Watching Cy hold Robert off had been more than just entertaining. The first punch Robert had thrown hadn’t hit its mark. It had been impressive to watch Cy duck out of the way, but funny to see the shock displayed on Robert’s face as he didn’t land punch after punch.
Her ex hadn’t expected Cy to move so fast, or get out of the way so quickly. Watching him be humbled by some random guy at a bar would have been worth paying for.
Then again, Robert never knew when to quit. He wasn’t the brightest, and that got him into trouble. She let out a heavy sigh, wishing everything was easier. Robert seemed to always show up and ruin everything.
She needed to get back out there to take more orders. The customers had been great tonight. Maybe Robert being humbled would get him to leave San Diego and head home to San Francisco. It was the least she could hope for.
Willa stepped out into the main dining room and glanced around, seeing that a few people had left. She took an order at one of the back tables, then made her way around to the other side of the room.
The women at this event were obviously paired off with guys. None of them were aggressively flirting, and not one of the women had been rude to her.
She turned and almost bumped into one of the women. “Oh, sorry.”
“It’s totally okay, hon. We’re a rowdy bunch.”
Willa chuckled. “No, you all are so respectful.”
“Oh, well, thank you. You’re new around here, right?”
Willa nodded. “Yes, I’m new to San Diego.”
The woman sighed. “It’s a nice place. I’m Talia.” Another woman came over and bumped Talia’s hip. “And this is Nichole.”
“Hello. I’m loving the vibe tonight.”
Willa smiled, thinking they hadn’t seen Robert in jerk mode. “Could I get you two something to drink?”
“How about a glass of water?” Nichole asked. “I know that’s not normal?—“
“It totally is normal. We all need to hydrate.”
“Okay, well, I’ll take a water, too. And thank you,” Talia said as she stuffed a few dollars into Willa’s hand.
She was about to tell the women the water was free when Talia’s smile grew wider.
“For the tip.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Few people tipped her for water. She appreciated them dropping her some extra money. She’d worked hard tonight, but it had been worth it.
After taking the water to Talia and Nichole, Willa made her way back around the tables and groups, taking orders as she went.
She hadn’t seen Cy again and thought that maybe he’d slipped out, but then she spied him in the corner in an intense conversation with some guy. She stared for a moment, getting a good look at him. He was tall, looked strong, and had a nice face. Then she realized she was staring and turned away.
People started to leave, and after about twenty minutes, the number of people in the bar was down to about half of what it had been at the height of the event.
The guy who’d survived cancer was leaving, and she knew that meant most of the other people would be leaving, too. There would be a few stragglers, but most of the place would empty out, and a few of their regulars would slip in before closing time for one last drink. Most of the regulars who came in right before closing time were nice and just wanted a drink before heading home.
Tonight, when she walked out to her car, she would have to be extra careful and watch for Robert. Now that he knew where she worked, which she had no idea how he’d figured out, she would have to make sure no one followed her home.
“Hey.”
Willa turned to see Cy standing behind her. “Oh, hello. I thought you’d left. Are you headed out now?”
“Yes. I wanted to know what kind of car Robert drove. That way I could check for him in the lot.”
“You don’t?—“
