by Vivian Ward
“I take it that you girls are all getting along?” Chases teases.
“Wow, you’ve really got some talent,” Alyssa says, admiring Amber’s hair. “And you did all that on your break?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I take too long? I figured 15 minutes was okay. You can go now if you’d like. I’ll handle things.”
She laughs. “No, you’re fine. Hell, I would’ve taken a twenty minute break, but that’s just me. You did a great job with her hair and makeup.”
The DJ announces that Amber’s up next so she walks off while Alyssa slides into an empty slot at the bar.
“I can’t believe you were able to make her look so good on such a short break,” she says, leaning over the counter to pour herself a small beer into a clear plastic cup from the taps.
“Thanks. It’s just a few things that I’ve picked up along the way. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to go back to beauty school to finish up my degree and open my own place.”
She takes a sip of her beer and nods in agreement. “Sounds like a plan. It’s always good to have a plan. Me? I’ve got nothing.”
I frown at her and crinkle my nose. “You’ll figure it out one of these days. I’ve known since I was about 14 that I wanted to work in a salon doing hair, makeup and nails. It’s about the only thing that I’m passionate about.”
She walks around the counter and grabs the pretzels that are kept behind the bar. “I’m hungry, but there’s no way I’m eating out of those things,” she says, tilting her head toward the bowls. “There’s no telling where their hands have been and I’m not reaching into a salty bowl of cum pretzels.”
We both laugh, scrunching up our faces. “Ewww, that is so gross,” I say.
“It’s true!”
Taking a handful of pretzels from behind the counter, she walks back over to her seat in front of me while I wipe down everything in between customers.
“You know,” she says, taking a gulp of her beer. “If the other girls find out that you know how to do professional hair and makeup, they’ll all have you doing theirs.”
I toss a dry rag over my shoulder as I throw away empty bottles of liquor.
“You think so? I’d like that,” I smile.
“Definitely.”
Feeling beat, I glance up at the clock. Chase said I wouldn’t have to stay for Alyssa’s entire shift, and it looks pretty slow.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” she asks, catching me looking at the time.
“Sorry, it’s been a long day. I work at a diner, so I’ve been up since the crack of dawn, and I have to go back in this morning.”
“I didn’t know you worked another job,” she says.
“That’s because she won’t listen to me,” Chase butts in as he walks out of his office. “I’ve tried telling her that she can quit that place. It’s dead as a door nail, and she’d make a lot more here.”
Alyssa nods and throws her empty beer cup in the trash as she walks behind the counter to join me. Chance is standing right next to me and I can’t help but notice how good he smells. I’ve been trying not to stare at him all night while I’ve been working, and, so far, I think I’ve done a good job.
“Yeah, I can guarantee that you’ll make more working here than at any restaurant. On a serious note, I’d quit the other job.”
I smile and start restocking the straws and napkins while I wait for Chase to leave.
“I’m thinking about it,” I confess to her. “But I want to put in my two weeks.”
“I understand that, but who cares? If or when you ever leave this place, Chase will give you a good recommendation. I wouldn’t worry about it. Didn’t you say that you have a little boy at home?”
“Yeah, he’s with the babysitter right now. She’ll keep him while I work both places.”
“That’ll take so much time away from him. When will you sleep? If you’re working 8 hours here and, I assume, 8 hours at the other job, when do you sleep? When do you see your son?”
She’s right. I hadn’t thought of it like that. No matter how much I want to keep both jobs while I put in my notice, I’d never get to sleep or see Cam.
“You’re right,” I sigh. “Do you work every night?”
“Most nights,” she says. “I work three busy nights and one slow night. We have another girl who works one slow night and two busy nights. She’s married and doesn’t need the money as much as I do.”
“Do you have kids?” I ask her.
“No,” she shakes her head. “I was pregnant about a year ago, but I lost the baby.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I feel like a complete ass for asking, but it was an honest question. It’s not like I knew what the answer would be, but I can’t help feeling bad. “I had no idea.”
She shrugs. “It’s fine. Sometimes things aren’t meant to be, I guess. We broke up shortly after, so maybe it’s better that we didn’t have a kid if he wasn’t going to stick around.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean there,” I agree with her because it’s true. I know how it feels to be a single mom.
“Well, you can probably take off for the night if you want, try to get at least a nap in before your shift at the diner. I still think you should quit, though.”
“I’ll definitely be taking a nap before I go in. Do you want to show me how to clock out?”
“Sure, follow me,” she says.
After I get home, I kick off my platform heels and collapse on the couch. The house feels so empty and lonely without Cam being here, and it’s too late to go pick him up from Ann’s house.
The mortgage letter is still on the table where I’d left it while I was on the phone with the bank. Thinking about it makes me curious how much money I made tonight. Pulling all of the ones from my purse, I put them in a pile on the table and start counting them. I’m shocked when I realize that I made almost sixty dollars in tips for working just over four hours.
I can definitely see how I’d be able to pay my bills working there alone and quit the diner.
