by Rye Hart
“No, he's just in the bathroom,” I said. “He'll be back.”
“Lucky me,” she grumbled. Then her smile returned, almost like she'd forced it to. “Is there anything else I can help you with? And please, no pickup lines, I've had more than my fair share tonight and none of them are all that original.”
“Don't worry,” I said. “I'm not interested in picking you, or anyone else up. You're safe from me. Promise.”
“Good boy,” she said. “Especially since you have that hot girlfriend back home. Nice to know some men can remain loyal.”
“You – you remember Danielle?”
She shrugged. “I remember all my regulars,” she said with a smile. “It usually pays off. In tips, I mean.”
“Of course.”
I started to tell her that Danielle and I were no more, but it seemed unnecessary. Not like she'd care. She was merely being friendly and making conversation to get a good tip out of it. I pulled out my wallet and passed her a fifty-dollar bill.
“Do you want to close out your tab already?” she asked.
“No, that's for you,” I said. “We'll pay the tab later. I just figure you deserve a little something for putting up with assholes like my friend.”
She smiled, “Thanks, Mr. Crane.”
“Malcolm,” I said. “Please, call me Malcolm.”
“I'll remember that, Malcolm.”
“I have no doubt you will.”
We shared a smile between us, and I had to admit, I was enjoying it. Casey wasn't relationship material – not with her cocky attitude and her nose ring. A nose ring that I'd only just noticed for the first time. My parents would have died if I brought a girl like her home for family dinner. They were very traditional and very conservative about a great many things.
Greg came back from the bathroom and slipped into the booth. Casey's eyes went back to him, and her face changed in the briefest of moments. She went from a friendly and open expression with me to one of pure disdain and contempt, and then just like that, it changed back to being pleasant again.
“Did you find it okay?” she asked Greg, her face innocent as ever.
“The bathroom? Yeah, I've been here before –”
“No, I meant your dick. The lighting's dim and it's hard to see tiny things,” she laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she turned and walked away.
I couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter. “She got you, man.”
“Yeah, well that's not the last word. We have all night, brother,” he said, punching me in the arm. “Before the night is over, she'll know exactly where my cock is, because it'll be inside her tight little – ”
I stopped him right there. “Please, I don't need to imagine you balls deep in our waitress.”
The image tugged at something inside of me, but I didn't know what it could have been. The way he talked about Casey, the way he objectified her and boiled her down to somebody worthy of no more than being his personal fucktoy, bugged me more than usual.
Probably because her taunting brought out the worst in Greg. It was like, the more she screwed with him, the more he wanted her and the more foul-mouthed he got about it.
“Why? You jealous?” he asked, smirking.
“No, why would I be jealous?” I asked. “She's a fucking cocktail waitress.”
“Come on, I saw the way you looked at her,” Greg said. “But if you're not going to bone her, I will. Wouldn't want a sweet little ass like that to go to waste.”
“She's cute, I'm a warm-blooded male, so I check her out,” I said, “but I've already told you, I'm not interested in dating anyone right now. Things are way too complicated as it is.”
“Fine,” Greg said. “I guess she's all mine then.”
“Happy hunting, brother,” I said. “But, I think you're coming back from this one empty handed.”
I shook my head and focused on my drink. I knew there was no way in hell Greg was going to land Casey. She wasn't just out of his league, she was playing an entirely different game than he was. But, watching her shoot him down again and again was entertaining.
“Go for it,” I said. “And if you bed her, I'll seriously be impressed.”
Greg wasn't used to being turned down. He was an attractive, wealthy guy. Kind of like me in a lot of ways. He could get any woman he set his eyes on, normally, but Casey was different. She was a challenge. She wasn't falling for his usual tactics, which only seemed to drive Greg crazier by the minute.
My insides twisted and turned, and I took a drink of my Scotch. This feeling inside of me was unfamiliar, and I didn't like it one bit. Danielle had really fucked me over but good.
