She huffs out a heavy sigh and lifts her thick-lashed green eyes to me. “How about a miracle?”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind.” Tossing her phone into her purse, she shakes her head. “I was counting on a friend to do something for me, and she just cancelled. Now I’m totally left in a lurch.”
“I’m sorry.” I can see that she’s visibly upset. I also recall that she’s supposed to be catching a flight at some point tonight. “If you’re ready to cash out, just let me know.”
She takes a sip from her glass, then glances at her watch. “I don’t need to leave for a few minutes. I’d much rather stay here than wait around at JFK any longer than I have to. I’m Claire, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” I reply. “I’m Avery.”
“I know.”
I tilt my head. Maybe I’m gaping a bit, too, because she immediately winces and lets out a little laugh.
“I’m sorry. That came out a little stalkerish, didn’t it?” She waves her hand as if to erase any unease. “We haven’t met. I come in from time to time, and I’ve heard some of the other bar staff talking to you.”
“Oh.” I shrug it off with a brief smile. “No worries.”
She’s not someone easily overlooked, yet I can’t say that I’ve noticed her in the restaurant before. Then again, New York is full of beautiful people. I had to train myself early on not to gawk at every celebrity, athlete, and supermodel who crossed my path.
“I have an apartment a few blocks from here,” she volunteers as I pick up a bar cloth and start wiping down a vacated spot a couple of seats away from her. “To be honest, though, I’m never in any city long enough to claim I’m a true resident. I just flew home last week from a gig in Paris. Tonight I’m off to Tokyo for a few months to shoot some commercials and a game show pilot.”
“Sounds exciting.” I’m still small-town enough to feel a twinge of envy at her jet-set lifestyle and glamorous career.
“It’s never boring,” she admits before taking a sip of her wine. “But I don’t like leaving my apartment empty for long stretches while I’m gone. The friend who stood me up tonight was supposed to stay at my place while I’m in Japan. My poor plants just got a death sentence.”
I grimace. “That sucks.”
“Tell me about it. I don’t suppose you know of a good house-sitting service I can call? One I can hire for the next four months on zero notice?”
She needs a house-sitter for four months? That desperate part of me I don’t want to acknowledge practically groans at the irony of this situation. I’m soon to be homeless and this woman—Claire—has more living space than she can use.
Even though I’m sure her question was meant to be rhetorical more than anything else, before I can answer, Tasha’s voice sounds from behind me.
“Avery, why don’t you do it?”
Until that moment, I didn’t even realize she was nearby. I swivel to look at her, my eyes wide. What the hell are you doing?
I know she can read that demand in my face—in my mortified glare—but Tasha being Tasha, she’s completely unfazed. She smiles at me as if I’m not fuming and speechless at her interference.
“Think about it,” she says cheerfully, and more than loud enough for Claire to hear. “The timing couldn’t be more perfect. You told me just today that your place is being renovated soon and you can’t stay there once the work begins.”
Renovated? I give a tight shake of my head. “I didn’t say—”
“Yes. You did.” She speaks slowly and gives me that look. The one I’m sure makes even her six-foot-four husband stand a little straighter. I have to admit, it’s working on me right now too.
But I can’t do this. It wouldn’t be right. I’m a stranger to this woman. I can’t imagine she would even consider—
“Is that true, Avery? Do you need someplace to stay?”
I turn to face Claire. “Yes, it’s true, but . . . you don’t even know me.”
She sets down her wine glass and studies me for a second. “How long have you worked here?”
“Almost a year and a half.”
“So that tells me you’re responsible enough,” she points out.
“And reliable,” Tasha adds. “Six days a week, Avery’s here. Sometimes, all seven. Never missed a shift, not even a single sick day in all this time.”
“Impressive.” Claire nods as though her mind is already made up. “You’d be doing me an immense favor. I can’t even tell you how grateful I’d be.” She glances at her watch, then sucks in a breath. “Shit. I have to go or I’m going to be late. If you can do this for me, Avery, I need your answer now.”