The Last in Line (The Royal Inheritance Series Book 1) by Evie Banks
Authors: Evie Banks
up, I’m hungry! We’ll be in the restaurant downstairs.” Cassandra bounded off the bed and out of the hotel room.
Renee fell back onto her pillow and lay there a few more minutes, blinking at the ceiling. She didn’t know what was in store for her, but she had to lay out some ground rules. Such as, no flying her to strange cities without telling her which one she was in. And no calling her crass. Cassandra was right, she didn’t know what it meant, but it sounded like an insult. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright in bed and smacked herself in the head with her hand. She instantly reached for the phone and began dialing. There would likely be an enormous charge on her hotel bill for calling long distance, but she didn’t care.
“Farland’s Far Out Diner,” said a voice on the other end.
“Brenda?”
“Renee, is that you?”
“I’m so sorry that I forgot to call out of my shift today!”
“That’s fine, I got Gloria to cover for you. I know you’ve been out of sorts lately. Do you want to come in this evening? Jackie was talking about maybe leaving early—”
“Look, Brenda, I’m sorry for the short notice, but I’m not going to be able to come in today. In fact, I’m not going to be able to come in at all. I decided to take that…that family position I was telling you about.”
“Sugar, that’s great! When do you start? How about we go out to the movies tonight to celebrate, my treat, and you can tell me all about it? Gloria wanted to move into full-time anyhow, so it’ll work out fine as far as the diner’s concerned.”
Renee twisted the cord around her finger. “Well, I’m kind of already gone. They needed me to start quickly and there wasn’t time to tell anyone.” There was silence on the other end of the phone. Renee could hear the noise of the diner in the background: clattering plates, the buzz of conversation, the cha-ching of the cash register. “Hello? Are you there?”
“I’m sure going to miss you,” said Brenda with a heavy voice. “I think you’re doing the right thing. Sometimes you just got to get up and go with no looking back. Is my Casshopper with you?”
“Yeah, she’s with me.”
“Tell her not to forget her Aunt Brenda and that I’ll make her pancakes the way she likes them when she comes to visit. You probably don’t know when that is, do you?”
“No,” said Renee, beginning to tear up herself. Brenda had been more than a boss for the last five years. She had been a real friend. She couldn’t imagine not being able to talk things over with her while they filled napkin dispensers and ketchup bottles.
“You take care of yourself. I’m always here if you need me,” said Brenda.
“Thanks. I’ll miss you and will try to keep in touch, but you’ll probably know what I’m doing.” Renee didn’t give Brenda a chance to figure out what that meant because she suddenly added, “Oh, and if you see that guy who was looking for me again, call the police immediately! He’s dangerous and the reason why I had to leave like I did. I love you, bye!” Renee hung up before she started sobbing on the phone. She sat morosely for a minute and then got up.
Where was she anyway?
She had been so tired the night before, she could have been in Tokyo for all she knew. She went to look out the window and gasped. The scene outside was familiar and immediately recognizable even though she had never been there before. New York City. Oh boy. She used to dream about visiting New York City. For several long moments she stared out the window taking in the enormity and densely packed beauty of the city. It was even more impressive than the sprawl of Dallas and nothing like the scrubby, big sky emptiness that her town was located in. She hurried through her shower and dug through her suitcase looking for something suitable. She had thrown everything in without giving any thought to it. She settled on jeans and a sweatshirt. She looked around for a key to the room, but saw
Renee fell back onto her pillow and lay there a few more minutes, blinking at the ceiling. She didn’t know what was in store for her, but she had to lay out some ground rules. Such as, no flying her to strange cities without telling her which one she was in. And no calling her crass. Cassandra was right, she didn’t know what it meant, but it sounded like an insult. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright in bed and smacked herself in the head with her hand. She instantly reached for the phone and began dialing. There would likely be an enormous charge on her hotel bill for calling long distance, but she didn’t care.
“Farland’s Far Out Diner,” said a voice on the other end.
“Brenda?”
“Renee, is that you?”
“I’m so sorry that I forgot to call out of my shift today!”
“That’s fine, I got Gloria to cover for you. I know you’ve been out of sorts lately. Do you want to come in this evening? Jackie was talking about maybe leaving early—”
“Look, Brenda, I’m sorry for the short notice, but I’m not going to be able to come in today. In fact, I’m not going to be able to come in at all. I decided to take that…that family position I was telling you about.”
“Sugar, that’s great! When do you start? How about we go out to the movies tonight to celebrate, my treat, and you can tell me all about it? Gloria wanted to move into full-time anyhow, so it’ll work out fine as far as the diner’s concerned.”
Renee twisted the cord around her finger. “Well, I’m kind of already gone. They needed me to start quickly and there wasn’t time to tell anyone.” There was silence on the other end of the phone. Renee could hear the noise of the diner in the background: clattering plates, the buzz of conversation, the cha-ching of the cash register. “Hello? Are you there?”
“I’m sure going to miss you,” said Brenda with a heavy voice. “I think you’re doing the right thing. Sometimes you just got to get up and go with no looking back. Is my Casshopper with you?”
“Yeah, she’s with me.”
“Tell her not to forget her Aunt Brenda and that I’ll make her pancakes the way she likes them when she comes to visit. You probably don’t know when that is, do you?”
“No,” said Renee, beginning to tear up herself. Brenda had been more than a boss for the last five years. She had been a real friend. She couldn’t imagine not being able to talk things over with her while they filled napkin dispensers and ketchup bottles.
“You take care of yourself. I’m always here if you need me,” said Brenda.
“Thanks. I’ll miss you and will try to keep in touch, but you’ll probably know what I’m doing.” Renee didn’t give Brenda a chance to figure out what that meant because she suddenly added, “Oh, and if you see that guy who was looking for me again, call the police immediately! He’s dangerous and the reason why I had to leave like I did. I love you, bye!” Renee hung up before she started sobbing on the phone. She sat morosely for a minute and then got up.
Where was she anyway?
She had been so tired the night before, she could have been in Tokyo for all she knew. She went to look out the window and gasped. The scene outside was familiar and immediately recognizable even though she had never been there before. New York City. Oh boy. She used to dream about visiting New York City. For several long moments she stared out the window taking in the enormity and densely packed beauty of the city. It was even more impressive than the sprawl of Dallas and nothing like the scrubby, big sky emptiness that her town was located in. She hurried through her shower and dug through her suitcase looking for something suitable. She had thrown everything in without giving any thought to it. She settled on jeans and a sweatshirt. She looked around for a key to the room, but saw