“Alright, my turn for the bathroom,” I said, sliding out of the booth. “I'll be right back.”
“If I'm not here, I'm banging Casey in the grotto upstairs,” he said.
I chuckled. She had standards. Not that I'd ever say that to my friend, but it was the truth. A lot had changed since college, but the one constant was that Greg was still the immature, horny dick he'd always been.
At least there was some continuity in my life. Hooray for that.
CHAPTER FOUR
CASEY
“God, that guy is such a prick,” I muttered to Raya, who was standing beside Tommy at the bar. I looked over at my friend and chuckled, “I thought they banished you. Aren't you supposed to be in the back?”
Tommy looked over at her and shook his head. “She can't resist hanging around me,” he said. “She just has to be near me. I can't get rid of her.”
“Sure, buddy,” Raya laughed. “It's all about you, isn't it? Nah, I just needed some fresh air. I hate working in the back.”
“Then come back to the front,” Tommy said. “Sounds like an easy choice to me.”
“And look like a whore looking for her next sugardaddy?” she asked. “No thank you, I have standards.”
I threw a look her way. “Gee, thanks,” I said.
Raya laughed and waved me off. “You know I didn’t mean you,” she said. “Besides, I’m thinking about taking off anyway.”
“In the middle of your shift?” I cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah, why not?” she smirked. “I can always get another job. This one is getting old anyway.”
“Must be nice,” I muttered. I looked up at my friend, and realized I'd miss her if she went. “You really going to leave me all alone? With him?”
I pointed at Tommy who was slinging drinks for a couple surfer-looking dudes further down the bar.
“Come with me,” Raya said, taking my hands in hers. She smiled wide. “We can work at some coffee house or get a job selling t-shirts on the boardwalk in Santa Monica. Anything beats this place.”
“Yeah, except the pay doesn't add up to the same,” I said. “And I have responsibilities. As much as I'd love to walk out, I'm going to have to pass.”
“Not everything is about money, Casey,” she whined
“Sure, except when you don't have enough to go around, or you're struggling to make ends meet, then it kinda is all about money.”
I groaned and walked away before I got into it with her. Raya's parents might have been hippies, like serious hippies that actually named their daughter Raya Sunshine, but they were fairly wealthy hippies. Not super rich like Malcolm Crane or his buddy Greg's parents, but well off enough that if Raya wanted to, she could just sit at home and make art all day, every day.
They owned their own business, something artsy and popular with the hipsters. I tried to avoid talking about parents if I could, because it inevitably lead to the other person asking about my own parents, and that was a conversation I didn't care to have.
My bladder reminded me that it had been hours since my last bathroom break. Since I didn't see Leon anywhere out there on the floor, I figured it was safe to take a quick break. A really quick break. As in, I ran over to the bathrooms as fast as I could, trying to keep an eye out for Leon. In the madness of trying to sneak a pee unseen by my boss, I wasn't watching where
I was going and ran smack dab into someone.
I fell backward, but he caught me, grabbing my arm and keeping me from falling ass over teakettle onto the ground.
“Easy there,” he said.
I looked up into the gorgeous face of Malcolm Crane. My heart fluttered a bit when I looked into his eyes. Sue me, I couldn't help it. He had to be the most attractive man I'd ever seen, and yeah, if I were being honest, I'd admit to the fact that I had the tiniest of crushes on him.
Not that I'd have ever actually dated him – he was too rich and powerful and alpha male for my liking. Besides, he hung out with guys like Greg, and I figured that said a lot about his personality.
Still, my pulse raced as I stared into those baby blue eyes.
“Thanks,” I said, righting myself. He still had ahold of me, almost like he was afraid to let go. “I really need to use the bathroom, can't you tell?”
Oh, great. Way to be smooth, Casey, talk about going to pee. How sexy. “Funnily enough, that's where I'm headed to,” he said.
