amended.
“I’d like –” I started to accept but suddenly Tate was there and he had Wood’s Coors.
“Need you to stay tonight,” Tate said, planting the Coors in front of Wood and not looking at him because he was looking at me.
“What?” I asked Tate.
“Place is packed, babe, you need to stay until both Wendy and Tonia show,” Tate answered and I looked around the bar seeing he was right. It was even more packed than it usually was with after work drinkers.
Still, hopeful, I suggested, “Wendy can handle this crowd with two of you behind the bar.”
“I’m leavin’ soon, got somethin’ to see to,” Tate replied.
“But –”
He interrupted me. “Need you to stay.”
“Um…” I started but he walked away.
I turned to Wood and saw he was watching Tate and he didn’t look very happy.
“I’m sorry Wood, I’ve got to stay,” I said softly and his head turned to me and he still didn’t look very happy.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“Tonia can be pretty late. On Sunday, she was an hour and a half late. I don’t know –”
I stopped speaking because I watched Wood’s face gentle and it looked so good, I had to concentrate on keeping my tray aloft and not swooning.
“’Nother time, baby,” Wood said softly.
“Okay,” I whispered and didn’t move.
When I didn’t move for awhile, Wood smiled at me and tipped his head to my tray. “You might wanna serve your drinks, Lauren.”
“Oh!” I cried. “Right. I’ll come and get my car tomorrow.”
He nodded his head.
“Later,” he said as I turned away.
“Later, Wood,” I called over my shoulder.
* * * * *
Tonia was forty-five minutes late and by the time she showed, Wood was gone.
She sauntered in wearing a tank top cut off just below her breasts and a mini-skirt that was almost non-existent hanging on her hips and it was hanging in a way that it looked like it was valiantly trying not to give up the ghost but was about to fall off. She also had on sky-high stilettos that had crisscross straps that crissed and crossed all the way up her calves.
When she came in, I breathed a sigh of relief because I’d been on awhile and it might have been a slow day but it was a hectic night.
“Hey Tate,” she breathed, her eyes dewy as she hit the bar right next to me without even glancing in my direction.
“You’re forty-five minutes late,” Tate replied.
“Yeah, I –”
“You’re also dressed like a whore,” Tate went on and I sucked in breath and my eyes shot to Dalton who was close but edging back.
“What?” Tonia asked.
“You’re forty-five minutes late, you’re dressed like a whore and when you start workin’, you don’t sell shit. Tell me, Tonia, why do I pay you?”
“Um…” she flipped her hair because she always flipped her hair but this time I noticed it was also to hide the fact that she was nervous, “to serve drinks.”
“Your shift started nearly an hour ago. You serve any of those drinks in that hour?”
“I wasn’t here, Tate, I had a situ –” Tonia began.
“Woman, you always got a situation and I don’t give a fuck,” Tate cut her off. “Strut your ass right back out that door. I’m done.”
Wendy slid in beside me and stayed but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the scene in front of me.
“Are you firing me?” Tonia whispered, her eyes growing big and her body getting tight.
“Yeah,” Tate replied.
“But Krystal –”
“Bubba’s back, he never liked you, Krystal never liked you and I sure as fuck never liked you. You’re always late and when you’re here you act like you’re in a singles club. Don’t need that shit. Go.”
“But –”
Tate leaned in and clipped, “Bitch, go .”
She stared at him frozen like a deer in headlights for a second then she turned and hurried out the door.
Tate’s eyes sliced to me and I braced.
“You’re off. I’ll delay my shit a-fuckin’-gain and stay on.”
“I’m fine to stay on, help Wendy,” I offered.
He
“I’d like –” I started to accept but suddenly Tate was there and he had Wood’s Coors.
“Need you to stay tonight,” Tate said, planting the Coors in front of Wood and not looking at him because he was looking at me.
“What?” I asked Tate.
“Place is packed, babe, you need to stay until both Wendy and Tonia show,” Tate answered and I looked around the bar seeing he was right. It was even more packed than it usually was with after work drinkers.
Still, hopeful, I suggested, “Wendy can handle this crowd with two of you behind the bar.”
“I’m leavin’ soon, got somethin’ to see to,” Tate replied.
“But –”
He interrupted me. “Need you to stay.”
“Um…” I started but he walked away.
I turned to Wood and saw he was watching Tate and he didn’t look very happy.
“I’m sorry Wood, I’ve got to stay,” I said softly and his head turned to me and he still didn’t look very happy.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“Tonia can be pretty late. On Sunday, she was an hour and a half late. I don’t know –”
I stopped speaking because I watched Wood’s face gentle and it looked so good, I had to concentrate on keeping my tray aloft and not swooning.
“’Nother time, baby,” Wood said softly.
“Okay,” I whispered and didn’t move.
When I didn’t move for awhile, Wood smiled at me and tipped his head to my tray. “You might wanna serve your drinks, Lauren.”
“Oh!” I cried. “Right. I’ll come and get my car tomorrow.”
He nodded his head.
“Later,” he said as I turned away.
“Later, Wood,” I called over my shoulder.
* * * * *
Tonia was forty-five minutes late and by the time she showed, Wood was gone.
She sauntered in wearing a tank top cut off just below her breasts and a mini-skirt that was almost non-existent hanging on her hips and it was hanging in a way that it looked like it was valiantly trying not to give up the ghost but was about to fall off. She also had on sky-high stilettos that had crisscross straps that crissed and crossed all the way up her calves.
When she came in, I breathed a sigh of relief because I’d been on awhile and it might have been a slow day but it was a hectic night.
“Hey Tate,” she breathed, her eyes dewy as she hit the bar right next to me without even glancing in my direction.
“You’re forty-five minutes late,” Tate replied.
“Yeah, I –”
“You’re also dressed like a whore,” Tate went on and I sucked in breath and my eyes shot to Dalton who was close but edging back.
“What?” Tonia asked.
“You’re forty-five minutes late, you’re dressed like a whore and when you start workin’, you don’t sell shit. Tell me, Tonia, why do I pay you?”
“Um…” she flipped her hair because she always flipped her hair but this time I noticed it was also to hide the fact that she was nervous, “to serve drinks.”
“Your shift started nearly an hour ago. You serve any of those drinks in that hour?”
“I wasn’t here, Tate, I had a situ –” Tonia began.
“Woman, you always got a situation and I don’t give a fuck,” Tate cut her off. “Strut your ass right back out that door. I’m done.”
Wendy slid in beside me and stayed but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the scene in front of me.
“Are you firing me?” Tonia whispered, her eyes growing big and her body getting tight.
“Yeah,” Tate replied.
“But Krystal –”
“Bubba’s back, he never liked you, Krystal never liked you and I sure as fuck never liked you. You’re always late and when you’re here you act like you’re in a singles club. Don’t need that shit. Go.”
“But –”
Tate leaned in and clipped, “Bitch, go .”
She stared at him frozen like a deer in headlights for a second then she turned and hurried out the door.
Tate’s eyes sliced to me and I braced.
“You’re off. I’ll delay my shit a-fuckin’-gain and stay on.”
“I’m fine to stay on, help Wendy,” I offered.
He
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