Four
“Nice to meet you, Orion” I tell him and Lisa walks in. She places her apron on before tossing me her smokes and giving me a wink. I take my apron off before walking outside. The chill in the air blasting my face, walking around the side. I sit on the milk crate before lighting up a smoke and inhaling deeply.
“Smoking is bad for you” I hear his familiar voice. Making my eyes snap open. Not creepy at all.
“Got to die of something” I tell him, waiting for him to leave. He leans on the side of the building, watching me.
“Can I help you with something are you lost?”
“No, I was looking for you actually” He replies looking down at me.
“Well, you found me, so you can leave now” I wave him off and he chuckles.
“ That’s not very nice” He says raising an eyebrow at me.
“Last I checked you’re invading my personal space; I don’t need to be nice” I tell him quickly finishing my smoke and putting it in the ashtray. Walking back toward the entrance. I groan when I see my boss’s yellow car pull up out the front. Orion opens the door and waits for me to enter.
Quickly stepping past him, I chuck my apron on and quickly warn Lisa that he showed up. She walks out to the front counter. Plastering a fake smile on her face. I don’t bother hiding my disgust for the man, especially after yesterday when he told me if I wanted my tips, I had to blow him. Filthy asshole, I am the same age as his daughter bloody disgusting, vile man.
The bells goes off and in walks Vick; he was a middle-aged man who was overweight and balding, his white shirt covered in grease probably from last night’s dinner. Oh, and he was ripe today. I had to fight the urge to gag when he walked past as I caught a whiff of his body odour.
“Ladies” He says walking out the back. I roll my eyes and Lisa groans loudly once he is out of sight. I notice Orion watching us and a strange look on his face as he watches Vick walks out the back. I suddenly hear Vick sing out my name and I look past the kitchen to his office and I groan loudly.
“Maybe we can make a run for it” Lisa jokes light heartedly.
“Evelyn” Vick screams from his small office. I grab a mug filling it with coffee to take to him, hoping with coffee he will distract him from me calling him a perverted pig before I stormed out of work yesterday.
Opening the office door Vick is sitting at his desk, he runs his hand over his bald head a cruel grin on his face. “Shut the door” He snaps before reaching forward and snatching the mug from my hand. Coffee sloshing all over his desk. I grab the tea towel that is tucked into my apron, mopping it up.
“Have you anything to say about yesterday?” He asks raising his mono brow.
“Nope, I am pretty sure what i said was pretty accurate” I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at the vile man before me.
“You should watch who you are talking to girlie, the only reason I am not firing you is because we understaffed, but as punishment I am cutting your shifts,”
“Who are you punishing me or Lisa? She can’t run the place by herself,” I state.
“She will manage, unless” He says uncrossing his legs and looking at his pants Zipper. I walk out. No way was I degrading myself for my shifts. I need the job, but I will manage without it, I have some savings to last a week or two till I find another job if need be. Slamming the door, I walk back out to Lisa.
“What he want?” She said staring at me worriedly.
‘He is cutting my shifts because I wouldn’t blow him” I whisper, and she frowns. She knew what he was like, but mostly he left us alone. He used to only be touchy feely but since his wife passed, he has really stepped it up to an entirely different level or disgustingness. “So quiet this morning” She says looking out the door front windows.
I turn looking out to and notice Orion glaring at the office door. His anger confused me as he shot daggers at the door.
“Probably because they spotted the dark ones” I tell her, taking my eyes off him and turning to Lisa. She nods, yeah, I heard they destroyed the north side of the city. They need to just fuck off. This world is hard enough to live in without them killing everyone and destroying everything. I heard a hundred people died when the bank collapsed because of that Psycho” She whispers. Suddenly the office door opens, making both of us look toward the kitchen. Vick strolls out, a cruel smile on his face. He walks over to the till and retrieves the tip jar before walking out.
“Vick, that’s bullshit” Lisa calls out to him, but he ignores her and keeps walking out. We both huff annoyed.
“Not like much was in it” I haven’t seen one customer besides him” I say looking in the direction of the man Orion, only he is gone. I look around, but he isn’t anywhere. “Where did he go?” Lisa looks up, noticing him gone too. She walks over to the table he was at before coming back.
“I have no idea, but he left a $500 tip” She says waving the cash in front of my face. I chuckle before going to clean down the table. Once he left after an hour or two, I noticed the place filling with customers. We were run off our feet for most of the day. Lisa and I took turns at cooking and waitressing seeing as the place had no cook after Merander left. She was sick of Vicks constant harassment.
By the time it was close time, both of us noticed Vick never came back, which was odd considering he always stopped by before the dinner rush. When closing time came, Lisa emptied the new tip jar before giving me half. I placed it in my wallet. Before helping her lock up. Lisa caught a bus to and from work, which pulled up out the front as we walked out the door. “Shit” She says.
“I will lock up” I tell her.
She chucked me the keys and quickly raced over just before the doors shut. Pulling all the shutters down, I quickly placed the padlocks on before locking the screen door. Once I was done, I turned around. It was dark now, being that it was nearly nine O’clock. Wrapping my arms around myself, I started walking. I had this strange feeling I was being watched, which made me pick up my pace. Looking over my shoulder every few minutes convinced someone was following me. When I came to the alley, I froze, looking down it. I looked further down the street trying to decide whether to take the shortcut or go the long way which added twenty minutes. I opted for the streetlights, taking the long way home. When my van came into view, I started jogging, wanting to get inside to safety. Closing the door, I quickly lock it. The first thing I do is check the taps.
Doing a little victory dance when I see the pipes are no longer frozen. Tossing my bag on my bed I walk into the bathroom and turn the lights on.
Just as I went to hop in the shower, I heard my phone Bing, letting the water heat up I walked over and picked up my phone where I left it. The message was from Vick.
Going on vacation, you and Lisa take over the cafe till I return. Wow, I thought, a little taken aback after the events of the day. Yet I was glad I wouldn’t have to see him for a while. Lisa and I were more than capable of running the cafe than we did that, anyway. At least for now we wouldn’t have to put up with his sexual advances. Quickly replying.
Sure, Vick have a pleasant holiday. I reply before dropping my phone on the bed and walking to the bathroom so I can have a shower.
Author Note
Hey guys, let me know what you think so far will post new chapter tomorrow.