Seeing Her

by Maria Jackson

  Jennie just laughed at her. “It’s a work night, remember? We have to be at the restaurant soon.”

  Chloe had pretty much forgotten. She had been thinking about everything but work. She slumped slightly, not looking forward to the idea of flirting with annoying customers. But she was going to enjoy staying in Jennie’s presence.

  “Okay,” she said. “Should we go?”

  “I’ll take you back to your place if you need to get anything. Then we can get going.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Jennie took her back to her place. Chloe went inside and grabbed a few things for the restaurant. Her makeup kit, perfume, hairspray… She threw it all in her bag.

  A little ball of orange fur rocketed into the room. “I didn’t forget about you, Bjorn.” The cat meowed as Chloe stroked his back. “I swear I didn’t. I had some other things to do, but I’m back now, okay?” Another meow. “Hey, now you’re forgetting who feeds you.” She poured some kibble into Bjorn’s bowl. Normally she would have stayed and petted him longer, but Jennie was waiting.

  Passing by her bathroom, she hesitated. Should she grab a toothbrush? If Jennie wanted her to stay over again, it would be a good idea. She didn’t want to presume anything, but it did seem like she might want that. Well, she might as well bring it. She grabbed it and threw it in her bag.

  On her way to the door, her mom saw her. “Going to work?”

  “Yeah. I might not come home tonight. I’m not sure, though.”

  “Where would you go after?”

  “I’ll tell you later.”

  Her mom pursed her lips at the non-answer, but Chloe didn’t want to tell her right now. She feared that she might not approve, which was especially likely if she found out exactly what Jennie was like. Since her mom had always been overprotective, she’d developed a habit of keeping the details of her life to herself.

  She hadn’t thought about the drugs all day. It hadn’t crossed her mind when she was in the gym or at dinner. Even after only a little time with Jennie, her personality had overshadowed the dealing. Hopefully if this went anywhere, her mom would end up feeling the same.

  She got on Jennie’s motorcycle, and they arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. They got off Jennie’s motorcycle and exchanged one quick peck before going inside. Chloe caressed Jennie’s arm, wishing they could stay and do more. It was going to be hard to look at Jennie all night and not be able to touch her.

  When they got inside, they headed toward the change room. But their steps were halted when Tony got in front of them.

  “Hello, Chloe,” he said. “Jennie, I need to speak to you in my office.”

  TWELVE

  Jennie followed Tony into her office, unsure of why the owner might want to talk to her. They generally spoke only when it was necessary. Jennie was sure Tony knew about her less-than-legal activities in the restaurant. Tony had never said anything about wanting her to stop, and Jennie planned to continue until that happened. That moment might be now.

  Tony sat down and beckoned Jennie to sit across from him. Was this going to be about Chloe? Maybe Tony spoke to all the recent couples before they became official. But as much as Tony had his finger on the pulse of what was happening in this restaurant, he couldn’t possibly know about Jennie and Chloe. Things had barely started to happen, and they had mainly happened outside of Jubblies.

  They exchanged a few pleasantries. Tony was polite, but Jennie sensed he wanted to get to the point. As soon as Jennie went quiet, Tony did exactly that.

  “I want to speak to you about drugs.”

  Jennie’s heart sank. If the owner was going to call her out on dealing, it could only be for bad reasons. This could be the end of her second income stream, as tiny as it was.

  “You must know that I watch everything that happens in this restaurant very carefully,” Tony continued. “I’ve always turned a blind eye to your activities.”

  “Yes,” Jennie said, growing more anxious by the second.

  “I haven’t had a problem with it so far. That’s not what this is about.”

  That didn’t make Jennie feel any better. She was doing so much better now than she had when she was younger. It had been years since she’d consumed a drug other than weed for her own purposes. Considering how far she had come, she figured no one would have a problem with her.

