Chapter Two
2437 Words
Clarice
I quickly type in a text on my phone telling Ellis where I kept the house keys and place the phone away just as the boss walks in my direction. I can tell from the look on his face, that he probably saw me typing and he is not happy with it. He is never happy with anything in life, so I won’t be surprised if he calls me out for it.
“Clarice.”
“Hi, Jerry.” I try to act as composed as I can.
“How is it going?” He asks and I shrug. I’m surprised at his tone; it’s rather calmer than it normally is.
“It’s not a good day,” I say as I serve a customer at the end of the bar a beer.
“I’m about to make it better for you.” He says with a broad grin on his lips that makes me suspect what he means by that. He never makes my day good. All he does is try to find a mistake I have made, call me out for it or probably make me pay for it, and if I can’t, he does what every bad boss does; he cuts it into my paycheque.
“You’re scaring me,” I tell him as honestly as I can, trying not to piss him off.
Jerry isn’t the owner of the resort, he is more of the boss’s son who didn’t think college was made for people like him, and so he chose to run his father’s business while making the rest of us miserable in the process.
He is about thirty, or so I heard. I have never really cared to know, but since he is not a fan of smiling or working out, well, he looks more of forty.
“Come on Clarice, you know I’m not that evil,” He says, and I made a smile.
“It’s arguable,” I say, and I watch as he creases his brows. I mean, what did he expect me to tell him? He isn’t the nicest of bosses around here.
“Fine, maybe I have been a little bit harsh, but that is about to change.”
I’m just staring at him, wondering what is going on with him. See, this is Jerry, he is never in a happy mood, and by never, I mean, I have never seen him look this happy, or even anything close to that, so I’m a little surprised.
“Is it?”
“Yea.” He nods, still with the grin on his lips. Up to this moment, I still don’t understand what is going on with him. Jerry is the type of person who doesn’t smile, and when he smiles, then it’s worse, so I hope he is not grinning just to tell me he’s fired me. I mean, he has threatened to do it a lot of times before.
Like that one time he was being so mean to Millie, one of the waitresses, just because she came in late when she had called in sick the day before and she didn’t even have to be here the next day until she had fully recovered, but Jerry requested her to come and help, something he never does since we had some special guests coming over.
When Millie came in late, he was all over her ass, like she just hadn’t been from the hospital. I saw it, didn’t like the way he was treating her, and called him out on it. Well, let’s just say he deducted the two off days that he had given Millie from my paycheck, and promised to fire me if I ever talked to him like that again. I hate it when people mess with my hard-earned money, so I have chosen to keep my mouth shut ever since.
At this moment, I’m just trying to think of the one thing that I might have done unconsciously that might trigger that smugness in his face that is kind of scary.
“Are you firing me?” I ask with so much concern.
I mean, he might as well just go on and tell me whatever it is to kill the anxiety before it kills me.
He chuckles and shakes his head. I sigh in relief. I can’t think of getting a new job at this time of the year. I need the money flowing and with all the tips I get occasionally, this is the best place I can bet to get enough money to pay for my student loan.
“Why would I fire you?” He asks and I shrug my shoulders.
“I mean, you have threatened to do it before.”
“Yea, yea, that was me just being a boss, I wouldn’t stand losing someone as pretty as you in here, don’t you ever notice the men that regular here just to see you?” I crease my brows when he says that.
That is a little sexist of him to say, but I’m not going to dwell on it.
“I’m sure they come for the drinks.”
“Yea, and to see that pretty face.”
Now he is just making me feel uncomfortable. This is the first time Jerry is saying something like that to my face, and I mean, I don’t mind the compliment, but coming from him, it just feels a little off.
“Is that why you’re this happy?” I ask him, trying to change the topic of discussion. I’m not going to listen to him talk about how men flood this place because of me, it is just so wrong, in all kinds of ways.
“No, I got a big tip for you.” He says and I raise a suspicious brow.
“You do?”
“Yeap.” Again, this is so not like Jerry.
“From who?” I ask him and he leans closer to the counter and waves for me to lean closer.
“So, in the VIP lounge, is the governor’s son, he saw you while he was walking in and asked to see the manager, me…”
Of course.
So typical of him.
“And?”
“And when I went there, he requested to have you at his table entertaining him.” He says and for a moment there I can’t decipher the feeling I have.
Maybe it’s because I don’t understand the kind of entertainment the governor’s son wants or the fact that Jerry wants me to leave my station to go entertain some rich boy.
“Oh really?”
“Yea.”
Oh, so he is serious.
I did see a group of guys that looked like money walk to the VIP lounge earlier on, but I didn’t pay much attention to it because this is a big place, we get these kinds of customers all the time, but this specific one that wants my entertainment, this must be interesting.
“What is in it for me?” I need to know before I give up the tips that I get over here.
“Good money.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me.” I don’t think it is a good idea to trust him, but I need the money.
“So, how am I supposed to entertain him?” I need to get that part clear, because I know how these rich kids behave, like animals that have been caged for years and have just been released, rogue.
