"Boss has been making a lot of trips to the college district lately. You might want to keep an eye on that."
It didn't take long to find out.
The girl was barely in her early twenties, a college student named Eleanor Harding.
She'd started waitressing at one of our restaurants late last year. Her family didn't have much, but she was undeniably pretty.
"Don't worry too much about it, though."
"I think the boss is just chasing a thrill, reliving old times. Why else would he pick someone who looks so much like you?"
I stared at the photo on the table. The girl stood under a cherry blossom tree, smiling at the camera. There was a faint echo of my own face in hers.
From that day on, I waited. Waited for Kenneth to come clean.
But I never expected him to bring her right to my doorstep.
And throw in a two-for-one deal.
"Betty, I know you're the best." Kenneth reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
He cradled my face in his hands, the calluses on his palms rough against my cheeks.
"She's fragile. If she loses this baby, her first, it could do real damage to her body."