“His phone’s broken. But, what’s up? I’m stepping in for the time being.” I answer, opening up the office.
“Okay, well, Gabe’s still not here yet so we don’t have a bartender this morning. And Stacy’s not in until four.”
I stop in my tracks, looking back at the bar. Gabe’s a no show?
“He didn’t call?”
Claire shakes her head and crosses her arms against her chest. “Walked out last night at the party and hasn't talked to anyone since.”
I huff out a laugh. “Probably embarrassed that he made a fool out of himself last night. Hungover or something.”
Claire’s eyes pinch together. “That doesn’t really sound like him. That’d really worry me.” She looks at the door as my heart sinks.
“That’d worry you? Why?” I ask in a whisper.
Claire’s mouth flutters open and shut. “Shit. I shouldn’t have said anything. Not that I think he’d care if you knew. It’s just…not my business to tell.”
I shake my head. “No…I wouldn’t say anything. Just…” I look at the door too. Silently praying he’d walk through. “I have this bad feeling I might’ve really fucked up last night.”
“Huh, why?”
I bite my lower lip, feeling my blood pressure rising. “I said things to him that no one should probably say to someone they don’t know.”
After what Tobias said to me, it sort of sounds like he really was just trying to be there for him. Even if it makes me angry that he put his lips onmyperson…maybe it was in good faith.
“I’ll call him later and try and see if I can get a hold of him. Until then, I’ll serve. You bartend.”
Claire nods her head. “Okay, sounds like a plan.”
A morning shift wasn’t something that I was planning on exactly, but hey, at least it made the time pass. We got a short rush around lunch, and we’re able to crush it like the team we’ve always been.
I kind of missed being here in the midst of it all. Time away really makes you appreciate things.
With Gabe still not showing up today, I had to stay on until the night time staffers arrived.
But once they did, I quickly caught up to one of the bussers, Oliver, and paid him twenty extra bucks to help me clean the office.
In record time, we had everything put back together and sparkly clean.
Tobias really didn’t break anything at all. It was all just throwing things around that looked like a fiasco in here.
Once it was all set and clean, I got to work answering emails, and finishing up the schedule.
After giving Gabe a few rings that went straight to voicemail, I accepted defeat.
He’s not picking up. I can only hope I didn’t scare him so badly that he quit. As much as I dislike the guy, that’d be pretty unfair of me as his employer. No one deserves that.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted.
Looking at the clock, I sighed. It’s already five p.m.
But, at least everything I had planned work-wise to get done today is finished. Now, Tobias is all caught up and doesn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to work. Not while I’m here.
“Have a great night, everybody!” I wave as I dial a number I’ve been meaning to for a while.
The voice on the other line picks up and I smile. “Hey. You busy? Can I come see you?”
34
