by Sonya Clark
But she couldn’t help taking a closer look at him when she delivered his drink, and this time it was real. She’d long ago perfected the art of flirting with customers with extreme detachment. It was part of the job and helped bring in better tips.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” He raised the glass and took a sip.
“My name’s Daisy.” She gave him the smile with the best track record, tip-wise. “Your dinner order’s in and I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s ready. Can I get you anything else?”
He’d taken the black cowboy hat off to reveal thick, wavy dark brown hair with a little bit of gray here and there. Deep brown eyes met hers and she was forced to reevaluate him. This was a good time bad boy with shadows at the edges. The kind who’d remember your name.
“You sure can get me something else,” one of the lawyers leered.
Daisy’s smile disappeared. “More onion rings?”
The leer slipped a notch. “Another beer, too.”
There went that guy’s share of the tip. Sometimes it just wasn’t worth it. She liked Jeff, he was good people, but it wouldn’t break her heart if some of the assholes he worked with found another bar. Rocky Top was the best one in Brittain, though, and right downtown close to all the law offices.
“Hey, is Randy around tonight? I haven’t seen him in a long time, I’d love to talk to him if he’s not too busy.”
Good God, if Cowboy didn’t have a deep rumble of a voice that went straight to parts of her that didn’t get near enough attention these days. She took another close look and this time she recognized him. “You’re the guy in the pictures.”
“Yeah, that’s me. My name’s Wade Sheppard. Randy gave me my first job.” He laughed. “Well, the first job I loved. Might be better to put it that way.”
Daisy didn’t know shit about country music but she knew from Randy that this Wade Sheppard guy used to be a big name in Nashville. It was the used to be part that soured her hopes of a really good tip. “Randy’s not here tonight. He went to a fishing tournament this weekend and he always takes Mondays off when he does that.”
“Bass or crappie?”
He was really going to have to stop looking at her like that. Like he was trying to think of things to say just to keep her around. Her rules about trouble like him were not made to be broken. “Hell if I know.” Then she slipped up and gave him a real smile. “I better go get those onion rings. Anybody else need anything?”
She hurried away to collect another round of beers and let the kitchen know about the onion rings.
Several rounds of drinks later, she was ready for the singer to take his pretty eyes and his bedroom voice home. The table got louder as the night wore on, too many pointed looks thrown her way, followed by laughter. They could talk all they wanted, she was certainly used to that. Crude remarks were as close as they were going to get so Daisy didn’t worry about it.
But she would damn sure let Jillian know the next time she saw her. Jeff didn’t usually behave like this, though even with several beers in him he was still the nicest one of the bunch.
Daisy tried not to be too disappointed to see Wade turn into just another loud obnoxious good ol’ boy redneck. Being handsome didn’t make a man immune to that. Neither did being a country music star, but she guessed they were probably just as wild and rowdy as rock stars in their own way. As long as he didn’t break the one hard and fast rule she had about customers, she didn’t care.
The lawyers finally started to drift away an hour before closing. With no Monday Night Football to bring people in, there were only a couple of late diners left when Wade sidled up to the waitress station next to the bar. Daisy was making quick work of rolling a pile of silverware into white napkins. She said, “You need me to call someone to drive you home?”
“Nah.” He leaned his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. “Jeff called Jillian. She’ll get us both home safe and sound.” He paused for a moment. “Unless you’d like to take me home.”
“I don’t date the customers.” She kept her eyes mostly on her work, hoping to discourage him.
“Who said anything about a date?”
Daisy shot him a quick glance. Funny how sexual harassment made him so much less handsome. “Why don’t you go wait with Jeff and I’ll bring y’all some coffee.” She dropped the last set of rolled up silverware and moved to step out from the behind the table.
Wade blocked her path. He stood in front of her, one hand on her arm. “I’m gonna be in town for a week or two. I sure would like to see you again.”