He just stood there, staring at me as if he expected me to say something. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I just stood there, looking like an idiot, with my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
Finally, I managed to stammer, “I'm really sorry about your dad.”
Nice job, Casey. Remind him of his dying dad. Yeah, that's great. Really sensitive.
He looked confused for a second, then the conversation we'd heard earlier hit him. His face fell, and he looked down at the floor. The pain in his eyes was unmistakable. He was obviously close to his parents, which was something I admired.
“Thank you,” he said. “I mean – well, what am I supposed to say in a situation like this? I have no idea. There's not an instruction manual for dealing with grief or anything.”
“Sometimes just talking about it helps,” I said without thinking. Like this uber rich guy was going to reveal his deepest fears and sorrows to the girl that brought him his scotch.
I reached out and gave his arm a squeeze, which surprised us both.
“I really need to –”
Leon's voice cut through the music, “Casey! Get over here and clean up this spill.”
I flinched.
“Well, I guess I lost my chance to use the bathroom,” I muttered, trying to be funny.
Malcolm looked up and caught Leon's eye, calling out to him. “She's helping me with something, Mr. Bryant,” he said. “Is it okay if I borrow her for a second?”
I stared at Malcolm, wide-eyed and slack jawed.
“Oh, Mr. Crane,” Leon said, walking over to us. “I'm so sorry, I didn't see you over here.”
The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries while I stood there just watching the both of them. My bladder continued screaming at me. I was so close, yet so far away, from finally relieving myself.
Leon looked over at me and said, “She's not causing you any problems, is she?”
“Of course not, Leon,” Malcolm scoffed. “She's actually keeping me company and listening to my woes. She's proving to be very helpful and friendly.”
Leon side-eyed me, as if he found that hard to believe. I wanted to say, Hey, I'm not always a raging bitch. Not when the customer doesn't deserve it. I kept my mouth shut, though, since I knew it could only get me into trouble. Malcolm seemed to be doing a good job of helping me out of this mess. Leon, I swear, was looking for a reason to fire me. “Well, I would never pull her away from you, Mr. Crane,” Leon said.
He stepped away, and I heard him yelling at Raya, who happened to be standing behind the bar in the front still. Right where I'd left her.
“Since you're just standing around, you can clean up this spill,” he said.
I mouthed the words, “I'm sorry,” in her direction, feeling terrible that Raya was stuck cleaning up the mess and dealing with Leon.
Malcolm leaned close to me and whispered into my ear – his warm breath causing my flesh to tingle.
“Run to the bathroom really quickly,” he said. “I'll keep a watch out for you and distract Leon if he comes back down this way again.”
“Thank you,” I said, wanting to kiss him in that moment.
He gave me a cocky grin and motioned for me to go into the bathroom. I hurried inside and did my business, trying not to take too long. I washed my hands and placed them under the dryer when the bathroom door swung open, a flourish of henna and patchouli announcing her arrival.
“Raya?”
“Halleluiah! I'm free at last,” she said. She was cackling like an idiot. “Oh, my Goddess, Casey, I just told Leon to take this job and shove it. So cliche, but sooo worth it to see the look on his constipated face. You totally should come with me – I'm going to grab breakfast to celebrate, and I'd love it if you could celebrate kicking this shitty job to the curb with me.”
“I can't, Raya,” I said. “You know I can't quit.”
“Come on,” she grabbed my hands before they finished drying and shook them. “Breakfast. You and me. And hell, if you want to bring Mr. Handsome with you, he can come too. The more the merrier!”
“How about I join you after my shift?” I said. “It ends in just over an hour and –”
“Casey,” Raya whined. “You deserve better than this place, chica. You shouldn't have to put up with Leon's shit – or those handsy pigs out on the floor, either. This job is so shitty and you're so smart and pretty and hard working – ”
“But I have bills to pay and kids to feed,” I said. “It's not just about me, Raya.”
God, I wished it was sometimes. I wished I could be like her – free to quit this awful job once and for all. Free to be myself and pursue my flights of fancy, no matter where they took me. If I just had to worry about my own bills, I could have found something else. Something better.
