by Mia Ford
Is this a second date? Not really, but we did kiss and leave it there last night, so maybe. God, I am way out of my league here. This is unchartered territory for me, I honestly don’t know what I’m doing. I just really hope I don’t mess everything up.
As the car arrives, my heart is in my throat. I plaster a big smile across my face to hide that. I don’t want anyone to know how freaked out I am by all of this.
“Hey, Ben. Good to see you again. I have your favourite whiskey stocked in the back.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. Whiskey sounds damn good right now. That’s what I need to get me through this. With a bit of Dutch courage, I’ll be just fine. “You have no idea what that means to me, honestly you’re such a legend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Chapter Eight – Serena
Do I maybe feel a little more comfortable in my work attire today? As I twist my body from side to side I realise that maybe I don’t feel quite as self conscious as I did the last time I put this on. I don’t know if Ben is going to be there at the club tonight, but the thought that he might be is enough to have my whole body on fire, and why wouldn’t it after that kiss? My God that was irresistible. Even the memory of it now sends a shiver tearing up and down my spine. It was phenomenal, the way that his lips moved against mine had my heart absolutely racing at a million miles an hour. To be honest, it was enough to have me almost inviting him inside.
I think I’m glad that I didn’t though, because it still gives me that anticipation, the excitement for what might be to come. I’m not embarrassed, wondering if I was just a one night stand, I’m interested to see him again. I can’t wait to see where this whole thing might leave.
Oh my God, I can just feel it, that trickle racing through my veins. This is definitely it, this is what I’ve always been waiting for. I knew I had a better life waiting round the corner for me. It’s nice to be proven right.
“Oh my God!” Jenny’s screech from the living room drags my attention away from the mirror. I don’t know if she sounds excited or terrified. Either way I race into the room to see her standing there as white as a sheet. As soon as she spots me, her eyes light up. “Serena, oh my goodness, you will not believe it. You will not believe what’s just happened to me.”
“What? What happened? My heart is thumping in my chest, my head spins, I don’t know how I’m feeling anymore. “Jenny, please tell me.”
“Okay, so you remember how I applied for that cruise ship job to be a dancer?” I nod even though I know for sure that she definitely didn’t tell me that. I’ve been assuming that she’s happy being a shot girl, maybe I was wrong. “Well they’ve just called me in for this audition slash interview type thing tomorrow morning. Isn’t that amazing?”
I feel like all the breath has been zapped from my body, my lungs squeeze so tight it leaves my brain foggy and spinning. Is she serious? She might be taking another job? She’s dragged me into this club scene just before she’s about to leave me? Maybe she didn’t know it would turn out this way, but a heads up would have been nice.
“Wow, that’s something else,” I rasp while clutching onto my chest. “What does that mean? What will happen?”
“Well...” Jenny takes a seat and she gives me a thoughtful look. I can tell by her expression that she hasn’t really thought about the practical element of this at all. “I guess I’ll be spending most of the year on the ship if I get the job. Ten months out of the year I guess. I’m sure that’s what it said on the application anyway. I suppose I might as well spend the time I’m not on the ship at my parents...”
That’s what I feared. She means she’ll be moving out of the apartment if she gets the job. There’s no way I’ll be able to afford this place on my own, even with the new job. The idea of applying for new roommates makes me feel sick to my stomach... not that it’s about me at the moment.
“Oh well, sure. No point in paying rent on a place you aren’t living in.” I plaster the biggest smile on my face that I can manage. “That’s awesome, I really hope that you get it.”
“You do?” Jenny gives me a bit of a regretful look which makes me feel awesome. This is clearly something that she desperately wants. The last thing I want to do is take it away from her.
“Of course I do.” I grab her hands and give her a grin. “You deserve this, you really do. I hope you get it.”
“It does mean that I can’t come into work tonight though. I can’t be out until four in the morning and then up for a nine AM interview.”
“Oh yeah, of course. Did you want me to tell the boss?”
“No, no, I’ll ring in. It just means you’ll have to go there alone.”
Oh God. I don’t know if I’m prepared for this. Jumping in the deep end without a net to catch me, that isn’t a good feeling at all. I mean, I suppose it isn’t that bad since I’ve already done one shift, but the idea still scares the living hell out of me. Still, I have to support Jenny, I have to be a good friend. Even if her plan leaves me in the shit, I still want to be there for me.
“I don’t mind that, I can go there by myself, it’s only a short walk.”
Jenny pulls me in for a hug. “You’re a great friend, I really do appreciate you.”
The sense that everything is changing in a terrifying way overwhelms me and I can feel tears stinging my eyes. All the excitement that was inside me only moments ago when I thought about Ben is long gone, now I’m just scared. I feel like the anchor has been yanked out from underneath me and I’m about to float around aimlessly.
“Right.” I pull back and pat her on the arms, trying to hide my almost tears. “You go and get some rest, get yourself ready for the big day tomorrow. I have work to do.”
