Unplugged & Disconnected

19.

Closer.

The Resort – 8:41 pm

Normani moved quickly as she simultaneously made her few orders and cleaned the area as she went, in hopes of getting off right at nine. Finally done with training, she was getting the hang of bartending. When she's alone, she may get overwhelmed, but with her counting and breathing exercises, she manages.

Shante—also known as Ashanti, Shana, or Sha; whatever she chooses to go by that day—approached the bar. She grabbed the ticket off the counter beside the freshly made drinks reading the contents before smiling. "She's a fast one," she joked. It was only less than two minutes ago that she put her drink order in.

"I have less than twenty minutes before I'm out of here. I don't have time to slowpoke around."

"You might be quieter than the rest of us but you're pretty damn good for a newbie," Shante complimented. Shante was one of the waitresses and a fan favorite at that. She has a handful of gentlemen clientele that often request to be in her section. "But you seem tense most of the time you're here too. I got a couple of pills that can take care of that if you're interested?"

Normani's eyes widened and her movements came to a halt. "Pills?"

Shante giggled at Normani's shock. "Feel-goods," she says followed by, "Molly, dolphins, Adderall—"

"No thanks. Weed is good enough." As Lauren mentioned to Normani before, some of the girls indulge in those types of activities to get them through the night. It's easier for them to entertain men through such services if you're not entirely sober.

"Don't be afraid to ask if you decide you do," Shante shrugged with a faded smile, clearly under the influence of something. She grabbed her drinks and loaded them onto her serving tray and went on her way.

The last ten minutes or so flew by in a breeze and as promised, Tajiah was already outside waiting for Normani. Before heading off to the vanity room, Queen, Normani's boss, pulled her to the side.

As usual, she disbursed Normani's tips for the night, which was far more than Normani expected. "Damn..." Normani whispered.

Queen laughed, "Plenty more where that came from. Remember, our clients come here for the sole purpose of spending—and wasting—money." Normani's only interactions with Queen were on her first day on the job and at the end of the night when she gets her tip money. She was still trying to figure out the woman. Most of the girls seem to like her and many are comfortable talking to her; Normani hasn't been here long enough and tends to stay to herself during her shifts.

After thanking her, Normani started to depart but was stopped. "Normani?"

"Yeah?"

"May I ask why you didn't want to be a dancer? You're a beautiful girl and I think you have the potential to be one of the best here."

Normani scuffed, rather annoyed because this isn't the first time someone's questioned her about this. "I'm not that type of girl. I respect the girls that are but I'm not comfortable doing that sort of thing."

"And there's nothing wrong with that." Queen was only curious, but she took the job and the safety of the girls seriously and wouldn't make them feel forced into doing anything. She slowly inched away not wanting to take up Normani's time, but not before saying, "Friendly reminder, be on the lookout for your contract. I'm going to email it to you within the next few days."

"Heard. Goodnight."

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Normani quickly grabbed her items from the vanity room and made her way into the back parking lot. She waved goodbye to the security guard that made sure she was safe as she hopped into the Range Rover. She was greeted with a warm kiss on her cheek that brightened her night more than the moon could.