Chapter 10
Chase
I hate opening the club, but only because I know that means dealing with my sister.
I’ve tried staying in my office to go over this week’s schedule to add Melanie for a few shifts, but all I can think about is what she looked like last night. I hate the fact that she’s going to try to work both jobs, but she insists so I’m trying not to schedule her too much because I don’t want her to get overwhelmed.
Her tiny outfit drove me crazy and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I’m almost certain that she caught me looking at her a few times, but it could be my imagination.
The girls seemed to love her so I know she’ll get along just great with the rest of the staff when she meets them over the course of this next week. She fit right in, but I knew that she would.
“Chase!” Abby says as she strolls into my office.
Her voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard and I hate when she barges in on me. That reminds me, I should look into getting a lock for that damn door.
“What?” I ask my sister.
“Did you ever hire another cocktail waitress? Sales seem to be dropping off, and I hope it’s not because we don’t have enough help to wait on the tables. Please tell me you took care of this.”
I sigh. Here we go.
“Yes, Abby, I hired another cocktail waitress and she started training last night. I don’t know why you’re worried about sales. It’s the beginning of the week, and it’s always slow,” I remind her.
It annoys me that if she’s so concerned with hiring extra help that she didn’t take to herself to do it, but that’s just like my big sister. She’s only worried about money. What would she do without her precious bank account?
“Good,” she says, zipping up the bank bag. “I hope she’s not a ditz like the last one that you hired. She didn’t even last a month. Where do you find these girls, Chase?”
“All I can do is work with the ones who apply,”
I try to focus my attention back on the schedule.
“Well, if you didn’t sleep with half the town, you might be able to get some girls in here. I swear, I should extend the no sleeping with staff rule to cover no sleeping with anyone who’s in a fifty mile radius,” she snarks.
I drop my pen on top of the schedule and narrow my eyes at her, leaning back in my chair.
“Are you almost done yet? Because I’m trying to, you know, actually run the place.”
Huffing at me, she tucks the bank bag under her arm and grabs the door handle.
“God, what got into you? I was only kidding. I’m going to go drop this off at the bank and get out of your hair.”
I exhale a deep breath once she’s out of my office. My sister is probably the only female that I can’t, and don’t, want here. The way I see it, if she’s going to come around, she could at least help out with some of the work—and not just doing the books and making bank deposits.
There are a lot of things that she could do like scheduling, ordering supplies, calling repairmen when we need someone to come in, or, heaven forbid, covering for me in the afternoons since I’m pretty much here every night until close.
I don’t mind working a lot of hours, but it cuts into my gym time and I don’t have a lot of time left for a social life since I’m usually here all the time.
Picking up my pen, I go back to looking at the schedule when the phone rings. I see Melanie’s number flash across the caller ID and smile.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Chase? Is this a good time to talk to you?” Melanie asks.
I sit up straight in my chair and try to hide the fact that I’m happy she called, it gives me an opportunity to hear her sexy voice.
“Sure, what’s up?”
She clears her throat. “I wanted to talk to you about my hours,” a nervous laugh comes over the phone line.
“Oh? What about them?”
I’m secretly hoping that she says she needs lots of hours because I could definitely get behind the idea of watching her strut around the place on a nightly basis; though, it might get both of us into a lot of trouble.
“I was wondering if I wanted to work full-time if the hours would be available?”
I’m surprised by her question, but I have no clue how she’s going to manage two full-time jobs until she leaves the diner. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t happy she asked, though.
“I could make them available if you needed them. How soon did you want me to put you down for full-time work?”
“As soon as you can,” she answers. “But if it’s a problem—”
I laugh. Like adding her to schedule would be a problem.
“Mel, consider it done. I’ll schedule you for week nights for the following week until you get more comfortable with taking orders and making drinks, and then we can put you down for weekends.”
She sighs into the phone and I can hear the relief in her voice. Part of me feels like an ass that I want her here for selfish reasons, but the other part of me is glad to be able to help her out.
“Thanks. Am I working tonight?”
“I was just going over the schedule. I can put you on it if you’d like.”
I start thinking about what she’ll wear tonight. My cock stiffens as I picture her ass in those shorts again. It’s an image that my mind can’t erase.
“Yes, please.”
“See you at 8?” I ask her, spinning around in my office chair to face the wall behind my desk where I can stare at Miss June. Even though it’s August, I haven’t flipped the calendar because I like the way Miss June stares into the camera with her sparkling blue eyes and sultry lips. “Sounds good, I’ll see you then,” she says, disconnecting the call.
Staring at Miss June’s lips, I wonder what Melanie’s lips would feel like against mine. Hers look so soft and ample. I can picture biting her bottom lip while running my hands through her sandy colored hair.
“Who will you see at 8?”
I hear the sound of nails on a chalkboard, which can only mean one thing: my sister’s still here.
“For fuck’s sake, Abby. What do you do? Eavesdrop on everyone? I thought you were leaving?”
