by Robyn M Ryan
“He deserved it! He had no right to touch me like that!”
“It comes with the territory. If you can’t handle it any better than that, you should be in a different line of work.”
“You don’t care that he tried to…to assault me? You should be throwing him out of here, not telling me to ‘handle it.’”
Baxter stood and walked toward her. “You want to work here, then you had better learn to control your temper and treat our customers, as well as your supervisors with respect.” He stepped before her, and Caryn forced her eyes to meet his gaze evenly. “If a customer wants to be friendly, you damn well better smile and act like you’re happy he’s here.” He made a move toward her, but Caryn bit back a retort as she jerked away.
“We’re going to go out there now, and you’re going to apologize to the man.”
“He’s the one who owes me an apology.”
“You’ve got a lot to learn if you intend to stay in this business. You want to keep this job, you’re going to smile and be charming. Show the customers you’re delighted to serve them. Another incident like this one, and you’re out of a job. Understand?”
Caryn didn’t reply as she followed Baxter to the table and made her apology, her voice flat and her expression neutral. She turned her back on Baxter without speaking and stepped to another table, relieved to find a group of students holding menus. She forced a smile, her anger simmering just below the surface, reminding herself that the students were not her problem. She relaxed as they chatted a few minutes about upcoming exams before taking their order. Why couldn’t all the customers act like that?
She pointedly ignored Baxter though acutely aware of his presence across the room. Mike stepped to an empty table to give Caryn a hand in clearing the dishes, his back to Baxter.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m not going to leave you short-handed tonight, but I’m not working for that man.”
“You tell him that?”
“He’ll get the idea when he doesn’t see me after tonight.”
Caryn stacked the plates on a tray as Mike wiped the table, shaking his head with a soft laugh. “You want to leave now, I can manage.”
“Mike, I’m okay. I’ll finish my shift.”
“My bad luck Baxter picked this night to check up on his property.”
“Does he come in here often?”
“Maybe once a week. I should have warned you, but never dreamed you’d toss that drink so fast. Good reflexes.”
Caryn laughed, her mood lightening, and forced herself to concentrate on the other customers, attending to the problem group as little as possible. She was so busy, she wasn’t aware of the passing time until Mike caught her eye as she turned in yet another drink order for that group.
“With any luck, this will be your last for that table. It’s almost closing.”
“I’ll try not to pour any over their heads,” Caryn said.
She took the drinks to the table, ignoring their comments as she set the drinks in front of each man.
“You’ve been avoiding us, sweetheart,” one said as he reached to grasp her hand as she set a drink before him. “Something we say offend you?”
Caryn pulled her hand away, aware that Baxter had taken a seat at the table nearest the group. “Of course not. It’s a busy evening.” She hoped Baxter didn’t hear the sarcasm in her voice.
The man slipped his arm around her waist. “You’re really quite a beauty, honey. Where have you been hiding all this time? We come here every Friday.”
“I started last week.” Caryn stepped away from his reach.
“This calls for a celebration, then.” The man on her other side pulled her toward him, and before Caryn could react, pulled her close and closed his hand on the back of her neck. He leaned to kiss her, and Caryn broke away and angrily raised her hand to slap him, then let it fall to her side as she back away. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice neutral as she asked, “Can I get you anything else?”
When they shook their heads, she turned in relief, stopping short when she saw Andrew leaning against the bar. His face reflected his anger, and Caryn knew he’d seen the exchange. She quickly set her tray on the bar and hurried to his side.
“You about ready to go?” His voice was cold.
“In a few minutes. Why don’t you sit…?”
“I’m fine.”
Suddenly chilled, Caryn went through the motions, cleaning her tables as the customers left, carefully avoiding the troublesome group. Mike took over that group, collecting their tab and seeing them from the bar. As soon as he saw Baxter leave, he turned to Caryn.
“Why don’t you go on? I’ll finish up for you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“You’ve had a long night. I’ll handle things. Go on.”
Caryn glanced at Andrew. “Thanks, Mike.”
She got her purse and coat, pulling it on as she walked to Andrew’s side. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long.”
He didn’t answer, pulling some bills from his pocket as he stood and dropped them on the bar. She followed him and slid into the car as Andrew silently held the door open for her. She felt his anger, knew he misunderstood what he’d seen, her own frustration and emotional exhaustion keeping her from telling him what had happened.
Finally, she attempted to break the stifling silence. “Did you find a tree?”
“Set up like I told you I would.”
“Do you want to decorate tomorrow? I know it’s late.”
“Whatever you want.”
Caryn looked out the window, absently noting the swirling snow. He really thinks I was flirting with those men? Couldn’t he see I almost hit the guy? He actually doesn’t believe I liked it, does he? All-too-soon they arrived at the apartment, Caryn trailing up the stairs and inside the door behind him. She hung up her coat and started toward the bedroom to change out of her uniform, stopping short when Andrew spoke softly.
“Tell me about your job.”
She looked at him, her eyes seeking understanding. “It’s not what you think.”