  Dealing drugs was better than doing them. She saved money, felt healthier, avoided the trap that so many dealers fell into. The side money was always nice. Once she had enough, she planned to go back to school and finally get out of here.

  “A large group called in advance,” Tony said. “A bachelor party. It seems that they want to have a memorable time tonight, if you understand my gist.”

  “I think I do,” Jennie said, frowning as her heartbeat picked up. She wasn’t sure how she felt about this, but she was willing to listen.

  “This group is interested in partying,” Tony said. “I think there’s a good chance they might want what you have to offer.”

  “So… are you suggesting that I sell drugs to the customers?”

  Tony took a long moment to respond. He gave Jennie a searching look, raising his eyebrows and settling his hands on the table. “We never had this conversation,” he finally said.

  What would Chloe think of this plan? A nagging feeling in the back of Jennie’s mind told her that she wouldn’t like it. Chloe was always so cautious, and this idea was dangerous. Selling to coworkers was one thing. Selling to the customers was quite another.

  By now, Jennie knew the other waitresses well enough to trust them. She doubted that any of them would snitch on her for her less-than-legal activities. Besides, she only sold them hard drugs outside the restaurant. Kylie smoked a lot at work, but she could handle herself when she was high. Dealing to the waitresses bore little risk to Jennie or to Jubblies.

  Dealing to customers, on the other hand, set warning bells off in Jennie’s head.

  “I’m going to have to say no,” she finally said. “I don’t think I should do what you’re asking.”

  Tony cocked his head, looking at Jennie closely. “Why would you say that? It’s hardly any different from what you’re already doing.”

  “That’s not true. There are so many ways that it could go wrong.”

  The way Tony tapped his fingers on the table indicated that he was unimpressed with Jennie’s answer. “Nothing will go wrong if you do it right. It’s up to you, but personally I don’t see how there’s a question. You can make some extra money and help the restaurant all at once. It’s also a way for us to get a reputation as a party spot. Two birds with one stone.”

  Jennie took a deep breath. This might be a horrible idea – but it would definitely be profitable. Surely the doomsday scenarios that were running through her mind wouldn’t happen. This could be the start of a whole other line of income.

  If she could save enough, she might even be able to do something big with the money. Maybe… just maybe, she could save up to do something with her life besides waiting tables. The idea took over her mind within seconds. Sometimes people had to do crappy things to get to better places. Was it so unrealistic to think her path down could be her way out?

  “If you want me to sell to them,” she said slowly, “I can sell to them.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Tony said. “I will have to take a cut, of course. Let’s say fifty percent.”

  Jennie scoffed. “Fifty? Try five.”

  Tony leaned forward. “Five is ridiculous. Forty is the lowest I can go.”

  “Ten.”

  What would Chloe think if she could hear Jennie bargaining like this? Jennie squashed the thought. Whether or not Chloe would approve was irrelevant.

  “Twenty-five, and that’s it,” Tony said.

  “I can give you twenty-five,” Jennie agreed reluctantly. A good percent of the income would go to cover the cost of the drugs. Then again, she could hike up the price a little if these people were that eager to party. She
might still end up ahead.

  Tony nodded, his face severe. “Again, this conversation never happened. I do not condone selling drugs in my restaurant. Not to waitresses, not to customers, not to anybody.”

  Pretty convenient for him. He got to take twenty-five percent of the profit and none of the blame. He got to sit there being all smug and self-righteous when he was just as bad as Jennie. The whole restaurant was going to look down on Jennie if they knew about this, and Tony would take none of the blame.

  It didn’t sit right with Jennie, but money was money. She would do it, and she wouldn’t even complain. She would let the bitterness fester inside her regardless.

  She was still irritated when the large party arrived later. As they came in, she quickly figured out this was the group Tony had told her about. She could hear them hooting and hollering from the moment they walked through the door. To make it even clearer, the groom was wearing an obnoxious T-shirt that read “Stud.”

