The girl looked me up and down once more, her eyes lingering on my breasts and face. “I’ll take you back to see Rose. But you should probably put on some makeup first. Pretty girls get pretty good tips if you know what I’m saying.” She accentuated her point with a wink before nodding at someone else to take over the hostess stand. “Follow me,” she added before walking down the hall.
Rows of tables with tourists lined either side as a football game played on the flat screens lining the wall. The lunch crowd was cheering for their favorite teams while waitresses sauntered around them. The decor of the place was rustic and warm, with oxidized signs filling every wall, carved initials in the tables, and spilled beer on the floor. The place was loud, and waitresses carrying large trays bustled past with sweat dripping down their necks.
“I’m Monica, by the way,” the blonde hostess said to me from over her shoulder while diving around a tipsy man looking for the bathroom. She paused to spin him in the right direction before continuing. “I’m glad Rose is finally hiring more people. We’ve been short-staffed for a few weeks, and although the extra shifts are nice, it might be good to have a break every now and then,” she said. Monica had a Southern accent that was both sweet and sassy.
“Are the hours good?” I asked while dodging another waitress. A few women in the corner were sipping on wine and laughing loudly. The shouting people, flat screens, and music made it hard to hear.
Monica spun around once we hit the back door leading to the kitchens before speaking again. “Honey, if you want work, there’s plenty around here to do. Do you have any waitressing experience?”
I had worked at a couple diners here and there before getting hired on at the power plant. Back when I thought college was an option, I figured even if I were just a custodian, it would look good on a resume. But now, I would take work pretty much anywhere. “I’ve worked at a few restaurants,” I replied.
“Good enough for me,” Monica replied. “I’m a shift manager, which means I’ll probably be responsible for training you. I hope you learn fast, because tonight a local band is playing, and it’ll be all hands on deck.”
Monica opened the door with her back, and I was led inside to a frantic kitchen. Men in white aprons were yelling at one another, flinging plates as they went. The energy seemed high and stressful. I kind of liked it. Monica ignored a tall man with bulging muscles that tried speaking to her, his sultry eyes looking her up and down as she directed me toward the back office. She didn’t even seem to notice him.
“Good luck. Rose is a little…different. This restaurant is her baby though.”
“I like different. Thanks for the tour,” I replied.
With a single nod, Monica knocked on the door and left me standing there. She walked back through the chaotic kitchen and into the central part of the restaurant.
“Come in,” a voice on the other side of the door called. Surprisingly, I detected a hint of a British accent. Twisting the doorknob, I opened the door and slipped inside the stark, clean office. Compared to the rustic vibe of the restaurant, this office was spotless. I doubted it ever saw a speck of dust. Crisp, white walls filled four corners, and her white desk stood in the middle on marble tile. It felt like I was walking into an entirely different building.
“You Blake?” a voice drenched in a posh accent asked. I turned my gaze to the woman sitting at the desk. She had long, dark hair with wiry curls. Her white, button-up shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a nude bra underneath. Her dark skin was smooth and silky, and her eyes were a bright shade of brown that looked both stoic and disarming. I found myself thinking how beautiful she was as she stared expectantly at me. It wasn’t until she coughed that I realized that she had asked me a question.
“Oh, yes. I’m Blakely. Decker’s…friend?” Was that what we were? Saying he was my long lost brother’s sexy best friend slash roommate felt like an overshare.
“I don’t like Blakely. Kind of a mouthful, yeah? Blake it is,” she replied before grabbing a coffee mug that said Head Bitch In Charge and taking a sip.
“Works for me,” I replied with a shrug.
Rose slammed her coffee mug down and stood up, placing her hands on her hips. “Girl. Within five seconds of meeting you, I changed your goddamn name. Have some self-respect!” I was so thrown off by her outburst that I could only stand there and gape at her.
“Okay. The name is Blakely, not Blake. Though if I’m being honest, I always wanted to go by my middle name, Winter. My last name is Stewart…”
“Now that’s just too much information. I don’t want your life story, Blake. I want you to stand up for yourself, okay? Let’s try this again. I’m going to insult you by calling you Blake, and you’re going to professionally correct me in a way that creates a clear boundary while being polite. Okay?”
What the fuck kind of job did I get myself into? “Okay?” I replied, not sure of what she wanted.
Rose lifted up her hands and rubbed her temples for a moment before fixing her expression. “And scene,” she replied while shaking her shoulders and rolling her neck. “Your new name is Blake. Blakely is a mouthful, yeah?”
“I prefer to go by Blakely, ma’am,” I replied with a smile, hoping the blatant confusion I felt wasn’t evident on my face.
“That was seriously terrible, Blakely. But I suppose that’ll do for now. Decker was right, you’re going to need a lot of help,” she said while scribbling on her notepad.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked before sitting down in a white plastic chair that squeaked the moment my ass landed in it. “I thought I was coming here for a job?”
“Did Decker tell you how we know each other?” she asked with a flirty smile, and against my better judgment, my mind went back to how damn beautiful Rose was. The moment those words left her lips, I imagined them fucking in my brand new bedroom. Oh God, make it stop.
“N-no, he didn’t,” I replied before twisting my fingers in my lap.
“Stop fidgeting, Blake.”
“It’s Blakely,” I replied before quickly adding, “ma’am.”
“Good girl. You’re teachable. I can work with this,” she mumbled, mostly to herself before scratching more notes on her notebook. I watched in curiosity as she began doodling a penis on the edge of the paper. “I’m Decker’s life coach. He mentioned you in our weekly session, and I suggested you start working here,” she replied.
“You’re a life coach and run a bar?” I asked. I felt my brows furrow.
“I’m also a dog walker on Tuesdays.”
“I think I’m just going to…” my voice trailed off as I stood up, trying to make a quick escape. This lady was insane.
“Sit back down, Blakely,” Rose’s voice ordered. It was powerful yet polite. Something told me this woman always got what she wanted. I stayed hovering over my plastic seat for a moment longer in indecision before finally planting my ass down once more on the squeaky chair.
“Decker just said you could use my help and a job. I run a damn good establishment with a side of mentorship. I make all my employees go through my life course, and you’ll be no different. It’s not for everyone, but I think you might actually like it. Plus, I have an ice cream machine, and you get one free cone a day. I mean, I’m basically serving happiness up on a silver platter here, girl!”