His hand was warm on her skin, his fingers moving in a slow caress. She took the sleeve of his shirt between the tips of two fingers and pulled his hand off of her. “You’re hard to resist when you slur your words all drunk like, but I’m not interested.”
A good-natured grin spread slowly across his face. “Well, now, I wouldn’t hit on you sober cause you’re too damn young for me. But since I’m drunk, I thought, hey, what the hell?”
Some of the nervous tension that had been building in her since he approached ebbed. Nothing about his manner or his body language rang any alarms. He was just a drunk, lonely good ‘ol boy. She almost felt sorry for him, but not enough to take him home. “At least you’re an honest drunk. Go on, now. Sit with Jeff and I’ll bring y’all coffee while you wait on Jillian.”
She walked around him, headed for the coffee urn stationed at the entrance to the kitchen. He mumbled something as she passed then slapped on her the rear, hard enough to sting and make a cracking noise that seemed to echo in the nearly empty restaurant.
Somebody said “oh shit.” It might have been Ronisha.
Daisy had one hard and fast rule when it came to customers and co-workers and especially bosses. That rule was do no touch. She’d lost jobs over it in the past. A warning screamed in her head that she couldn’t afford to lose this one, but she didn’t listen. Hell, she’d never been able to afford to lose a job. But after everything she’d been through, she’d learned the hard way that you couldn’t let people walk on you, no matter the cost.
She whirled around and knocked Wade’s hat off his head.
“Hey!”
“You don’t touch me!”
Wade leaned over to pick up his hat. The tip of his boot caught on the floor and he teetered over, finally losing his balance and going down. “Shit.”
“I don’t care who you are or how well you tip, you don’t put your hands on a waitress.”
He rolled over and pulled himself into a sitting position with his legs drawn up and his hands on his knees. “I am regretting it now, let me tell you.”
Daisy stood over him with one hand on her waist and the other pointing an angry index finger at his head. “You don’t put your hands on any woman unless she gives you permission. Do you hear me, you big dumb redneck?”
“You’re yelling pretty loud, so yeah, I can hear you.” He plucked his hat from the floor, dusted it off, and set it on his head.
Maybe it was the weight of the day. Maybe the lateness of the hour, or her worries about a nebulous future. Maybe it was because despite his behavior, she knew she found him attractive and hated that knowledge because when she’d said she was through with good time bad boys, she’d meant it, damn it. His hand on her arm, his fingers playing across her skin – it might have felt good for, like, half a second. But that didn’t mean anything and she damn sure wasn’t going to let the guy harass her just because he happened to be good looking.
She knelt in front of him and flipped his hat off his head again. “Don’t come in here again unless you can act like you’ve got some sense.”
“Daisy!” Josh Tucker, Randy’s idiot grandson who managed the bar when Randy was gone, appeared behind the bar. “In my office, now!”
Daisy rolled her eyes. As she stood she resisted the temptation to kick the redneck’s big dumb hat across the room. She turned her back to him without another word and marched to the back, anger boiling in her gut.
“So I guess you won’t be giving me your phone number,” Wade said to her back.
She slipped her hand behind her back and responded with a raised middle finger.
Josh gave her a death glare as she passed him.
“It’s not your office, Josh,” she snapped. If she was going to get fired, she might as well go out in a blaze of glory.
Josh scurried along behind her and slammed the door to Randy’s small office. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, treating that man like that?”
“He smacked me on the ass! I’m not taking that shit from anybody.”
“Do you know who he is? That is Wade Sheppard.”
“I don’t care if he’s Bill fucking Clinton, he doesn’t get to put his hand on my ass.”
“Watch your language, young lady.”
“Fuck you. I’m four years older than you.” And a hell of a lot better at running this place when Randy takes off to go fish, but she left that unsaid. The little prick had been foisted on Randy by his wife and daughter. Josh liked to sit in the office and play games on his phone when he was supposed to be managing the place, while Daisy and Ronisha did all the work and kept the rest of the staff on task and the customers happy.
