually give her a reason to be proud.

I parked up front when I got to the diner and scanned my surroundings, mainly out of nerves. There wasn't too many cars in the parking lot, which I was relieved about. I hated the thought of going in there awkwardly begging for employment with a bunch of customers watching me.

Chanel is supposed to be working, and she should be expecting me. Maybe she can hook me up with her boss, as long as she's here. "Just breathe, Gia." I commanded to myself as I got out of the car and walked to the front door.

I was internally freaking out a bit when I walked in as I had a sudden thought. What if anyone from the party last night is here, and recognizes me as that girl that clocked Phoenix Santiago? Right when I'm being interviewed? That would certainly make a great first impression, wouldn't it? The truth was being that this was a small town, it wasn't such a crazy thought.

To my relief there was hardly no customers at the moment except a cute old couple sitting in one of the corners, a mother with her young son, and a few trucker-looking types sitting at the bar drinking coffee.

Chanel came out of the kitchen with two plates in her hands just as I was walking in. Her face lit up when she saw me and she smiled. "Hey, you! Go ahead and have a seat at the bar, I'll be over in a second." I did as I was told and an empty place at the bar while she brought the plates over to the old couple. I was starting to calm down just a bit now that I saw there were no people my age here, apart from Chanel.

When Chanel came back over, she went behind the bar and pulled out an application, setting it in front of me with a pen. "Go ahead and fill this out and I'll take it to the boss. She's just in the back checking on inventory or something. Do you want a drink or something?"

I thought about it for a moment while I picked up the pen and looked over the application. "Um, Dr. Pepper would be good. Thank you." She laughed at me like I said something funny and went to pour my drink. When she came back, she sat the drink down in front of me and pulled out a straw from her pocket.

"Don't be so nervous. I told you, already. She's going to hire you. There's no reason she wouldn't." I smiled until I saw something in her face seemed to hesitate, and I stopped writing on the application to study her. "But if I was you, I wouldn't mention about what happened last night." She said it as a warning, and I looked at her as if she had just said an incomplete statement.

"Chanel, why would I tell my potential boss about last night?" I put the straw in my drink and shook my head as I picked up the glass. She rolled her eyes, but still seemed nervous about something.

"I realize that, okay? I know. I'm just..well.." Her voice trailed off and I eyed her suspiciously. "There might have been something I didn't mention, yet." Before I had a chance to panic, I heard the bells go off on the front door like someone had walked in. Chanel's face fell as she looked over my shoulder at whoever it was and then looked at me sympathetically. Before I even turned around, I knew who it was. Because I knew how horrible luck I had..not to mention I recognized the smell of Sandalwood.

Nope, not even going to turn around and entertain any kind of interaction. I'm going to sit here and fill out my job application like the child of God that I am. scribble, scribble, scribble. Why must he be here now of all times? Why is he always here whenever I come here?! Also, what the hell was Chanel about to tell me before he walked in? It sounded important, whatever it was.

"Good morning, blue eyes." My body annoyingly got chills at the sound of the deep, husky voice behind me. Chanel pressed her lips together as if trying to hide a smile as she exchanged glances from me to Phoenix.

No. Not doing it. Not in the mood. I continued filling out my application, not even allowing myself to sneak a peek behind me. My plan was to ignore him completely, and maybe he'll give up because he'll think I'm boring. Nope. Good morning to you too, Satan. Buh-bye, now.

I was doing pretty well at ignoring his existence so far. I heard him chuckle, but then he was so quiet I was beginning to think he actually gave up and went and sat down somewhere. That was until I saw his hand rest on the counter, inches away from my hand. He leaned in close from behind me, bringing his lips to my ear.

I froze in place, not prepared for such close contact. His hypnotizing scent surrounded me, and I found myself dying to look behind me. To get a glimpse of him. Chanel looked like she felt awkward as if interrupting some intimate moment, and pretended to wipe down the counter.

"What you got there, huh Gia Pet?" His mouth was right up against my ear, his voice sending chills down my body. I could feel his breath, his lips almost making contact with my skin. He gestured with his hand towards the application I was filling out, and I exhaled a deep breath before scolding myself to go back to pretending he didn't phase me.

"It's the ten commandments, what the hell does it look like?" I mumbled coldly, trying to hide the shivers his laughter in my ear inspired. I rolled my eyes at how sloppy my handwriting was, but I was trying to finish the application in a hurry so I could escape. It would be a lot easier if my head wasn't spinning.

"So you're going to start working here, huh? Looks like I'm going to be coming in here more often." There was a playfulness in his voice that sounded like he was smiling, and I started to panic at the thought of him coming in to torture me while I'm trying to work and can't do anything about it.

"Come in here any more often and they'll start sending your mail here." I could hear the bitterness in my voice, and he seemed to find it funny. The fingers on his hand that was resting by my hand on the counter lightly touched my fingers, but I wasn't sure whether it was an accident or not.