Once we say our goodbyes and I make my way out the door, I gulp down the thick ball of emotion that lodges itself firmly in my throat. I haven’t been in the big city without Jenny, and I didn’t think I’d ever have to be. Maybe that just shows off my naivety. Of course people move on with their lives, no one will stick around just for me. I don’t even expect them too.
“Hey, Summer,” one of the other girls calls out as I walk through the door to the club. “Glad to see you back again.”
“Erm, it’s Serena, actually...” I reply, but I don’t even think she’s listening.
As the girls stand around plastering more make up and fake tan on their bodies, it becomes even more acutely obvious how different I am from them all. I’m happy to be pale and natural. I have a little make up on my eyes but that’s it. I’ve run a brush through my hair, but I haven’t styled it like these lot. I just don’t think I can do it without Jenny. If she gets the job, I might have to leave the job as well as the apartment. I might have to go back home after all...
“Jenny is sick, huh?” the boss, who’s name I’m not even sure of, demands. His tall, muscular stature makes him a little overbearing and terrifying. “What’s wrong with her.”
Obviously she’s lied, I need to keep up with that, just in case. I have confidence in her that she’ll succeed at her interview, but she’ll need this as a back up just in case. “Oh yeah, I don’t know exactly.” Are my cheeks going red? Am I giving the game away without even meaning too? “She’s just been throwing up all day long.”
“Not pregnant, is she?” he replies in a gruff, uncaring manner. “Can’t have her here if she’s pregnant. Health and safety and all that.”
Oh well that’s just lovely, isn’t it? What a nice man. “No,” I say firmly. “She isn’t pregnant.”
“Good. Don’t want to be worrying about that again.”
As he walks off I screw my nose up in disgust. Aren’t there laws protecting pregnant women? I’m sure there are ways that people are supposed to behave, but that seems to have escaped the notice of CeeLow. Urgh, I need to get out of here.
I turn on my heels and stalk into the bathroom to grab a moment alone before I have to start this shift. I don’t want to do it, I want to walk out now and call the temp agency to have
them get me some more work instead, but the image of the massive bundles of cash keeps filling my mind and it drags me forward even if I’m resistant. Now more than ever I need some money, nothing else will keep me going.
Once inside I lock myself in a cubicle and I put my head between my legs to keep my breathing steady. I don’t like this lack of control, it’s terrifying. The fact that my fate lies in the hands of someone else, and I won’t discover the truth until after Jenny, is scary. I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep my head on my shoulders tonight.
Right, it’s time, I finally decide with a glance at my watch. Time to get to it. Just get through this shift and then worry about everything else later...
I push myself off the toilet and I make my way through the doors. Luckily because I’m so different I blend into the background so no one turns to look at me. That gives me a moment to pull myself together which is good because the first clients are through the door in a second. People seem to be really keen about this place, there’s something very attractive to the rich.
“Come on, Summer,” the same girl from before calls out to me. “Time to get to it.”
At first I sort of hang around on the outskirts, just trying to keep myself looking busy. I don’t want to dive in until I find the right customer because I don’t want to end up in the same position that I did last night. And by right customer I of course mean Ben... not that I would ever admit that out loud.
“Miss?” someone eventually comes to me. “Can I get a round in?”
I nod and take the order, my eyes scanning over the bar the entire time. I can barely focus, it’s really hard to keep any concentration on anyone when I’m waiting for someone who might or might not come in. I take note of the drinks but I already know that I’m not going to stick to this table tonight, not unless I’m forced to.
“Right, I’ll grab those drinks for you and I’ll be back in a moment.”
As I walk I think it’s kind of pointless to have the shot belts on. I hardly sell any drinks from it, I spend most of my night heading back and forth to the bar. I’m pretty much a waitress in revealing clothing. That’s the role I have here.
“Miss?”
I almost role my eyes as someone else tries to grab me. I turn on my heels and try to plaster a fake smile on my face but that soon turns into a genuine one when I realise that thankfully something has gone right. As shitty as this day has been so far, it’s about to get a whole lot better.
“What do you mean, Miss?” I push him playfully. “It’s good to see you again, Ben.”
The fizzling sensation sparks at my lips as the memory floods my mind. His mouth against mine, the wonderful kiss, the feel of his hands against my hips...
“It’s good to see you, too. I hope you don’t mind me turning up again.” He looks a little awkward, as if he isn’t sure which is adorable.
“Not at all. I’m glad to have you here again. Let me just sort this guy out then I’ll be at your table, and at your service.”
Thank God.
Chapter Nine – Ben
I take a seat at a table in the corner of the room, not even bothering with the veranda today. I’m not here for business or networking, I’m simply here not to be interrupted so I can spend the shift with only Serena. I know I’m going to have to spend a lot of money so the manager of the club doesn’t get pissy about her spending a lot of time with only me, but I don’t mind that.
I’ve earned this money, now is the time to spend it as I please.
