He slammed the door in my face and though he didn’t lay a finger on me, it still ripped the air right from my lungs.
I hadn’t even made it into the office, and I was left holding back tears as I numbly returned to the lobby.
Dan, the goofball doorman let out a laugh that normally would have provoked a smile even before I knew the reason, but today, I didn’t have it in me.
“I can’t help you, bro. I’m sorry.” Dan chuckled.
“Man, two bills. Act like you’re gonna say no? Who the fuck else is offering you two hundred dollars for a seven-digit number? That’s all I need. Just a number? No? Fine. Give me a Post office box to write? The name of her mama’s church? For fuck’s sake,do you hear me? I’ll be a goddamn choir boy for this one, I don’t think you understa–” Anthony trailed off when he noticed me staring at him.
It was the most pitiful thing I’d ever seen, and as piss-poor of a day as I had, I couldn’t help but laugh. Anthony stood up a bit straighter, and I figured I probably bruised his ego a little without meaning to, but then he smiled and looked away, shaking his head a little before he quietly teased Dan, “You should have taken the two bills…Bro.”
I snorted at his confidence and rolled my eyes. He was cute and funny, but I hadn’t forgotten the way he acted, or the cost of his encounter.
“Boy, move. I just lost work because of you.”
That cocky smile of his didn’t waver, until it became clear I was moving past him.
“This place?” he blurted out, with so much disdain, I was sure I’d be fired if Jay heard him.
I didn’t slow my pace a bit, I kept right on marching out the door and into the parking lot. I saw him stuff money into Dan’s hand from my peripheral before he scrambled after me.
“Wait. Wait. Listen.” His long legs carried him faster than I could get away, and he placed himself in front of me effortlessly. “Girl, calm down. Alright? Listen, I’m trying to make it so you never have to work again, hear me? Fuck this place.”
I laughed, having heard similar from a dozen men twice his age in the last week alone. The way his eyes lit up at my laughter, though, now that was different.
It made everything in me clench, even if my mind knew better.
He stopped marching backwards and planted his feet, causing me to briefly brush into him before I could sidestep.
“Hey, you want me to call someone?” Dan’s concerned tone came from behind us.
The air between us instantly tensed, as Anthony bristled and glared past me.
“There is a waffle spot across the street. I have to finish my shift. If you want my time that bad, wait for me,” I whispered, knowing damn good and well, that Jay would blame any confrontation on me anyhow.
His shoulders relaxed and he studied my face, his eyes softening until they met his smile, “For real?”
“For real.” I shrugged.
He glanced from me to Dan and nodded, before turning to trail off for the Waffle House.
What the fuck was I thinking? I didn’t have any shift to get to, and going home wasn’t going to solve anything.
I went back inside the club and hid in the dressing room for a while. I refreshed my makeup and curled my hair.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to be there or hoped he would grow impatient and leave.
The only thing I was certain about was that hiding wasn’t an option much longer. I’d wasted fifty-nine minutes already.
Dan smiled when I left the second time, and called after me, “Have a good evening, Miss Jade.”
“You, too, Dan.” I winked.
The waffle spot wasn’t that full when I entered, but I noticed Sydney sitting at the counter. She smiled big when she spotted me and murmured when I drew near, “Girl… What did you do to that man? He already sent one waitress away in tears.”
I glanced in the direction she indicated and spotted Anthony in the back booth. His eyes were more brown than green, and I thought I detected a spark of jealousy in them as I lingered near Sydney.
“Thanks for the heads up.” I smiled and braved my way toward his table.
