caused any trouble before, keeping largely to myself, but after my run in with Felix earlier in the week and then the visit from the masked marauders, it was clear I was a target. There was no way I could stay now. I had to get the hell out of Dodge.
Chapter Seven
Emma
“Here’s your water to go and your check. You let me know if you need anything else.”
I smiled at the older woman as I walked away. Today had been a good day. The customers had been more than friendly and the tips had been extremely good. My pockets were going to be happy when I clocked out.
I looked around the small bar and grille, situated between a major highway and the smooth beaches of the California coast. My last couple of years at Keefer’s Bar and Grille had seen their share of ups and downs, but all in all, I couldn’t really picture a better place to work. Besides, the view was always spectacular.
With a smile on my face, I walked back to the bar area, ignoring the ache in my feet. Today may have been a good day, but the day before had done me in. One of the other waitresses had called in sick, and since I needed the money, I had jumped at the chance for a double shift. However, after two shifts the day before, it seemed like the clock had literally crawled hour after hour. Luckily, four o’clock wasn’t too far away, the golden hour for me! I would be free to do what I wanted for an entire evening before it would start all over again. I couldn’t wait.
Brushing my hair back into the sweeping ponytail high on my head, I busied myself with washing the glasses, finding anything and everything to do to pass the time and take my mind off of my aching feet. While the shoes were mostly comfortable, I really needed another pair, but money was tight and I couldn’t afford to buy a new pair right now.
“Emma!”
Startled, I rushed to the kitchen to see the new girl, Mary, struggling to balance a tray of food on her thin arms. It was her first week, and judging from her performance up to that point, I doubted she’d had much waitressing experience or even experience carrying food from the stove to the table for that matter. Poor thing, I felt for her.
“Here, let me help you,” I offered, stepping in and taking the tray from her. “Remember you can’t put all of the plates on here like this. It will always be too heavy.”
Mary wiped her forehead and gave me a grateful smile, looking flustered and a bit embarrassed. “Thanks, Emma. I’m sorry. I forgot, and I was just trying to get the food out in time. Do you want me to unload it?”
I shook my head and gave her a smile. “No, I’ve got it. You go get those drinks. I’ll take care of this.”
“You’re the best,” Mary replied, turning to take over the drink order she had already garnered from another table. I walked out and delivered the food to the waiting customers, checking on their drinks and anything else they might need before walking back to the kitchen. While I enjoyed working at the bar and grille, there were a lot of things I found myself being responsible for that weren’t in my job description and I sure as heck wasn’t getting paid for. For instance, I made sure the bar was always fully stocked. Many times I was responsible for making deposits at the bank and training the new staff on top of working as a waitress. It was a hard thing to juggle. The owner, Sam, was a decent fellow but he owned two other restaurants and the bar was the smallest of them all. He saw to it that we got everything we needed, but didn’t feel like he actually needed a manager, happy to let me take care of it. Since I needed my job, I hadn’t said much about it. But the wear and tear of this type of work day in and day out was starting to get old.
“Hey, Emma, can you get table four?” Mary asked as she rushed by me, her arms laden with plates, a harried look on her face. “I still have to get the food out to table ten.” I gave her a tight-lipped smile and grabbed a stack of
Chapter Seven
Emma
“Here’s your water to go and your check. You let me know if you need anything else.”
I smiled at the older woman as I walked away. Today had been a good day. The customers had been more than friendly and the tips had been extremely good. My pockets were going to be happy when I clocked out.
I looked around the small bar and grille, situated between a major highway and the smooth beaches of the California coast. My last couple of years at Keefer’s Bar and Grille had seen their share of ups and downs, but all in all, I couldn’t really picture a better place to work. Besides, the view was always spectacular.
With a smile on my face, I walked back to the bar area, ignoring the ache in my feet. Today may have been a good day, but the day before had done me in. One of the other waitresses had called in sick, and since I needed the money, I had jumped at the chance for a double shift. However, after two shifts the day before, it seemed like the clock had literally crawled hour after hour. Luckily, four o’clock wasn’t too far away, the golden hour for me! I would be free to do what I wanted for an entire evening before it would start all over again. I couldn’t wait.
Brushing my hair back into the sweeping ponytail high on my head, I busied myself with washing the glasses, finding anything and everything to do to pass the time and take my mind off of my aching feet. While the shoes were mostly comfortable, I really needed another pair, but money was tight and I couldn’t afford to buy a new pair right now.
“Emma!”
Startled, I rushed to the kitchen to see the new girl, Mary, struggling to balance a tray of food on her thin arms. It was her first week, and judging from her performance up to that point, I doubted she’d had much waitressing experience or even experience carrying food from the stove to the table for that matter. Poor thing, I felt for her.
“Here, let me help you,” I offered, stepping in and taking the tray from her. “Remember you can’t put all of the plates on here like this. It will always be too heavy.”
Mary wiped her forehead and gave me a grateful smile, looking flustered and a bit embarrassed. “Thanks, Emma. I’m sorry. I forgot, and I was just trying to get the food out in time. Do you want me to unload it?”
I shook my head and gave her a smile. “No, I’ve got it. You go get those drinks. I’ll take care of this.”
“You’re the best,” Mary replied, turning to take over the drink order she had already garnered from another table. I walked out and delivered the food to the waiting customers, checking on their drinks and anything else they might need before walking back to the kitchen. While I enjoyed working at the bar and grille, there were a lot of things I found myself being responsible for that weren’t in my job description and I sure as heck wasn’t getting paid for. For instance, I made sure the bar was always fully stocked. Many times I was responsible for making deposits at the bank and training the new staff on top of working as a waitress. It was a hard thing to juggle. The owner, Sam, was a decent fellow but he owned two other restaurants and the bar was the smallest of them all. He saw to it that we got everything we needed, but didn’t feel like he actually needed a manager, happy to let me take care of it. Since I needed my job, I hadn’t said much about it. But the wear and tear of this type of work day in and day out was starting to get old.
“Hey, Emma, can you get table four?” Mary asked as she rushed by me, her arms laden with plates, a harried look on her face. “I still have to get the food out to table ten.” I gave her a tight-lipped smile and grabbed a stack of
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