The bell above the diner door chimed.
Crysta looked up from the cash register. Ridge Mason walked in. He was not wearing his uniform today. He was wearing a casual button-down shirt.
Beside him walked a young woman in her late twenties. She had bright eyes and carried an expensive leather tote bag.
Crysta's stomach immediately tightened.
Ridge walked straight to the counter. "Crysta. This is my daughter, Chloe."
Chloe extended her hand. "It is so nice to meet you. My dad has not stopped talking about how efficiently you run this floor."
Crysta wiped her hand on her jeans before shaking Chloe's hand. "Nice to meet you."
Chloe reached into her tote bag and pulled out a thick, cream-colored business card. She slid it across the counter.
"I am serious about the manager position," Chloe said, her voice bright and professional. "The pay is double what you are making here, plus benefits. I need someone who can handle high pressure. I want you to come in for an interview."
Crysta stared at the business card. The embossed letters looked like a trap.
Her thumb found her left wrist. She rubbed the skin hard.
"I... I appreciate the offer," Crysta stammered. Her throat felt tight. "But I really cannot leave Margo."
Chloe looked disappointed. "Are you sure? It is a massive opportunity."
"I am sure," Crysta said, pushing the card back across the counter. "Thank you."
Ridge frowned, but he didn't push. He and Chloe ordered coffee to go and left.
The moment the door closed, Margo stepped out of the kitchen. She had heard everything.
Margo wiped her hands aggressively on her apron. She walked up to Crysta. "Why did you do that?"
Crysta looked down at the floor. "You know why."
"Because of your record," Margo stated. It wasn't a question.
Crysta nodded. The shame burned the back of her eyes. "They will run a background check. A boutique coffee shop downtown is not going to hire a convicted felon. I will not sit in an office and watch someone look at me like I am garbage again."
Margo's jaw set. She reached across the counter and grabbed Crysta's hand, pulling it away from her raw left wrist.
"You made a mistake," Margo said fiercely. "You paid your debt. You are the hardest worker I have ever met. You deserve a real life."
"The world doesn't care how hard I work, Margo," Crysta whispered, her voice cracking.
Margo let go of her hand. She turned around and walked to the wall phone hanging near the kitchen door. She picked up the receiver.
"What are you doing?" Crysta asked, panic rising in her chest.
"I am calling Ridge," Margo said, dialing the numbers.
"No!" Crysta lunged forward, grabbing the phone cord. "Margo, please. Do not tell him. Do not make him look at me differently."
Margo put her hand over the mouthpiece. Her eyes were fierce. "Ridge has known me for thirty years. He trusts my judgment. I am going to tell him that I have an employee who made a mistake in her past, but who is worth her weight in gold. If he turns you down, fine. But I will not let you throw away your future because you are scared."
Crysta's grip on the cord loosened. Her hands fell to her sides.
She stood there, her heart pounding in her ears, as Margo took her hand off the mouthpiece and spoke into the phone.
"Ridge? It's Margo. We need to talk about Crysta."