She saunters across my office and sits her ass right on top of my desk, mixing up all of the invoices that I need to sort for the supplies that were just delivered.
Tilting her head back, she laughs sarcastically. “Please. I was grabbing my keys when I heard your voice. I thought you were talking to me, but then I saw you were on the phone. Who was it?” she presses.
“It was no one.” She crosses her arms and folds them over her chest. Even though we don’t always get along, she knows me well. “Okay, fine. It was the new cocktail waitress that I hired. She wanted to know if I could put her on the schedule for tonight. All right?”
She studies my face for a moment, and then she starts in.
“Little brother, you seem to forget something. I know you better than you know yourself. What’s her name?”
“Why do you care? And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“All I’m saying is that I’ve seen that look on your face before, and I heard the tone you used with her. Who is she?”
“I don’t know. She’s some girl that filled out an application.” I run my hand through my hair, aggravated that she does know me so well. “Look, we needed help so I hired help. Don’t you have a deposit to make?”
“Fine,” she hops down off my desk. “Don’t tell me her name. I’ll figure it out, and Chase? Remember the rule: no dating the staff, okay? We don’t need to lose another waitress.”
“Goodbye, Abby,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Goodbye, Chase,” she retorts as she leaves my office.
I hope that she stays away. Melanie was right: my sister never liked her. But, to be fair, my sister didn’t like most people. It’s best if she doesn’t know about Melanie working here, but I’ll deal with that if and when the time comes. I have a feeling that she’s going to bust my balls until she figures it out.
Chapter 11
Melanie
Things went a lot better at the diner than I anticipated.
Jo and I opened as usual, and when I told her how much money I made in just a few hours, she encouraged me to quit working at the diner, too.
As nervous as I was, I pulled our manager to the side just before I left and told him that I was putting in my two weeks. He didn’t believe me at first because he knows how badly I need the job, but when I told him about my new job—and no, I spared the details that I am working at The Pink Pouch—he said he understood and told me that my two weeks wasn’t necessary.
I was so relieved because I really didn’t want to work both jobs, but as soon as I got the green lot, I told him I’d bring in my uniforms on payday. It’s going to be so nice not to have to work both jobs, and I know that Ann will be happy when I tell her the news.
“Hey,” she says, opening the door to let me into her apartment. “We were just about to decorate some cupcakes.”
I walk in behind her and find Cam sitting at the table, eager to start eating the leftover cake batter from the bowl.
“Oh, don’t eat that, honey. We’re going to do something special for dinner,” I say to him.
Ann looks at me, surprised to hear me say such a thing.
“Really? What’s the occasion?” She asks.
I smile at Cam who’s frowning because I won’t let him eat the cake batter. “Well, my boss at the diner let me off the hook with my two week notice, and I made a few bucks last night, so I thought I’d treat us to Mc Donald’s tonight.”
Cam’s face perks right up and his frown disappears.
“Can I get a Happy Meal?” he asks.
“Yep, you sure can, babe,” I kiss the top of his head.
“Hello? Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Ann asks.
“Yes! You know how I was going to try to juggle both jobs so I could put in my two week not
ice?” Ann rolls her eyes and nods her head. “My boss said I didn’t have to work the last two weeks! He gave me permission to go ahead make today my last day, so I’m going to start working at The Pink Pouch full-time, starting tonight!”
Her face drops before she begins squealing and jumping up and down with me. “Yay! That’s fantastic! You know what? I’ll buy Mc Donald’s! It’ll be my treat.”
I let go of her arm and give her a serious look. “No, I’ll buy. You come and eat with us. It’s my treat and I owe you big time for keeping him overnight for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She gives me a hug and says, “I don’t know, but I’m glad you do have me. Cam’s my best bud, aren’t you Cam?”
“Yeah, can we go to Mc Donald’s now? I’m hungry.”
We both laugh at him as Ann says, “He literally ate lunch an hour ago. There’s no way he’s hungry.”
I kneel down next to Cam and lean my head on his little round shoulder. It’s so soft and he smells so good. I’ve hardly snuggled with him for the last couple of days, and I miss it.
“Since you just had lunch a little while ago, how about if we wait a bit? Let mommy go through Ann’s clothes so I can find something to wear tonight.”
Ann laughs at me, “Sure, take whatever you need. I probably don’t fit most of it anymore.” She holds her fingers up and does air quotes. “Taste testing all of these cakes has made my bottom…..a little rounder, which currently matches my stomach.”
I playfully swat my hand on her butt. “But you look good no matter what weight you’re at. You carry it very well.”
“Thanks. I wish I was more like you. All petite and curvy in all the right places. You’ve had a kid, and I’m still bigger than you,” she grabs her stomach and pinches as much fat off it as she can.
“My pregnancy actually helped me. I was as skinny as a stick before I had Cam. It allowed me to put on a few pounds and get the curves that I have.”
She shakes her head. “I know, but you’re so lean. You look good.”