I started losing my temper again. Annoyed by his very existence, though I knew how silly that sounded. I just felt like everywhere I turned he was right there, teasing me..taunting me. How was I supposed to concentrate on anything but him if he's always in my bubble?

My anger got the best of me again and I turned around to face him but was startled to find him inches away. He smiled one of his annoyingly perfect but cocky smiles, like he had 'won' somehow. When he opened his mouth to speak his voice was soft, and flirty. "Well, hi there. Don't you look pretty?"

"Why are you always here? Are you stalking me or something?!" He seemed taken back by my hostility, and I heard Chanel clear her throat from behind me. "Also, could you back the hell up please? How cocky must you be to think you're entitled to invade a stranger's personal space?"

I was surprised to see the smile on his face briefly fade, like I had offended him. It was actually kind of refreshing to know it was possible to ruffle his feathers. "You assume I'm here for you? Now look who's cocky?" I started to respond before stopping and thinking about it for a moment. I suppose he had a point. This was a small town, not like there's a bunch of places to go eat..and how would he know I was going to be here? He could just really like their cheeseburgers or something.

I was too stubborn to apologize and admit he had made a point, so instead I turned my back towards him again, ignoring his laughter from behind me. I quickly signed my name at the bottom of the application and slid it across the counter to Chanel. "I'm done."

She took the application and disappeared into the kitchen, looking relieved for the excuse to get away from the tension. I would like to get away from the tension myself. I could feel Phoenix finally take a few steps back and giving me a little space. I exhaled, feeling like I could finally breathe again.

"Would you like me to put a word in with the boss? I might be able to pull a few strings." He offered, though the tone of his voice made me wonder what I'd have to give him in return. I shook my head and continued to look in front of me, refusing to face him.

"I think I'm good. Chanel probably has bigger connections than you do, anyway." He laughed at my attempt to throw shade and much to my dismay, he sat down at the empty stool next to mine. He let his elbow rest on the counter and instead of facing forward, faced me instead.

"My face is still on fire from where you hit me, by the way." He said it very matter-of-fact,and didn't seem at all pissed off about it. Even so, I began to feel guilty again for my outburst. I still felt that while he is way too pushy, I didn't have a right to hit him unless he gave me no other choice. I could have just walked away. He broke my train of thought by speaking again, only this time his tone was more playful. "Want to know what else you set on fire?"

Seriously?! Does he always have to turn everything as an opportunity to hit on me? If he could turn that into some kind of a career, he'd make millions. I turned to face him and returned his gaze, my anger getting the best of me again. A grin spread on his face like I had given him what he was after.

"What the hell is your problem? Who raised you exactly, monkeys?!" He started laughing very loudly, but before I could say anything else I was once again distracted by the sound of Chanel clearing her voice.

We both followed the sound and saw Chanel standing awkwardly with a middle-aged woman, who was holding my application in her hands. She was studying me very closely, an expression on her face I couldn't quite read.

She had dark, black hair that was put up in a neat bun, tanned skin, and green eyes. She was wearing black slacks, and a loose-fitting white blouse. She was very pretty, but she looked like a no-nonsense type of woman. The kind that you really want to avoid getting on her bad side. I could tell she was the boss before either one of them even spoke.

I attempted to smile politely, praying she didn't actually hear any of that. Phoenix as usual just sat there with a smug look on his face, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. Luckily for me, Chanel broke the awkward silence and turned to her boss to introduce me. "This is Gia Asher, the girl I was telling you about."

The woman took a few steps forward, not taking her eyes off me. I attempted to salvage whatever professionalism I could manage, ignoring Phoenix's watching eyes. Seriously..why is he even still here? Can't he just get lost?

"Gia, nice to meet you. I'm Jayla, the owner of Moonshine Diner." Her smile was friendly as she reached out and shook my hand, though something in her voice seemed hesitant. "Is everything alright, here?" Her eyes gestured towards Phoenix, who took the opportunity to butt in.

"Everything's fine. My Gia Pet and I were just having a conversation, weren't we?" He put his hand on my leg under the bar and I quickly slapped it away. Jayla, the owner..looked at the both of us confused.

"Your 'Gia Pet?'" She repeated, as if she didn't hear him right. Chanel and Phoenix both laughed, and I shut my eyes in frustration..suddenly getting the urge to slap him again. Most annoying nickname, ever.

"Don't listen to him Jayla, he's a colossal prick." Chanel winced, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Phoenix just grinned at me, while Jayla watched me in silence. I was obviously missing something.

"Gia..this is Jayla Santiago. That's what I was trying to tell you, earlier." Chanel mumbled behind her awkwardly, waiting for me to get what she was saying. Phoenix was snickering next to me, and my heart sank as I registered the last name. Santiago. That's definitely not a coincidence in a town this small.

I looked from Phoenix and Jayla in disbelief, my luck couldn't actually be that bad. "Did you say S-Santiago?" I stuttered as I began to realize this was easily one of the most awkward moments of my life.

"Afraid so." Jayla said with a smirk. "This colossal prick is my son."

author's note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to vote! :)