I felt my face heat. "The music was loud."
"And your friend has that amazing red hair, right? It was gorgeous. Not saying yours isn't but compared to hers—"
"Okay, X. Go put your shit away," Jen said as she pushed him into the staff room. She looked back at me and sighed. "He can take his honesty a little too far sometimes. You'll get used to it."
I managed a smile and dropped my hand from my hair when I realized I had started playing with the ends of it.
Jen gave me a quick run-through of where everything behind the bar belonged or could be found, how to work the cash register, and where an emergency button was located under the counter.
"Does that contact the police?" I asked, making a mental note not to bump it in case my father showed up.
"No. It, uh, goes through to our boss. He handles most of our emergencies." She smiled but was obviously holding something back, which meant she knew what Antonio was too and thought she had to hide it from me.
I hesitated before speaking quietly. "I know about him."
Jen looked at me and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Definitely wasn't expecting that. How'd you find out?"
I assumed if she knew about Antonio, she would know about the fighters in his little club downstairs. "Dean mentioned it?"
Jen's eyes widened. "How the hell do you know Dean?"
"It's a long story—"
Xavier suddenly gasped from nearby, having eavesdropped from the doorway of the staff room before walking over to us. Eager to add to the conversation. "She's the one Roxy was bitching about this afternoon. It was just after your job interview."
"Hold on," Jen interrupted before looking at Xavier. "What were you doing here earlier today?"
"I left my weed in my locker and wanted to get it before work. Details, Jen," he sighed tiredly before looking at me. "Lily here played nurse for Dean over the weekend and Roxy can't stand that."
"I'm sure she doesn't think anything happened," I said, looking nervously between them with an uneasy smile.
"Sorry, hun, but once you're in Roxy's bad books there's no going back," Xavier said before patting me on the arm. "Good luck though."
"I don't think she even has a good book," Jen said. "I wouldn't worry too much. If she gives you a hard time, let me know."
"Jen here has been waiting for an excuse to rip Roxy a new one ever since they met," Xavier said as he lightly nudged Jen.
The front door suddenly opened, and right on cue, Roxy sashayed into the club with several of the first customers for the night. She smiled at the group of men graciously, with her handbag over her arm as she headed for the bar in a skintight black dress and extremely tall stilettos. She resembled a runway model, hair flowing in a non-existent breeze, and seemed to draw all the attention in the room.
"Speak of the devil," Xavier murmured before moving over to the other end of the bar.
"Here," Jen said, shoving a clean glass and a cloth into my hands. "Pretend you're busy and she won't set you on fire."
I got to work polishing the single glass.
Roxy passed the bar, barely acknowledging us as she walked into the staff room and closed the door. Not long after, the speakers around the room began playing music, the volume on low.
“Another rule,” Jen added, motioning to the speakers. “Only Roxy is allowed to handle the music. She thinks we'll mess up the dials."
"I just wish she'd play some Madonna," Xavier complained quietly. His demeanor quickly became cheery when the customers arrived at the bar.
I hadn’t stopped going over what Xavier said as I continued to wipe the glass, wondering why Roxy had judged me so harshly before it suddenly dawned on me.
I approached Jen as she filled glasses with whiskey. "Are Roxy and Dean together?"
If that was the case, I could understand why it may have upset Roxy. Until Xavier barked out a laugh which earned him several confused looks from the men at the bar.
"She wishes," he scoffed.