Josh made a face and for a second she thought he might stomp his foot but he didn’t. “I’m your boss while Grandpa’s away and you will treat me with respect. And you will also treat our customers with respect, especially someone like that. He’s a big star and he got his start here.”
She’d seen the pictures on the wall of course but she didn’t listen to country so didn’t know Wade Sheppard’s music. According to Megan, who did listen to country and knew Wade’s brother Chris pretty well, the elder Sheppard had pissed away his career in a flood of booze and scandal. Having met the guy now, Daisy wasn’t surprised.
“He may have been a big star once, but tonight he was just another drunk redneck. He had no right to put his hands on me.”
“Were there any witnesses?”
Rage had spots dancing in her vision. “I witnessed it.”
“You assaulted him. That’s what I witnessed.”
“I didn’t assault him, I assaulted his hat, you dipshit.” God damn it, she liked this job. She liked working for Randy, liked Ronisha and most of her other co-workers, like the place itself. Hell, she even liked the customers. The ones who didn’t put their hands on her ass, that is. Now this self-important little brat was going to fire her. She could feel it, she knew it was coming. As soon as she stood up for herself, she’d lost this job.
Josh shook his head in disgust. “Just because you’re a barmaid doesn’t mean you have to swear and attack the customers and act like trailer trash. We won’t have that here.”
Turns burned her eyes. She refused to let them fall. “What did you call me?”
He refused to answer, which told her he wasn’t entirely stupid. “You can pick up your check Friday. If you’re lucky, Grandpa might even give you a decent reference.”
“You’re just an occasional fill-in manager. You can’t fire me.” Her words lacked conviction. Randy was caught in a pretty tight trap over this kid thanks to his wife and daughter.
“Grandpa will back me. You and I both know that.”
Yeah, because he’d catch endless hell from his family if he didn’t. “You’re pathetic, you know that? You can’t do this job and the only way you’ve got it is because of nepotism. That’s why your momma and your granny pressured Randy into letting you do this. They know you can’t get a job on your own merits.”
Josh pointed at the door. “Get your things and get out.”
“Yep. Gettin’ right on that.” She stormed out.
Daisy managed to make it home before giving in to the tears.
Chapter 6
Wade woke slowly to find himself on the couch. His head pounded and his mouth tasted horrible and going back to sleep seemed like the thing to do. A persistent knocking wouldn’t let him, though. He tried to ignore it but it refused to stop. He finally pulled himself up and attempted to walk. It didn’t go well but he did manage to stay upright. He’d take his victories where he could get them these days.
The knocking was coming from the door. He couldn’t remember the combination to his gun safe, so sadly he couldn’t shoot whoever wouldn’t go away.
He opened the door to his kid brother’s obnoxiously healthy looking face. “Are you here to arrest me?”
“Don’t tempt me.” Chris barreled past the threshold. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I’m hung over.” Wade glanced down at himself to see that he was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. “And I need a shower.”
“And you’re an asshole. Why did you get Daisy McNeil fired? Just because she wouldn’t take any shit off you. What kind of dick move is that?”
Wade rubbed his face and wobbled slowly back to the couch. “I didn’t get anybody fired. Who is Daisy McNeil?”
Chris dropped into the chair on the other side of the coffee table. “She’s the waitress you sexually harassed at Rocky Top last night. Where you went to get drunk, instead of going to see our parents.”
Wade yawned. “Daisy. She that hot blond with the mile long legs?”
“She’s tall, yeah. And you put your hands on her and she set you out for it and now she’s out of a job.”
“I didn’t get her fired. I didn’t say a word to Randy, didn’t even see him.”
“No, his grandson runs the place when Randy goes out of town for fishing tournaments. That’s who fired her.”
“I’m sorry to hear that but I don’t see how it’s my fault. I didn’t ask anybody to fire her.”
“No, but you harassed her, and that’s what led to her getting fired. So it is your fault. Damn it, Wade. Not everybody’s got your money. She needed that job. She’s had a hard life and she’s been working her butt off to better herself. She’s going to college. Losing this job will really mess her up.”