  Alyssa brought them over to where a few tables had already been pushed together. It had to be eleven or twelve of them over there. They were louder than any other group Jennie had seen at the restaurant.

  Jennie had to roll her eyes. This was going to be a chore… but she was going to get paid. She headed over, slowly but directly. Almost all of the waitresses had already joined the group before Jennie could get there.

  When she got closer, she could see they were already tipsy. Classy. Jennie’s nose wrinkled of its own accord. She hated this type of person.

  “Well, what have we here?” one said.

  If the slur in his voice hadn’t confirmed that he was drunk, the alcohol on his breath would have. He leaned over to slide an arm around Jennie’s waist, accidentally-on-purpose grazing her ass. Customers weren’t supposed to touch the waitresses. Jennie tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.

  Another man from the group came back from the bar, laden down with pitchers of beer. He set one in front of himself and one in front of the groom. “This one’s cute!” he said about Jennie.

  “She’s a ginger,” the groom complained. “I don’t like gingers.”

  “Oh, let her stay,” the friend said. “Look at her body. How can you not like that?”

  “She’s not my thing,” the groom said.

  Jennie shook her head at them. She knew the customers were constantly judging her, but they weren’t usually so vocal about it. “I actually heard you and your friends might want to talk to me,” she said, leaning in.

  “We don’t want to talk to any gingers,” the groom said.

  Jennie bristled at his nerve. These types made her want to vomit. “I heard you guys might want to party,” she said, forcing herself to smile and sound flirtatious.

  The groom’s eyes widened, and he quickly apologized. “We do want to,” he said. “What do you have?”

  “What do you need?”

  “Coke?” he asked in a whisper. His eyes lit up when Jennie nodded. “How much is it?”

  Her normal price was around eighty bucks, but these people looked too innocent to know the street price.

  “Normally I charge two hundred per gram,” Jennie said. “For a bunch of studs like you on a special occasion like this, I’ll make it one-fifty.”

  It might have been wrong to take advantage of their naïveté, but she’d be fucked if she was going to change her mind. They’d been jerks to her, so they deserved to pay twice what the coke was worth.

  “We can do that,” the groom said. “We only need a little.”

  Jennie was in. $37.50 for Tony on every gram. That makes $112.50 to keep. Making money didn’t get easier than this.

  “All right, now listen carefully,” she said. “You’re going to meet me in five minutes.”

  The groom nodded. He looked dumb as a box of rocks with his mouth hanging open like that. Well, so much the better for Jennie. The dumber these men were, the more cash she could get out of them.

  “Go in the hall over there, and follow it to the end. There’s a room on your left. It’s getting renovated right now, but we can use it for our purposes. Not all of you need to come, only the ones who want to… indulge.” She lowered her voice meaningfully.

  “Oh, I definitely want to indulge.” The groom leered at her.

  Jennie was already walking away. She tried to look natural as she headed for the change room. Everything she needed was in her locker. She could use a moment to herself, too. This whole deal was making her heartbeat pick up. Something about this felt funny.

  She glanced over at the other tables, noticing Paula was setting down a plate in front of a customer. They locked eyes for a moment. Jennie’s instinct was to glare at her. How long had Paula been watching her for?

  After putting on jeans, she put the necessary equipment in her pockets. Then she headed into the back room, closing the door for discretion. She looked around approvingly. The room had come along a little since she had peeked in the other night. The window was still unfinished, but the walls were painted and the table was set up.

  A minute later, voices echoed in the hallway. Four of the men barreled in with their hands still full of drinks.

  Jennie stood at the back of the room, crossing her arms. “Could you keep it down a little, please?”

  The groom sighed. “Could you be any more of a buzzkill? Come on, where’s the stuff?”

  Although Jennie bristled, she pulled the baggie from behind her. “So, it’s going to be one-fifty each, gentlemen.”