“How the hell do you know what I think? I walk in and see some jerk manhandle you. I’m about to go over and shove my fist in his fucking face when you smile at him as if you really didn’t mind him touching you and kissing you. You enjoy it, Caryn?”
“Of course I didn’t! I handled it the best I could.”
“Really.” His eyes bore into hers. “You’re getting paid to entertain the customers?”
Caryn turned away, angrily pushing the hair away from her face, her eyes flashing when Andrew grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him. He gripped her shoulders so tightly she winced involuntarily.
“Of course I’m not.” She forced her voice to remain calm. “That’s just part of the job.”
“Says who?”
“My boss.”
“Mike? I seriously doubt that.”
“Not Mike; Baxter, the owner. He saw me throw a drink at a customer…”
“You threw a drink on a guy?” In spite of his anger, a speculative grin spread across his face. “What brought that on?”
“It was one of the guys at that table. He put his hand on my leg, under my skirt. I was so angry, I just reacted and threw the drink in his face.”
“Good for you.”
She shook her head. “Baxter didn’t think so. He called me into his office and told me if I wanted the job that I’d better treat the customers with respect…He made me apologize to the man, and…” she shook her head as her voice trailed off. “I was just trying to get through with my shift.” She reached to touch his arm. “Drew, please let’s not fight about this.”
Andrew shook off her hand. “And what the hell are you going to do one night when one of those bastards decides to follow you home, then refuses to leave when you tell him to get lost?”
“That’s not going to happen!” Caryn’s voice rose in anger.
“And you know that how?”
“I.
Quit. The. Job.” Caryn spat the words at him. “I wasn’t going to leave Mike short-handed tonight.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
“You assumed the worst before I could explain anything.” Despite her anger, her eyes filled with tears. “Give me some credit, Andrew.” This time she rejected his touch, turning and walking away. He followed her into the bedroom, sighing softly as he perched on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry, Cary. You’re absolutely correct. Here I am about to come to your rescue and you had everything under control. If you want to throw something at me, I promise not to duck.”
Caryn turned her eyes toward him, as she contemplated that option. “No, that’s no fun. I’d rather catch you when you least expect it.” She couldn’t hold back the giggle that bubbled to her lips. She walked toward him and pressed her palm against his cheek. “No warning.”
He slipped his arm around her waist and shifted so he could draw her to his lap. “Understood. What can I do right now to make it up to you?”
She leaned her head against his shoulder as she pretended to think. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
He closed his arms around her. “So you had an all-round shitty night even before I made it worse?”
“I discovered I’m not cut out for that job. You know, the students are great and fun to serve. But it seems like every night there’s at least one table like those guys. I don’t like drunken people or having to tolerate them. Add to that, because they are ‘customers’ they believe they have the right to do anything they want…” She shrugged against his chest. “They were lucky I only threw one drink at them.”
She felt the soft laughter rise in his chest. “The owner’s out of his mind if he thinks you or anyone has to take that kind of shit.” He pressed his lips against the top of her head. “You want to file a harassment complaint?”
“I never want to set eyes on that man again.” Caryn shuddered involuntarily. “I believe in Karma.”
“Which I’m more than willing to supply.”
“Don’t waste your time or energy.” She shifted to kiss his cheek. “I can think of better ways to spend your free time.”
TWENTY-THREE
After completing her last exam, Caryn concentrated on adding Christmas touches to Andrew’s apartment. The tree stood proudly in a corner, but she wanted to wait until Andrew had time so they could decorate it together. Sorting through the boxes of decorations unleashed a flood of emotions that caught her off-guard. She looked at the many ornaments that had decorated the trees her mother always placed throughout the house. Some had adorned the tree she had insisted she needed in her bedroom when she was six. She remembered the magical anticipation of Christmas and how she loved lying under each tree, looking up at the sparkling lights and ornaments. She knew that her parents would be home for Christmas—the one day of the year she could count on having her family together.
Setting those boxes aside, she looked for the decorations she’d purchased for the townhouse. She hummed Christmas songs as she unpacked a wreath she’d placed over her fireplace, hoping that Drew would agree to hang it over his. She spread a red and green plaid throw on the sofa, running her hand against the smooth fabric’s golden threads, then unpacked her small set of Christmas china and set it in the kitchen to wash later.
Ideas for Christmas meals filled her thoughts as she continued to add festive touches to each room. She’d just placed the last candle on the mantle and stepped back to view the room from the kitchen when the front door opened, bringing Andrew and a blast of cold air.
“Am I in the right place?” His eyes teased her as he shrugged off his coat.
“Is it too much?” Caryn asked as she walked to greet him, the frigid air stinging her skin. “Please, close the door! Is it even above freezing yet?”
He complied before pulling her close to him. “Everything looks great. You just turned my man pad into a chick’s wonderland.”
Caryn looked up at him to see the smile tugging at his mouth. “I can pack it all up.”
“No, I need to embrace this femininity.”
“We can decorate the tree with pucks.”
