Her hands shook as she made her way through the building. Tears stung her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She didn’t letherself think about what she had just done, about how it might be the biggest mistake she’d ever made.
About what losing her salary would mean for her future. For her granny’s house.
Sammie shoved through the door to the brewhouse, ignoring the shrill sound of Robert’s voice as he followed several dozen steps behind. She marched toward the canning line, where Luz and Carson were both working. Music blared over the ceiling speaker, and both of them were belting along at the top of their lungs to some emo white boy melodically yelling about a girl.
She would miss this. Despite the issues, despite Carson and his many mishaps. Despite the heat and the long days and the occasionally bad batch of beer. Underneath all of the frustrations lay a job that Sammie loved. But the bad had finally piled on too much, and she couldn’t shoulder it any longer.
“What’s wrong?” Luz watched Sammie approach, concern furrowing her brow as she leaned over and hit pause on her phone. Carson looked up, taking in Sammie’s glower and pressing the button to stop the line.
“I’m out.” Sammie hooked her thumb over her shoulder where she heard Robert crash through the door behind her. “That fuckass is on his way over here to fire you.”
“Wait, what?” Carson came around to their side of the canning line. Luz gaped at Sammie.
“I’m fired?” Her big brown eyes pierced straight to Sammie’s heart.
“I tried to get him to back down.” Sammie shrugged. “I’m sorry, Luz. You’ve been great.”
“You’re firing her?” Carson’s eyes were looking past Sammie’s shoulder. He looked so different from his uncle in that moment. Taller, steadier, a resolute fire burning in his eyes that Sammie had never seen before.
“Let’s all just take a breath.” Robert was there, slipping into his schmooziest persona as he tried to join their little group. “You can all be reasonable, I know you can. Give me a chance to explain.”
“Nope.” Sammie popped the p on the word, refusing to grace him with even a glance. Her attention was focused solely on her two protégés. “He said any idiot can do this job, so I figure he should be able to handle it by himself just fine.”
Luz nodded, understanding washing over her features, along with a solid amount of defeat that echoed what Sammie herself felt. People like Robert, they always came out on top in the end. But that didn’t mean Sammie and Luz needed to make it easy for him.
Carson, though. Sammie stepped back as he came forward, a gleeful rage spreading across his features.
“Fuck you, Rob.” Carson was in his face. “You’re going to run this place into the ground with your shitty decisions. The budget can’t sustain the people you’ve employed for years? Maybe that’s because you’ve got seven family members on payroll that have never stepped a foot in this goddamn place. Maybe it’s because you let grandma come in and redecorate with no restraint. Maybe it’s because instead of getting out in the community and actually marketing our product, you’d rather spend another day at your boring ass country club circling jerking with your pretentious ass buddies who’ve never worked a day in their lives. I only took this job because mom wanted me to, and I only stayed because of Luz. I don’t need you, and I’m sure not going to stick around and be part of the trash fire you’re turning this place into with all your investor buddies who only care about profits.”
Well shit. Sammie hadn’t seenthatcoming.
And, honestly, she couldn’t help herself. She tried, she really did, but seeing Carson go nuclear like that, seeing Robertfucking Everly standing speechless before him, it was just too good.
Sammie laughed. A full-body, brutal kind of laugh that had everyone around her nearly jumping out of their skins.
“Not a whole lot I can add to that.” There was something uniquely satisfying about seeing a man like Robert be dressed down by someone equal to him. Sammie reached out, slapping Carson on the back. That was when she noticed his hand wrapped around Luz’s, his body shielding her from Robert. “Good job, kid. Don’t think I’ve been giving you enough credit.” She paused as Carson finally looked at her. “You’re shit at brewing beer, though.”
Another laugh rang out, this time from Luz. “She’s right, you’re really not good at this.” Carson smiled then, too, and suddenly the whole situation looked a little less terrible.
“You… you don’t get to talk to me like that!” Robert was sputtering, fuming, all that was missing was the steam coming out of his ears. Sammie paid him no mind.
“We out, then?” She raised a brow at Luz and Carson. They both nodded. Sammie grinned. “Cool. Come on.”
And without even a spare glance in his direction, the entire brewhouse staff of Everly Brew Works walked out together, leaving Robert alone to clean up the mess he’d made for himself.
Sammie: Hey Zehra
Sammie: Still looking for a brewer?
Zehra: FINALLY
Zehra: When can you start, dear?
Sammie: Whenever you need me
Zehra: Welcome to the team, Sammie. Happy to have you <3
~
