Eureka

11

I walk into the building and breathe a sigh of relief at the air conditioner that is on full blast. This place is crazy humid! It was pleasantly warm when I first walked outside earlier but the farther you go and the changes in inclines started to make me regret walking even though it was a short trip. I'm in great shape, but man this humidity may be the end of me. Maybe it was like this in Houston, but at least I had a car there.

I find Carson sitting behind his desk looking over paperwork in his office. I plop down dramatically on his couch and stretch out before hugging the beat up throw pillow to my chest and snuggling into the couch cushions mumbling to the couch, "Hello, my new best friend."

He glances up and gives me a smirk. "I'll show you where the lockers are so you can put your stuff up. Then I'll introduce you to some of the team that's here," He says as he stands up from his desk chair.

I sigh and begrudgingly get up from the world's most comfortable couch and follow him to a small room with lockers along one wall. There is a small kitchenette area across from them with a tall bar table and mismatched bar stools in the corner.

"This is the break area. You'll get a 30 minute break about halfway through your night or just some point before Ray leaves. You can take a 5 minute break whenever you feel you need to. As long as there is someone to take over for you. Here, you can take Emily's old locker," He says as he grabs a lock that had a key already stuck in it from a bowl on the top of the lockers, "Just grab a lock at the start of your shift and make sure you keep up with your key."

Carson waits on me as I place my items in my locker. I take my flannel shirt off and tie it around my waist. "I forgot to ask earlier today if there was a dress code to follow," I say as I turn to look at him. Carson takes a moment to look me up and down. He better not be checkin' out my goodies. He shrugs one shoulder.

"What you've got on is fine. As long as you don't mind if stuff gets spilled on it. And as long as your bits and pieces are covered. I know other servers may give you the impression that showing skin is the only way to make tips, but trust me, the guys'll tip you either way. Just watch out for the ones decked out in leather. They tend to get a little handsy," He says with a slight grimace. "Let me know if they give you a hard time and I'll take care of 'em for you."

He chuckles at the grimace that formed on my face before leading me back out of the breakroom. I follow him into the main bar area and take in my surroundings. It is a little busier than it was last night, but I already see some familiar faces that I remember serving and chatting with.

Carson takes me over to the bar area and hands me an apron. "You'll be behind the bar when the kitchen closes, for now you can shadow on the floor until you're more comfortable. If the bar gets backed up, feel free to hop in and help, but otherwise circle the floor. I know this isn't your first time or anything, but it'll give you a chance to get to know everyone," He says. 

I thank him and tie my apron around my waist. I pull my long hair to my right shoulder and begin to braid it as I follow him to a tall brunette that is somewhat scantily clad, showing off her abundant goodies, as I call them, or bits and pieces as Carson calls them. She's leaning over a table flirting with a group of 20 somethings.

Carson clears his throat and she straightens up and turns around. She sees Carson and gives him a flirtatious smile. "Can I help you, boss?" She asks, saying the last word with a husky low tone. Ooo, the boss man might be canoodling with the staff. I can sense him stiffen up next to me. Or not. 

Perhaps it's wishful thinking on her part?

"Becca, this is Scarlett. She's new, but not unfamiliar with serving. She's gonna be shadowing you and helping you until she joins Ray at the bar," He informs her with a slight growl to his voice. Becca turns to me with a grin.

"Nice to meet you, Scarlett. I'm sure we'll be fast friends," She says before she looks at Carson and purses her lips crossing her arms under her chest making them more noticeable, as if that were necessary. "Anything else?" She asks him as she cocks her head to the side a little. Her grin grows to a full blown smile as she sees Carson roll his eyes and walks away with a look of disgust. She turns to me and giggles.

I have a strong feeling that it is a one sided flirtation-ship and Becca is the only one making the effort.

Desperation at its finest.

"Right, let's do this," I say as I finish tying off the end of my braid before I check my apron pockets for my essential items needed for a shift at a bar. Soon I was pulled into a busy night of work.

The rest of the evening seems to fly by. Becca is a little difficult to work with. She is clearly good with the customers with all her flirting. But I was getting pretty frustrated by her constant disappearing. She knows how to work the guys there and I am more than certain she took a couple of the out of town patrons to the back to earn some extra tips, if you know what I mean. I'm not one to judge, but I'm here to work and not play. Just not that kind of work.

At 9, when the kitchen closed, I said goodbye to Lou who was the night cook and a few of the other servers that were working with Becca and I. I'll get to meet the rest of the crew on Tuesday when I work again. Lou shrugged on his leather vest and grabbed his gear for his motorcycle parked out back. He's apparently with the local motorcycle club. He's an older man, maybe late 50′s or so with salt and pepper hair and bright green eyes. He's slightly overweight, but is muscular, so he is deceptively strong, much like Smokey. He's apparently a huge gossip, or so I'm told by Becca. It makes me laugh to think that a burly man like him would be that interested in the goings on in other's lives. In a small town like this, that may be the only entertainment, so I won't judge him too hard.

I turn my attention to Ray who has been expertly manning the bar for most of the evening. I only had to hop in and help a couple of times. Now that things are starting to pick up for a Saturday night, he seemed grateful to have me there with him.

Carson came out to check on me every now and then while I was working the floor. Now that I am behind the bar, he has come out to perch on what I have determined is his stool. No one goes near it, but there is a worn area on the bar from where someone's arms rest often enough to wear down the stain from the dark wood stain to the natural wood color. It is the last stool before the back of the bar on the side closest to the bathroom and office hallway.

I suppose it gives him a good view of the room as well as a view of what his bartenders and servers are doing when we congregate at the bar for orders or to shoot the breeze. He is a man of few words when it comes to his customers, but I imagine he doesn't miss much when he is sitting there. I'm sure he knows every secret that is told in this place, too. He could probably blackmail half the town if he were to record them. This town seems pretty drama free so far, so maybe there isn't too much juicy gossip to be had. I suppose I'd have to just ask Lou about that.