The Violinist's Cherrytree

Chapter 11

I finished the entire bottle of vodka we had at the house.

Cameron still wasn't home.

It was two in the morning.

I was still sitting there at the vanity, staring at myself in the mirror.

I would've pulled out another bottle if it wasn't for the sound of the front door opening.

I gasped and straightened up. I didn't have the strength for another fight.

"Jules?"

In the mirror I saw Cameron appear in the doorway looking worse than me.

"Where were you?"

"I went to the store."

"Did you make a sale?"

"A few."

"Good ones?"

"Not enough to pay the cable bill if that's what you're asking."

"I can work more."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"Why not?" I demanded. "You can't expect me to just sit around and let the men do everything."

"I didn't say that, dammit!"

I winced. "Stop. Just stop."

"It's not that you can't, it's just that I feel like I have to give you the world and if I can't do that then I've failed."

"I'll go to work tomorrow. Things are going to get better for us. They have to."

***

I was only able to sleep for a few hours before getting ready for work.

I had decided to work a double shift at the bar and Cameron was spending all day at the store.

I got there and my boss, Eli, looked happy to see me.

"Jules! It's been hectic all week. It's great to have an extra waitress."

I smiled. More tables meant more tips. More tips meant more money to get me and Cameron out of the slump we were in.

I waited a few tables, running around in my 6-inch heels and skirt.

Sometimes, working in a bar made me feel like a total whore.

But when you looked good, sometimes it convinces drunk men to give you a bigger tip. And the money was all I cared about.

When my shift was finally over, I sat at the counter and counted my tips.

I had made $80 which wasn't bad at all.

On my way home, I decided that the only way me and Cameron were going to be okay is if I worked like this all the time.

So that's what I did.

All week I would work double shifts just to make the tips I needed to pay the bills.

I would work so hard that by the time I got home, my feet would be blistered because of the running around in heels.

The next day I would wake up and feel sore and want to stay in bed but every day I got up and fought through the pain.

Every day I would get up before Cameron, and get back home after he was already fast asleep.

I had paid the electric bills and water bills before we could get too behind.

Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to pay off everything at once but I had done enough to keep us afloat for a little longer.

After a few weeks of nonstop working, I had a chance during my break at work to really look at myself.