Page 38 of Wrecked

“Dad says I should show people just how good I am on the inside. Problem is, I wouldn’t even know how to begin.”

“That’s simple,” she says, patting my cheek like I’m a four-year-old child.

I peek up at her with eager eyes, beckoning her wisdom.

“Just do what you do best.”

With a raised brow, I ask, “And what’s that?”

“Throw a party.”

chapter NINE

“This was a great idea!” Suzanne yells over the crowd, her yellow plastic hard hat on her head.

It’s Construction Night at The Bucking Bronco, so we’ve been handing them out to everyone who walks in.

“I need you to get people on the wrecking ball.” I hand her a tool belt with cash in it. “It’s a five-dollar donation to ride, so make sure they pay first.”

She volunteered to help since the staff is crazy busy tonight.

She looks up at the three-feet-in-diameter wrecking ball that is hanging from the ceiling. We removed the bull for the night, the ball hanging over the padded area where the bull usually sits. Riders have to sign our standard liability waiver.

“Where did you get that?” she asks, pointing to the ball.

“The guys at the scrapyard made it for me.”

She lets out a laugh. “Of course they did. I bet they installed it, too.”

“Hell yeah, they did. Even had the fire commissioner come and check it for safety. It passed with flying colors.” I beam.

She chuckles and pats my shoulder. “The things you do when no one is watching astound me.”

“Let’s just hope no one kills themselves. If they’re too drunk, they’re a no-go. Paulie is checking everyone before they get on.”

There’s a squeal heard, so we both look up to see a girl flying in the air on the ball, doing her best Miley Cyrus impression. While she might think she’s being sexy, she actually looks like a hot mess.

I walk over to the bar and make sure the bartenders don’t need backup. They are working hard as the crowd grows. We’re serving some specialty drinks, including screwdrivers, rusty nails, harvey wallbangers, velvet hammers, and boilermakers. I even have two extra shot girls walking around, serving cheap booze out of paint cups.

With my super-short khaki shorts, bright orange tank top, and adorable construction boots I found for half off, I hop up onto the bar and call out to my crowd, “Who’s ready to break those boots in tonight?”

Everyone cheers, so I continue, “We’re doing things a little different. When you walked in, you were given a hard hat. Make sure you keep that on because things are gonna get a little crazy in here! This is an active construction site, so watch out for falling debris.”

On cue, the bartenders grab their confetti guns and shoot bright yellow streamers into the crowd. The room fills with paper, and everyone reaches up to grab some.

“All right! We’re raising money for a very special charity tonight. It’s called Homes for All Souls, and you can find information about it on the flyers on the tables.” I grab my special bottle of vodka. “Now, you’ve all been working too damn hard on this job site, so it’s time to party!”

Paulie plays my song, and I do my Saturday night ritual.

The staff is on point tonight. I had the girls come in early to go over the specialty drink recipes. Ron, who happens to be a graphics whiz, made a great ad to put on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We had white tank tops with our theme night logo printed for us at the press on Main Street. Everyone is in the spirit of the theme, and it’s a relief to have an amazing crew by my side.

I’m pouring liquor into someone’s mouth, when I spy out of the corner of my eye, one of the guys Victoria was partying with the night she got high. He has long blond hair and a beard. He’s standing in the far corner, talking with some girls. It looks innocent enough, so I turn away and go back to dancing. Noreen is extra sexy tonight, getting her twerk on. I know I have moves, but my ass can’t jiggle like that. I give hers a pat and walk back toward the other end of the bar. I strut my boots back and forth and hop down before the song is over.

“Great party, Leah!” Jessica shouts over the music. Her mega boobs are trying to break out of a too-tight tank top. “The charity sounds awesome. Are they looking for more volunteers?”

“Yes!”

Not only do we need more people, but I could also use some friends on the scene to make my days a little more fun.