Nameless (working title)
an excerpt

“Your Hired”, the rather large man said as he stood and extended his hand out toward Jim. Jim took his hand and shook it saying, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Alright then, there are lockers in the store room for your clothes. There are aprons and hairnets back there too. What else? Oh! You met Jen and Angel, so you are set”, Carl Hill, Jim's new boss said.

“Alright, bright and early tomorrow. Welcome to Carl's diner”, Carl said showing Jim a smile on cross chubby face.

“Bright and early”, Jim said.

As Jim started to walk out of Carl's he thought to him self that this isn't quite the dream job that he had always wanted, but somewhere along the line this is something that he always wanted to do. “I don't know if I can be a short order cook, but I am willing to try”, Jim thought. “Well, if Mel could do it, anyone can”, he chuckled as the thought crossed his mind.

“Things were really starting to change. It looks like walking away from everything and just leaving has really made a difference.”, Jim started to reflect. “I'm feeling better. I have a car, a job, and a house.”, Jim paused. “Ok, the house moniker could be debated.” Things were starting to come together.

“If only I could finally be able to leave the watchful eye of the US Marshals.”, Jim thought. This whole experience actually gave Jim a new appreciation for the Marshals Service. “They have actually treated me very well”, Jim mused. However, having been watched for almost 24/7 surveillance had given Jim the feeling that he was having court ordered supervised visits with his own self. Which is just about what this all was.

“As soon as Mike's case with the Organized Crime syndicate is over, I will be in good shape.”, Jim thought. Mike will have had the opportunity to take me off that witness list by then, maybe sooner.

The bell that hung over the front door chimed as Jim pushed the glass door open to leave. As he held the door open he read the hand painted words on the glass, “Carl's Diner, Nothin' could be Finer”. Somehow this place did seem familiar to him. He glanced back at the counter with Jen chewing bubble gum and saying, “Bye! See ya tomorrow!”, as she was waving excitedly with a rag that she had been wiping the counter down with. He thought, “This place does seem like Mel's.”. He waved back thinking, “I have watched too much TV”.

As Jim stepped out of the door into the sunlight of the unusually bright day he could see across the street, two Marshals sitting in an unmarked car, which ironically in a small town like this wasn't so unmarked. Jim nodded toward the Marshals in a acknowledgment that they were there, and to say, “I got the job, Good Day sirs”.

Jim turned his attention to his car parked along the curb, a 1995 Ford Taurus. “Well, I guess calling this a car could be debated too.” Nobody said that the Marshals Service had a sense of style when they set you up with a new life.