A Bad Boy's Gift

Chapter 34

When I get to work, I'm greeted by my boss asking if I'm feeling better. I talk to her while getting the tills and card machines set up for the day. Telling her what I've been like the past few days.

When there's about 20 minutes to the start of service, Alexa walks through the door with Hannah and Josie in tow. We have two big tables this lunchtime, so I know we're going to be run off our feet until Sapphire comes in at three. Not that she will be much help when she gets here.

"River, have you lost weight?" Alexa asks while we're putting cutlery away.

"Yeah, been throwing up my guts for like three and a half days. Surprised I'm not a bag of bones." I laugh, "Plus there's all the sex I've been having." I smirk as I see the shock on her face.

"What? You haven't told me anything since we were at yours last week." She stops what she's doing to give me her full attention.

I tell her all about what's been happening with Archer since I last spoke to her.

When the first table comes in, we get to work. Over the next couple of hours, we serve 25 separate tables as well as the two big parties. The busy lunch shift starts to quieten down just before Sapphire walks through the door.

"Hey, where have you been this week? I've had to cover all of your shifts. Had to miss my brother-in-law's sister's baby shower." She says without looking at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you'd have preferred for me to come in throwing up everywhere and shitting all over the place. Or passing out every five minutes." I ask sarcastically.

She just looks at me and walks off. I need to leave this place.

The rest of the shift is busy, a typical Saturday night. We're run off of our feet, but I love it when it's like this. The weekly drinkers come in at about 9 o'clock, I spend the rest of the night on the bar serving them and tending to their needs. Sapphire asks if she can go at about 10. I don't waste any time in letting her go. I don't want her around me any longer.

Hannah and Josie are both training new members of staff so they're busy with their customers. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, my watch vibrating almost in sync. I check my watch and see a message from Archer telling me he won't be joining for tomorrow's race, that his Aunt is busy and he has no one to watch Molly. But he will see me at swim practice. I send him a quick reply, saying I look forward to seeing him.

The next few hours go by quickly, I lock up after everyone has gone and go up to see my boss. She's sitting on her sofa eating a sandwich. Living in a flat above the restaurant must have its perks.

"Everything is done and locked up downstairs. I wanted to talk to you before I go." I sit by her. "I think it's time for me to move on. I've got 3 jobs, Hudson is growing up, and my parents died." 

Damn, that was not supposed to come out like that. We spend the next 10 minutes discussing my wanting to leave, so that I am no longer a waitress when we're done. It's going to be strange, having Saturday nights off, and having my lunchtimes free. Maybe I'll talk to my boss at the leisure centre and see if they will send me on a PT course. 

I think about my options while I drive into town. I start calling Mabel, she picks up on the first ring.

"Hello Gorgeous, what are you up at midnight on a Saturday for?" She picks up straight away.

"That's not late on a Saturday, anyway, I was wondering if you might like to go dancing with me and have a few drinks," I say.

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything, where shall I meet you?" I can hear her moving around, she must be getting dressed.