“So what’s with the bare tree? You don’t like it?” Andrew put his arm around her shoulders, and then playfully touched her cheek with a cold hand. She shook off his hand with a shiver and quickly slipped away from him.
“The tree is perfect. I was hoping you’d decorate it with me.” She laughed as she backed away. “You need to wear gloves out there.”
He nodded toward the counter. “Forgot them. Someone distracted me.” Quickly grabbing her, he wrapped his arms around her. “Everything looks great, Cary. Do you want to work on the tree now?”
She leaned her head against his chest. “We can do it later. Don’t you want some lunch or rest before the game?”
“You hungry?”
“I had something earlier. I can get you something?”
“Nah, I think maybe a short nap. Join me?” He kissed the top of her head.
She pulled back, her eyes sparkling as she closed her arms around his neck. “Absolutely.”
***
Dinner with Andrew’s family, the team Christmas party, shopping for gifts for her friends and Andrew’s family filled the days and left Caryn little time to think about the first Christmas without her parents. Andrew wanted to make the holiday special—to provide new memories to help her through what he sensed would be a difficult time. He good-naturedly followed her directions in stringing the sparkling white lights on the tree, rearranging them until she pronounced it “Perfect.”
He crossed the room to where she stood and slipped his arms around her as he shared her view of the tree. “Not bad, if I do say so.”
Caryn reached to flip the light switch off, the lights from the tree and flames in the fireplace providing a soft glow throughout the room.
“It’s magical,” she whispered. “This is the best part of Christmas.” Impulsively, she grabbed his hand. “I’ll show you my favorite view.” She pulled him toward the tree and showed him how to slide under the lowest branches. “I always loved to look at the tree this way when I was a kid. I used to pretend I was looking at the stars.”
Andrew carefully lifted a branch and slid beside her. “Which did you like better—color lights or white?”
“Lots of color when I was really young, but then I saw a tree with white lights. Had to have my ‘star tree’ every year.” She looked over at him. “That was an easy request—my mom always had at least four trees set up around the house.”
“Nice, we had one—basically decorated the same way you saw the other day.”
“The ornaments are beautiful, especially the ones you and Tom made when you were in preschool.” Caryn turned on her side and looked at Andrew with a teasing smile. “Make a few for our tree?”
“Not sure I remember how,” he replied. “Except maybe those paper snowflakes we all had to make.”
“I remember those. We have some white paper and scissors.”
“Whatever you want. What about those boxes of ornaments we got out of your attic?”
Caryn shook her head as she rolled on her back. “Too many memories. I want our first Christmas to be just ours.” The sudden flood of emotions surprised her. She blinked quickly to contain the tears.
“Star or angel at the top of the tree?” Andrew asked.
Caryn pretended to think as she forced the emotions from her mind. “I was thinking a miniature light-up hockey stick.”
He laughed. “Never seen one of those.”
“Then just stay here. I’ll be right back.” She slid out from under the tree and returned quickly with a brightly wrapped box. “I think you better join me out here.” Caryn handed the box to him when he sat beside her near the tree.
Andrew burst into laughter when he opened the gift. “What’s this, a hockey angel? Where in the world did you find this?”
“My secret.” She leaned to kiss him. “Would yo
u put my Leafs angel on top of the tree, please?”
***
Andrew sensed that the holidays would bring difficult moments for Caryn as family memories surfaced. He hoped he could recognize those times and do everything he could to give her new memories. He wanted to make their first Christmas everything she’d hoped. With a cozy fire casting a warm shadow on the living room, Christmas music in the background, the scent of evergreens lightly permeating the air, Andrew’s apartment was their sanctuary.
One of Andrew’s gifts to Caryn was a pair of ice skates, and they joined the crowds at the Harbourfront Centre’s outdoor rink the day after Christmas.
“Did you skate here often growing up?”
Andrew shook his head. “Dad set up a backyard rink for us, or else we’d skate wherever we found enough ice.”
“Tom, also?”
“Sure. We all skated—didn’t you?”
“Of course, I had my dreams of becoming a figure skater, like most of my friends.” Caryn took his hand as they stepped on the ice. “I took lessons for a few years, then I stopped. It was hard with my parents traveling so much. My ‘nanny’—for lack of a better word—wasn’t always eager to shuttle me to and from lessons. I’m not sure if I lost interest first or if she did.” She glanced at him with a small smile. “I wasn’t good enough for competition, anyway.”
“Who made that decision?” Andrew challenged.
“My instructor.” She laughed at the memory. “It was when I decided to stop taking lessons. My mom went to the rink and spoke with him—I can’t even remember his name now. That’s the only reason she agreed I could quit.”
“You would have been a good pairs skater. Be pretty easy to get you up and spinning in the air.” Andrew playfully put both hands on her waist.
“I’m sure you could do the throwing part. It’s the spinning and landing that would be very doubtful and painful. At least I never had to find out.”
“We could give it a try?” he teased as he led her toward a less crowded section of the ice.