  They handed over the money without further argument as soon as they saw the white powder. She could practically see them drooling at the sight of it. She knew this type of man – sheltered, spoiled. They had probably never done cocaine before.

  She pursed her lips as she sprinkled a line down on the leather seat and straightened it with a razor blade. Just a few more minutes, and this would all be done with.

  The tallest one stared down at his hands. “God, this is so exciting. I can’t believe we’re doing drugs.”

  “Right.” Jennie took out a dollar bill and offered it to the groom. “I’m guessing you want to go first.”

  His friends watched eagerly. “Wow, people really use dollar bills? I thought that was just a stereotype.”

  Jennie shrugged. “People use whatever’s convenient.” She watched the groom inexpertly snort the line. “Who’s next?”

  One by one, the men did their lines. Their eyes dilated right away, and they blinked a little. One of them sniffled.

  “All right, wipe off your noses and let’s go back out. Your friends must be missing you.”

  “I’m sure they’re having fun,” the groom slurred. “You’re not going to do some with us?”

  “Not tonight,” Jennie said.

  He grabbed at her, his hands cool and clammy. “But you have to. It’s a party.”

  Shrugging her off, she lied smoothly. “I would love to, but I’m working.”

  “It feels so good, though. I’m having so much fun!”

  It took a little effort to get them back into the main room, but she managed it. They all still had that sped-up, hyperactive look when they got out there. Jennie knew it would wear off in about twenty minutes.

  She glanced around the room, feeling eyes on her. “All right, guys. I’m glad you had a good time. Come find me if you need any more.”

  As she walked away, she wondered if she was imagining that feeling. No one in sight was looking at her. The other waitresses were circulating around the room. Chloe was at one table. She caught her eye, feeling strangely guilty.

  As she reached the edge of the room, she thought to turn and look behind her. So that was the source of the stare. Her heart chilled.

  Standing over by the wall, Paula was watching her.

  THIRTEEN

  Chloe brought the credit card machine over to a table of customers. It had been a pretty quiet night so far. That was the way she liked it, even at the expense of getting tips. She didn’t need that much money to live at h
ome with her parents. Sure, she liked vinyl records of classical music and she was saving up for a car, but none of that was completely necessary.

  She looked at Jennie as often as possible, a new smile lighting her face every time she looked at her. Seeing Jennie in action made her feel good. She had misunderstood her for so long. Now Jennie’s harsh exterior made more sense. Chloe actually liked it now that she’d learned how soft Jennie could be underneath.

  Jennie was always smiling at the customers, but Chloe never saw her give a genuine smile except when she looked at her. She loved being able to do that to Jennie. She was so lucky that things were happening between them.

  When she saw a bachelor party come in, Chloe braced herself. She was glad to be serving in another section of the restaurant, where she wouldn’t have to interact with them. That group was different from most of the groups that came here. They were there more to have a good time with their friends than to actually eat and drink. That meant they would be less easy to control.

  Sometimes these groups were overly rambunctious. Chloe never knew what to do when they got a little too grabby with her, or when a groom thought he could have one last fling before getting married. One man had been downright pushy, seeming to believe her skimpy outfit meant she was available for whatever he wanted. Chloe hoped that marriage hadn’t actually happened. She felt terrible for that man’s wife.

  She returned to the hostess station, where she could stare at Jennie as much as she wanted. The looks would be imperceptible to the customers, who would never suspect the waitresses of being gay and dating each other.

  Dating. Were they? It was too soon to think about it. This could still end easily, yet she couldn’t restrain herself from getting her hopes up. She wanted to build something with Jennie. Even though most of the staff was lesbian or bisexual, there was no one else here that she could see herself with.

  She watched as Jennie went up to the bachelor party group. She couldn’t hear them from here, but she could see those subtle changes on Jennie’s face. Something they were saying wasn’t pleasing her. She persisted anyway… but what was she talking about? They weren’t in her section, so if they weren’t tipping her, she should be leaving.