Maybe it wouldn't have paid as much as I made there, but if I was only worried about taking care of myself, it could have worked. I had my brother, sister and mother to take care of, though, and I couldn't just leave them hanging until I found something else. The electric bill was already late, and they were going to shut us off Monday if I didn't make enough tonight to cover it.
I had problems Raya just couldn't understand. She was free to do what she wanted because she had parents who were backing her up. I didn't have that. I didn't have anybody. No safety net of any kind, whatsoever.
“Alright, alright, I can't make you leave an abusive situation until you're ready.” Raya completely dismissed the fact that it wasn't a choice – I literally couldn't leave. She sighed. “I'll head over to IHOP. Meet me there when you get off.”
My body ached, and I just wanted to go to bed. Plus, money spent on pancakes was money that could go toward groceries this week. I'd just have a coffee, I decided. Or maybe just a glass of ice water.
“I'll meet you there as soon as I'm off,” I promised.
Raya shrieked and ran out the door. I followed behind. I watched with an amused grin on my face as she flipped off Leon and Tommy, yelling something I couldn't make out over the music, until security guided her toward the doors and out onto the sidewalk, making sure she was gone.
“Who was she?” Malcolm said, his voice taking me by surprise. I'd almost forgotten he was out there, waiting for me.
“Just a disgruntled employee who's had enough,” I mumbled.
“Well, good for her,” he said. “Looks like she's very happy with her decision.”
“Yeah, it does.”
I stared at the doors through which Raya had been escorted out. I seriously yearned to walk out those doors myself – not before giving Leon a big middle finger, of course – and never look back. But, I couldn't. I turned back to Malcolm and gave him a small smile.
“Thanks for standing guard,” I said. “I better get back to work though. Now that we're down a dishwasher, they're going to need all the help they can get.”
Malcolm touched my arm, stopping me. “I have a question to ask you,” he said
tentatively. “Though, I'm sure it's going to come out wrong and you're probably going to say no.”
My stomach was in knots, and my mouth was dry. I stared, wide-eyed up at him. I wondered what his question was. “But I can't ask here,” he said, averting his eyes. “Maybe we can meet up after you get off?”
“I can't,” I said softly, thinking about Raya's celebratory breakfast. “It's against company policy to date customers – I mean, it's not strictly against policy, it's just generally discouraged. And I know how dangerous it can be. I have no intention of getting murdered, not that I think you'd murder me – but, you know what I mean.”
Fuck, Casey. Could you have screwed that up anymore? Could you have sounded any more like a rambling idiot?
“I mean – well, technically, I have plans already,” I stammered jamming my foot even further down my throat. “But maybe –”
“It's okay,” Malcolm said, bringing my hand to his lips and giving it a quick kiss. “It was stupid of me anyway. A fleeting idea. I shouldn't even think like that. Forget I said anything at all.”
He hurried inside the men's restroom, and I cursed myself. Dammit.
I should never be allowed to talk to anyone ever again.
~ooo000ooo~
“You actually accused him of wanting to murder you?” Raya screeched.
Her laughter filled the IHOP and caused everyone to turn and stare. I felt the heat creep into my cheeks and wanted to crawl under the table and die. I tried to silence her, but there was no use. Apparently, after she'd left the club, she found another one to drink at. She'd had a few shots before meeting me at IHOP and was thoroughly sloshed.
“You're so smooth, Casey. No wonder I love you,” she said, picking at the fruit on her plate.
There really weren't a whole lot of vegan options at IHOP for Raya. As much as I'd have killed for some pancakes, I hadn't made enough during my shift tonight to justify splurging on myself. Not with the electric bill due.
“It's not like he wants to date me or anything,” I said, taking a sip from my coffee mug. The warmth from the cup felt good against my hands. “He probably just wanted to proposition me. Too many guys think we're the prostitutes.”