Emily jumped when the door banged open. Beth Ann barreled in, breathless and ten minutes late. Tension rippled down the row—some faces tightened with annoyance; others softened with sympathy. Regina’s jaw clenched. She hated tardiness. Slackers didn’t last long in her employ.
Surprisingly, she continued with her pre-event lecture rather than calling Beth Ann out in front of everyone, which was what Emily expected. “If you plan to work for me again, keep your mouths shut about what you see and hear. After your shift is over and you’ve collected your more-than-generous compensation for six hours of work, you’ll forget you were ever there.”
“Ever where?” Beth Ann asked from the end of the line, in her typical airhead style.
Emily nearly groaned. At twenty, Beth Ann sometimes acted half her age. How she’d made it through two years of college when she never listened or followed directions was beyond her. The girl never stopped talking. If silence ever became a survival skill, she was doomed.
Beside her, Julia mouthed a silent countdown from three. Before she reached one, the sound of papers ripping echoed sharply as Regina snatched the packet from Beth Ann’s hands.
“Get out,” she snapped.
“What?” the girl asked, dumbfounded.
“You heard me. You’re fired.”
“But… I need this job,” Beth Ann said, tears brimming.
“What you need is to learn to shut your mouth,” Regina shot back. “My clients don’t want a Chatty Cathy serving them dinner. Waitstaff must be invisible—until they’re needed.”
“I’ll do better,” Beth Ann begged.
“Not here, you won’t.” Regina’s heels clicked on the tile floor as she strode across the room, yanked the door open, and held it wide.
“Please…”
“Out!” she barked again.
Once the sobbing girl fled, the door slammed behind her. The lock clicked—final and unforgiving.
Emily stared at the door, heart thudding as silence fell over the room. She should say something. Stand up to Regina the Bully, but she needed this job too. A bad decision had upended her life once—she wasn’t in the position to do that again.
Everyone held their breath. Even the air felt afraid to move as Regina scanned them with narrowed, unyielding eyes. “Anyone else incapable of keeping their mouth shut?” When no one so much as breathed, she stated, “I didn’t think so.”
Regina hadn’t gotten where she was—with four restaurants and a custom catering service lauded for exceptional food and impeccable service—by being a pushover. She demanded perfection from her staff, not attitude and definitely not lip. Still, did she have to be a bitch and humiliate poor Beth Ann?
Emily often thought her boss would look right at home in a black leather catsuit, cracking a whip—fitting, given tonight’s venue.
Regina’s phone buzzed. “What now?” she snapped, stepping aside to take the call.
Barely moving her lips, Emily whispered to Julia. “Should we go after her? Make sure she gets home?”
“Are you serious?” Julia hissed.
“She was upset and probably shouldn’t be driving,” Emily pressed.
“Beth Ann will be fine. She’ll text Daddy for a ride. If you want to stay employed, don’t so much as twitch. Regina’s in rare form tonight.”
“Something you want to share, Miss Dykstra?” Having ended her call, the owner faced them again, arms crossed, one designer pump tapping impatiently.
“No, ma’am,” Julia choked out in a fine impression of a frog. “Just asking for a pen to sign on the dotted line.”
“Mm-hmm,” Regina grunted, suspicious but not pressing further. “Leave your signed NDAs on the counter and help finish loading the vans. If you’re too delicate for heavy lifting or scared of breaking a nail, don’t bother.” Her gaze landed on Emily—who hadn’t had a manicure since high school—before she added, “And remember to check your prudish sensibilities at the door.”
Emily followed Julia’s advice and didn’t blink or inhale.
“Make it quick,” Regina barked. “The vans leave in five minutes. Anyone whose ass isn’t in a seat gets left behind. Test me and see how serious I am.”
With only a cursory glance at the contract, Emily scribbled her name at the bottom. Missing the van meant her tuition and rent went unpaid. She’d seen the harsh reality of furniture dumped on the curb and locks changed. She wasn’t about to let that happen.
