"I know, I know, strange for a jobless moocher, huh?" I asked.
It was dark, but I could see her sarcastic grin had disappeared. Now her smile was softer. "No, I'm, I guess I'm just jealous," she stammered. "I moved away from my home state. It must be nice to live around people who have known your family your whole life."
I bit my lip. "It's all right, but sometimes it’s a little too much."
She took in the view again. "You want to leave?"
"I escape through travel," I said.
Riley turned and grabbed my arm as she found her footing on the ladder. Two rungs down, she tugged my arm until I was close to her. "Admit it. You secretly love it here and don't want to leave."
I took a minute to catch my breath before I followed her down the ladder. The widow's walk didn’t allow for much pacing despite its name. I spun back and forth a few times, my hands on my belt loops. I had spent nearly a decade on the widow's walk, swearing to myself that I would travel far away and never come back. Every time I was at The Sand Dollar, I did everything I could to avoid the upstairs and widow's walk unless I was blind drunk. Yet tonight it was the only place I wanted to be.
I jumped down the last two rungs of the ladder and heard Andrew knocking on the door. "I got it," I told Riley. She had taken a seat on one corner of the sofa and might have left room for me.
"Fresh linens," Andrew said. He choked a little when he saw my face. "Thought you didn't like coming up here."
"It's better than being me in that bar crowd," I said.
Andrew nodded. "Fair enough. We're totally slammed. And the gala crowd expects a high level of service, you know, quick orders, extra attention. I'm not sure we can handle it."
I leaned on the doorframe. "How's Ruiz? Isn't this usually the time he quits?" Riley stood up and I explained, "Ruiz gets mad and quits every year right about now."
"And you don't think you should help your friends?" she asked.
"What? Volunteer to pour drinks at the bar?" I asked, and then choked on a chuckle.
Andrew snorted and then could not hold back his laughter. We collapsed against the door and laughed, but Riley only folded her arms over her chest. It took a minute to pull ourselves together, especially after Andrew imagined out loud a few drink order scenarios from our favorite gala guests.
"Well, if he's incapable of helping, then I could," Riley said. "That way I wouldn't feel bad about staying in this apartment."
Andrew shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that. The apartment is empty and you're welcome to stay as long as you like."
I didn't like the way my best friend sized me up as he told Riley that, but I would have to wait and ask him about it after the rush. "I'm not incapable of helping."
"It's just he's, um, him," Andrew tried.
Riley threw her hands in the air. "Either way, I'm me and it's no problem for me to help you. I'd be happy to." She pushed past Andrew and headed downstairs.
We caught up with her behind the bar, tying on a black apron. "I'll take orders from the standing customers so the crowd by the bar can spread out," she said.
Andrew looked at me with wide eyes. "If you man the bar, I can help in the dining hall and keep Ruiz in the kitchen."
"You got it, boss," I said.
Andrew stopped at the door to the kitchen. "You know this is totally ridiculous, right?"
"Better to be ridiculous than incapable," I said and tied on a black apron. "Who needs a drink?"
A wave of gasps and surprised chuckles answered me. Riley flashed me a curious look from the middle of the room, but I just shrugged.
"Taking up a new hobby, eh, Mr. Landon? I remember moonlighting as an usher once just to see how the other half lived," a familiar-looking elderly gentleman said with a grin. "I'll have a scotch and soda."
"Three vodka gimlets, please," a trio of tanned and manicured women cooed.
"On the house, ladies, as long as you show me I. D," I said.
The older woman giggled and left an enormous tip on the bar. I made the drinks as Andrew swung by to check on me.
"The word's spreading like wildfire," Andrew said. "Has Riley figured out who you are yet?"
I watched her honey-brown hair bobbing as she memorized drink orders. "I don't know. I can't worry about that —I had a great idea. Get a bigger tip jar and write Michel's Fund on it."
The orders picked up and I didn't stop for what felt like hours. Andrew swung by as often as he could and his news was always the same.
"I bribed Ruiz and the staff not to say anything. You owe them a grill-out at your place," he said.
"Fine, thanks. You're doing the grilling," I called out.
Riley smiled as she set her tray down and recited a litany of drinks. "The crowd is really responding to you. What's going on?"
I made her drink orders as quickly as I could. Thank god for my time spent in a college fraternity that liked to host open bar events. "Why question when things are going so good?"
When the crowd finally thinned and business slowed to a trickle, the tip jar was overflowing. I slumped against the side of the bar, feet aching.
Riley, on the other hand, bounced over. "Wow, that's amazing! This Michel's Fund must be one great charity."
"Actually, it serves over one hundred charities dedicated to children's well-being, medical advancements, and community enrichment."
She blinked her chocolate brown eyes a few times before she said, "Did you practice that?"
"Everyone knows that line around here," Andrew jumped in. "The Michels are very generous people, and we're proud to help support their charitable work."
The few remaining patrons jumped in their seats when Ruiz kicked open the kitchen door and carried in a tray laden with food. "Snacks for the surviving staff and our charming volunteer."
"Thanks, Ruiz," I said.
The chef rolled his eyes. "Not you. The charming volunteer. You were a life-saver, Riley. Thank god you were here to help."
"I think I'm starting to like Michel's Beach." Her cheeks darkened into a rosy blush, and I felt a burst of heat in my chest.
Ruiz caught me looking at Riley and slapped me on the back. "And you, now that we know you actually can work, you better be down here in the trenches more often, bro."
"Was this really your first time volunteering to help?" Riley asked. "How is that possible in a town this small?"
"Yeah, bro, what exactly do you do during the gala weekend?" Ruiz asked with a smile that dared me to answer.
I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. "We all have our roles to play when the locusts —I mean, guests—come to town."
"You did a great job in the role of bartender," Riley said.
The compliment surprised everyone, including Riley. She rubbed a hand over her pink cheeks and checked her watch.
"Thanks," I said. "Crab puff?"
Riley looked at the decadent tray Ruiz had prepared but shook her head. "I think I'm just going to grab my things from the car. It's been a long day."