Too much touching and being too s****l.
I have smacked one in the face before for crossing boundaries he shouldn’t have crossed; I just don’t want to do it again.
“Have conversations with him, dance, and whatever you ladies do.” He says, and I hate that I’m kind of even thinking of considering it, but I kind of need the money.
“Well, who will be taking care of my place here?”
“I can hold it for you; just don’t go home with the guy.” He says and I chuckle.
This is the first time I've heard Jerry warn me about going home with some random rich guy. I mean I wasn’t planning to do it, and I don’t normally do it, but it feels good to know that he cares to that extent.
It’s weird, but it’s sweet.
“I won’t.”
I say as I take off my apron and pull out a mirror and my red lipstick from my purse.
“Do you have to do that?” He asks and I look at him with a lifted brow.
“Do what?”
“Apply red lipstick.”
I shrug my shoulders, putting back the stuff in my purse.
“Yea, red is an attractive colour.”
“And suggestive.”I shrug my shoulders again.
Isn’t that the whole point of this mission?
“Yea, so that he can pay, isn’t that what we want?” He sighs and walks over to my side of the counter.
“Look, if by any chance you don’t feel comfortable, just come back here and I will find a way to talk to him.” He says, and I can’t hide the smile on my lips. This is the first time that I've seen Jerry care. He has never shown care ever since I started working here, so him telling me that is not just weird, but it’s off.
“I’m being serious, Clarice.” He says, and I’m tempted to roll my eyes.
“Fine.”
I’m a little nervous, so I reach for the bottle of tequila that I was serving and pour a shot into a glass before chugging it down my throat.
“Hey! You know you’ll have to pay for that,” Jerry says, and I smile.
Like hell, I would. I’m doing this because he wants me to please his client; he owes me more than a shot of tequila.
I grab my phone from the counter and head for the VIPs lounge. Just as I’m approaching the place, my eyes land on the governor’s son and the group of guys that he is with.
What catches my attention isn’t the way they are all drunk and just acting so weird, but the fact that there is a lady in a red dress that is riding up to her ass giving a lap dance to the governor’s son. Just looking at the way he is touching her everywhere with no respect at all makes me rethink my decision.
There is no way in hell I’m going to let him touch me like that, especially when he is this drunk. Besides, it seems to me like he has already found what he was looking for, that lady is serving him more than I could ever offer, and I’m sure no amount of money would make me go to that extent. So, I make to turn just when I feel someone tapping me on the shoulders.
I turn around, and a physically built guy in a black pair of suit and a pair of dark sunglasses is standing there looking intimidating as hell.
“You must be the bartender” He says, and I nod.
“My boss has been waiting for you.” He says, and I look behind him to see the governor’s son, who had already seen me. The lady is no longer on his lap, but she is sitting beside him and he has his arm wrapped around her waist.
I sigh and decide to walk to where they are.
“Hi.” I don’t want to look shy, so I throw in the first word that comes into my head.
“Hello beautiful, join us.” He says, tapping on the couch next to him, opposite the lady, who is throwing daggers that I don’t have to look at her to know that.
“I’m good, thanks.”
As I said, he is not going to be touching me like that. He might be rich with definitely good looks, but no way in hell.
“Come on sweetheart, this will be fun.” He says and I fake a smile.
“I’m sure it won’t…excuse me.” I excuse myself and walk out of the place. I’m just glad Jerry told me I could leave if I felt uncomfortable. I felt more than uncomfortable.
When I get back to the bar, Jerry looks like a mess, there is a guy seated on one of the stools barking orders at Jerry who is just fumbling with the drinks like he has no idea what he is doing and I’m tempted to laugh.
Jerry has never served drinks before, so this is quite a beautiful scene to watch. My amazing time is cut off when he lifts his eyes and sees me.
“Clarice, you’re here!” He says in excitement like I just saved him from death.
“Yes, what is the problem?” I walk back to the counter and grab my apron.
“I just don’t understand what he is ordering,” Jerry says, and I chuckle as I take my place at the counter.
“I got this, you can go.”
He sighs grabbing his coat from the chair beside him.
“Thank you, I owe you.” He says and I smile as I watch him leave. This is the first time Jerry and I have had more than one conversation that didn’t sound like he was being bossy or arrogant.
“How may I help you, sir?” I ask the guy once Jerry has left and the moment he lifts his eyes to look at me and our eyes lock, for a moment there I’m taken back. I have never seen eyes this beautiful in my entire life.
He grins a smile that doesn’t reach his lips before he frowns.
“Why the hell do you have that screaming lipstick on?” He asks and I crease my brows in confusion.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re a bartender, not a hooker.”
I can’t decipher the feeling I get at that moment, but I just stare at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed for a second before I snap back and fake a smile.
“What can I offer you, sir?” I ask as politely as I can be.
I have been having a good day, and I won’t let some light-skinned dude dressed in a tuxedo on a Saturday night ruin my mood.
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- Writer
