I studied his unreadable expression.“I finish at two in the morning.”
He didn’t bat an eye.“That’s fine.I’ll wait.”
“For seven hours?”
“I normally work on the weekends, but I didn’t today.It’ll give me a chance to catch up.”
“You think working in a bar is going to be conducive to actually getting anything done?”
He sat down on the couch.“I can work anywhere.”He pulled out his phone as if to demonstrate.“You better get ready or you’ll be late for your first shift.”
A glance at the time made me yelp.Vance let out a chuckle that was cut off when I shut the door to the bathroom I had sprinted to.
I emerged ten minutes later wearing black skinny jeans, a T-shirt with the bar’s logo on it, and sneakers.My hair was in a braid, and I’d dabbed a little more foundation on my face.
“I’m ready.”I stopped in front of Vance, who was still sitting on the couch, engrossed in his phone.“You don’t have to drive me.”
He ignored my comment.“Let’s go.”
It was already crowded when we arrived, and I knew it was going to be a busy night.True to his word, Vance set up at the end of the bar after he softly brushed his lips against mine.
John, one of the guys who owned the bar, greeted me with a big smile.He was a wiry guy and only slightly taller than me, with a goatee and Harry Potter glasses.“Mae, I’m glad you decided to join the team.”
I gave him a tentative smile.I’d only met him briefly, having interviewed with the other owner, Howard.“Hi, John.Thanks so much for giving me a chance.”
He waved me off, handing me an apron and iPad.“We always need more servers.And as you can see, it’s as busy as ever.Which is why I’ll have to throw you right in there.Regan called in sick, and she’s usually behind the bar, so I’m helping out and can’t train you today.But Howard said he’s already shown you the system?”
I gave him a shaky smile.A ten-minute demonstration on how to input orders into a tablet was not exactly enough.I still didn’t know how to work the cash register.“Hopefully I’ll remember everything.”
He served someone who’d stepped up to the bar before saying, “If you have any questions, let me know.I’ll be here until closing.And Rosie has been here for years, so she can help you as well.”
He pointed to a platinum blonde server whose shirt was cut off halfway, her toned stomach on display.She glanced our way with narrowed eyes, then walked off to take another order.
I nodded at John, smile now gone.This was going to be a long night.
“You both have your own section.”He pointed to a hog’s head mounted to the wall.“You’re to the right of the hog, Rosie is to the left.”
Another nod, which seemed to be sufficient for John, who left to serve another customer.Taking a deep breath, I willed my shaking hands to still and went out there.
I would have liked to say that I was a natural, but I was everything but.I had no problem taking orders once I’d figured out the system.But I’d spilled more beer than I’d served, and I could never tell which order was what.They mostly looked the same to me.And how would I know which burger has bacon in it when it doesn’t stick out the side?
Rosie was absolutely no help.Every time I asked her something, her response was to roll her eyes and flounce off.The only bright spot was that Vance was in my section, and every time I walked past him, he winked at me or smiled.
Since he was sitting at the bar, John served him.It was about an hour before closing when things went sideways.A rowdy group who made a slightly wobbly beeline to a table in my section came in.
The bar was mostly empty, having cleared out around midnight.John was in the basement switching out one of the kegs, and Rosie was sitting at a table chatting with a group of girls.
I walked up to the loud table, clutching my tablet to my chest.
The first guy who saw me let out a loud whistle, and my cheeks heated.I fought hard not to cringe.Because I was small, people often assumed I was much younger than I was.Seemed like this guy had come to that exact same conclusion.If he knew I was nearly thirty and had two kids, he wouldn’t be so enthused by my appearance.
“Welcome to Frankie’s.My name is Mae, and I’ll be your server tonight.What can I get you?”
One of the guys grabbed my arm and pulled me into his side.It brought his head right in front of my breasts.“I’ll take you.”
His friends guffawed with laughter while I tried to pull my arm back.I didn’t succeed, and he gave a sharp tug, tipping me off-balance.I landed on his lap, causing more amusement.
He stank of beer and cigarettes, and I crinkled my nose, looking away from him while struggling to stand back up.He was drunk enough that his hold on me wasn’t tight.I figured I could roll off him and get up that way.
