I’ve been working here long enough to know the real money isn’t in waiting tables. Bartending is where it’s at. Sometimes, after a shift, I linger near the bar, watching the bartenders laugh with customers, their hands flying across the gleaming surface, their smiles easy. Just thinking about standing behind that bar instead of serving drinks to people who don’t even notice me makes my fingers twitch.
Sighing, I clock in and slide into the familiar rhythm. Smile tight. Shoulders back. Stay invisible unless it’s profitable.
The lunch crowd is the worst. Wealthy, bored, and entitled. They sip overpriced wine, pick at kale salads, and treat us as if we’re part of the décor. No matter how hard I work, no matter how many extra shifts I take, I’ll never be one of them. Theydon’t think girls from my side of town make it out. Hell, some days, I’m not even sure I will.
Every cent goes into my escape fund. One day, I’ll drive my beat-up car out of this town and never look back. No one expects the forgotten to find their way out.
Stopping at my locker, I shove my bag inside and check my reflection one last time. Neutral face. Steady hands.
“Candace!”
Ruby hooks her arm through mine, yanking me down the hallway with a conspiratorial grin.
If anyone walks around wearing angel skin while hiding pure chaos underneath, it’s her. Auburn hair tumbling in effortless waves, wide doe eyes that could melt butter, and a mouth bold enough to make a sailor blush.
“Hey, Ruby,” I say, adjusting to her pace as we weave through the kitchen toward the restaurant entrance.
She leans in close, voice dropping to a giddy whisper. “Did you hear?”
I arch a brow. We both know that’s a rhetorical question.
“Gina and Thomas got fired.” Her grin is wicked, practically vibrating with glee.
My steps falter. “What?”
Gina might’ve been insufferable, but her father was practically country club royalty. And Thomas? He’d been a manager here since before I hit puberty.
Ruby wiggles her brows. “Caught screwing in the freezer.”
I blink. “What?”
She nods, biting back laughter. “I swear to God, someone walked in on them. Gina’s barely our age, but Thomas? Dude’s at least ten years older. Creepy bastard always stared at your chest whenever you talked to him.”
The memory slithers up, cold and slimy. I shudder, remembering the way Thomas’ gaze used to snag on me, sharpas burrs against skin. I’d learned early how to keep distance, stay busy, and keep my back to the wall.
Ruby shrugs, clearly unbothered. “Anyway, rumor is they’re announcing a new lead today.”
I exhale, shaking my head as we step into the cluster of employees gathered for the shift meeting. Just another day in paradise.
“Probably gonna give it to someone useless,” I mutter under my breath.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Ruby tosses her hair and starts humming a tune. Then she grins and belts out under her breath, “She works hard for the money…”
I roll my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you’re lucky I didn’t break into Britney.”
Before I can respond, the general manager, Cliff, strides into the huddle, his presence cutting through the low hum of conversation with the precision of a blade. The air shifts, everyone snapping to attention.
“Alright, let’s get started. If you haven’t heard, Gina is no longer employed here. Thomas, too.”
A collective gasp ripples through the circle—shock, curiosity, and the kind of mean excitement people get when someone’s about to crash and burn. Ruby and I exchange a look, biting back matching smirks.
“Candace,” Cliff continues, his gaze locking onto mine. “You’re the best server we have, so you’re taking Gina’s place.”
The words hit me hard, a sharp slap that steals the air from my lungs. For a moment, I just stand there, blinking, heart hammering in my ears. The floor feels too far away. My breath too thin.
Around me, faces tighten, lips press into bloodless lines. Resentment thickens the air, a storm gathering with slow, heavy pressure. Ruby hip-checks me, her grin practically blinding, butthe others? They glare as if I’ve just stolen something that was never mine to take.