God, he wanted coffee, and a shower, and for his brother to stop talking. “You sweet on her or something?”
“Sweet on her?” Chris shook his head. “This isn’t the fourth grade. You got somebody fired, a girl who can’t afford to lose her job. She doesn’t have a vacation home she can go hide out in when she gets fired.”
That burned off some of the fog hanging over Wade’s head. “Know about that, do you?”
“There’s this amazing thing. It’s called the internet. We even have it hear in Brittain, so we can read about it online when the country music gossip people start talking about you getting drunk on stage like an asshole and getting fired. Real classy, by the way.”
“Why are you here? Other than to call me names.”
“Well, if the shoe fucking fits.” Chris stood. “Randy will be back later today. You need to convince him to give Daisy her job back. She doesn’t deserve to get caught up in one of your shitstorms.”
“You must want in this girl’s pants pretty bad.” Wade wouldn’t admit it to his brother, but he didn’t like it that the girl had gotten fired. He’d never intended for things to get out of hand when he let the booze override his good sense and hit on her.
“No, Wade, I don’t want in her pants at all. God, do you ever do anything because it’s the right thing to do? And not because you’re going to get something out of it.” Chris stabbed a finger toward Wade. “You fucked up last night. Go fix it.”
“What if I can’t?”
“You better figure out a way. God damn it, Wade. You may blow through town and not care about the damage you leave behind, but we live here. This is our home. Don’t shit all over our home.” Chris turned abruptly and headed for the door. “And go see our parents. Sober, you stupid shithead.”
Wade stared at the coffee table for a long time after Chris left. Drifted in and out of a hard doze, tried to rationalize forgetting what his brother had said. Everything he’d said.
Wade would go see his parents, and he would do it sober.
And damn it, he would go talk to Randy Tucker, too. Enough people had been caught in Wade’s various shitstorms. If he could get that girl her job back, he would do it.
***
The online version of the Brittain Leader was even more useless than the print edition. To someone like Daisy who didn’t have a subscription, at least. Nothing but a small town paper with twelve pages and a bunch of sales flyers on a good day, and it was behind a freaking paywall. Daisy raised her middle finger to the screen and clicked away. She’d have to go into town to buy a physical paper and hope there was something worthwhile in the classifieds.
Then she had an idea and texted Megan. Megan replied within minutes, and Daisy used her friend’s login to access the Leader online. Mr. Hollister like to read the paper and Megan had set herself up an account for the digital version. Daisy poured another cup of coffee and found the classifieds.
If her dream job was to be a truck driver, she’d have her pick of places to apply. The Jukebox Drive-In was looking for carhops. She grimaced. The owner had a reputation for treating the girls there pretty bad. Still, if it was all she could get, she could take care of herself. She searched the table for a notepad and pen and tore out three pages. Each got a label at the top: first choice, maybe, last resort. Then she made a note about the carhop job on the last resort page.
Pickings were pretty slim, but this was just the start. She’d go store to store, to the state employment agency, call friends and see if they knew of anyone hiring. If she couldn’t find anything in Brittain, there was always Danville, the town twenty-five miles away where she went to college part time. She’d be able to find something. What worried her was being able to afford both rent and tuition again in the fall. She had money in a savings account she used for college expenses but it wouldn’t be enough for more than one class. Depending on what a new job paid, she might need that money for living expenses.
She threw her pen. It bounced off of the notepad and rolled to the floor. She would not cry again. Enough tears had fallen last night. It didn’t even make sense to her, how the night had gone from getting hit on by a drunk redneck to getting fired for standing up for herself so fast. Briefly she’d considered calling Randy and giving him her side of the story, but discarded the idea almost immediately. It would feel too much like begging. Besides, she knew he’d be forced to take his grandson’s side. If Josh ever had to stand on his own two feet, that boy would be screwed.