As Serena comes back into the bar and she spots where I’m sitting, her face breaks out into a genuine, warm smile. That look causes my heart stop skip a beat and again leaves me questioning my feelings for her all over again. I already know that I like her more than I have done anyone else, certainly no one that’s come before her has made such an impression on me, but what does that mean? Can I really be considering teetering into the scary relationship type territory? I guess tonight will be the only way for me to tell.
“Hey there, Ben.” Her sweet tone almost makes me want to sing. “So, now that you’re here, what can I get for you?”
“Can you get me some champagne? The most expensive bottle?”
“Ooh, champagne, are you celebrating something?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, which makes me think that maybe the shyer version of her is slipping away even further. At least around me. I like that she can be different with me, it means she trusts me enough to reveal something new. “May I ask what?”
“You can, actually.” I lean back in my chair and run my eyes up her body. “I met the most amazing girl last night and we shared a phenomenal kiss.” Maybe I’m being a bit cheesy, but it looks like Serena likes it. “I’m hoping that she might let me take her out sometime.”
“You are?” Her eyes widen in surprise. I guess I’ve thrown her now, she clearly wasn’t expecting me to actually want to be with her. “Wow that’s... I mean, that’s awesome. I think the girl you met last night would love for you to take her out sometime.”
Yes! And with that, I know we can become something.
Serena walks off to get my drinks and I watch her ass as she goes. I can feel another pair of eyes upon me, so I follow where they are to see one of the other, much more obvious girls, winking at me. She twirls her hair between her fingers and pushes her boobs out to me. Clearly she wants me and if I think back she might have made that obvious before, but now I’m less interested than ever. Now, I don’t want to think about anyone but Serena. To make that point obvious, I grab my cell phone out of my pocket and I start fiddling around with it, putting up my barriers.
That leads to some work emails catching my eyes, but only for a moment. Once Serena is back, the office can wait. The business that I’ve spent my entire existence building no longer seems quite so important. I can’t believe those words have even fluttered through my head, but they have. I must be changing...
“So.” Serena sits by my side and she looks at me curiously. “Are you going to be asking the questions tonight, or am I?”
“Hmmm.” I act like I’m thinking about it, but really I’m not. “I think we should do a bit of both. I think we should just have some time talking.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” She nods slowly. “So why don’t you start by telling me more about your company. I know that you’re obviously very successful, but what is it that you do?”
“It’s very boring,” I warn her. “I work in finance.” When she doesn’t say anything, I take it as my cue to continue. “I guess when I was in school I noticed that I was good with numbers. Much better than the other kids in my class anyway, and because we didn’t have much when I was younger I already knew that I wanted to do something big, so I decided to follow that. I decided to work with companies to restructure their finances when they get into trouble, or even before they get into trouble, just to help saving them money.”
“So, you’re like the angel of debt,” she smiles brightly. “But you swoop in quick to stop debt becoming a problem. That’s really cool. I bet you’ve saved many asses in your time.”
I love that she’s focusing on the cool side of what I’ve done rather than the boring side of working with numbers. Not many people get that, especially not people who I hang out with in any sort of romantic sense. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I like it. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I started with nothing and now I have a lot.”
“That’s good. So... you didn’t have much growing up then?” She looks like she might be overstepping a mark, but she’s not. I don’t like to talk about it much but I did bring it up, and to be fair she’s revealed a lot of herself to me. It’s only fair.
“No... my dad passed away when I was just a baby.” My tone automatically turns morose. “I didn’t ever get to know him, so I don’t know anything about him really. Mom talks about him a lot, but still... it isn’t the same as knowing someone, is it?” Serena doesn’t say anything, but her ashen face speaks volumes. “He was hit by a drunk driver while com
ing home from work, and left me and Mom with nothing.” I shrug sadly. “Mom worked a few jobs to keep us afloat but we still never had much. That’s why I worked my ass off to make something of myself.”
“Wow... that’s really impressive. To have such direction and motivation, to be so ambitious. That’s so cool, I really like that.”
I smile at her, wondering how she sees herself. I can tell that she isn’t keen on the free-spirited label, or that she doesn’t see herself that way, but that’s exactly what she is. She doesn’t have a solid plan, she doesn’t need a definite direction to go in. She’s happy to take one day at a time which is admirable to me. We’re like complete opposites. I just hope not too different.
“What about your family? Any drama with you?” I try to make light of the situation but quickly realise how insensitive that might sound. “I didn’t mean it quite like that...”
“No, no, it’s okay. No drama with me. It was me, Mom, Dad, and my much younger brother, Ethan, that’s all. Nothing to tell really, just a very normal, boring, small town life.” She gives me a grin. “That’s why I’m here, looking for excitement.”
I can’t help noticing that there’s something very morose about her expression, behind all the smiles. I can only see it because I’m really looking at her. “Is everything okay with you?” I lean in and ask her quietly. “You don’t look like you’ve found your excitement.”