American Pyramid

After Midnight

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Eight solid hours into my shift were agonizing, yet they seemed to pass by rather quickly. That's what I appreciated most about my waitressing job, particularly on weekends. At times, Bobby's restaurant/club would be so bustling that time would simply slip away.

Let me say, 2010 has been a hectic year, but thankfully, it's nearly done! I've been longing for the end of this year as much as I'm eager for my current shift to finish. My feet are swollen and sore, and my knees are bruised from knocking them while turning a barrel during my horse training session before work.

Let me somewhat introduce myself.

My name is Victoria, Victoria Mackey. And no, I'm not related to Bobby Mackey in any way (that I know of, at least), and Bobby jokes that he only hired me because I share the same last name as him. I'm originally from here in Wilder, Kentucky. I guess you could say I'm just a small-town woman with huge dreams. It sounds silly, but I have two routes in mind when it comes to chasing my dreams:

1) Becoming a world champion barrel racer competing at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Something about barrel racing really eases my mind especially with what I deal with here at work and in the "adult world." Sounds crazy, I know, but who can't have big dreams? Something to work towards...

2) Becoming a well-known singer. Now I'm not tooting my own horn, but I can sing! Bobby and I have recently agreed to let me perform acoustic versions of some of my favorite songs on the weekends when I'm not barrel racing at local or out-of-state rodeos, and when the club had enough waitresses to cover my usual presence.

But really, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose to be in the equine world for the rest of my life. Something about riding a horse really makes me feel free and it's almost like I can feel every ounce of fear, stress, and worry leaving my body. 

Busy tasks were coming this week. Not only are we expecting a team to come in and repair our security systems, but we were expecting a returning team to film for their television show. If I'm remembering correctly, Bobby had mentioned that the guys were coming to film for their fourth season, so I'm assuming this is a pretty big deal. Even though I thought I was done introducing myself, there's one more thing: I don't watch television. If I do, it's rare. 

Okay, done. For now. 

Midnight had finally arrived. The best time of the night. Why? Because it was the end of my shift after working almost eleven hours on my feet constantly through the busy dinner rush and the crowd finally started to thin out and the urgent headache I've had for the past two hours had finally subsided, and now, I was eager to get home, eat, feed my horse, then jot down some notes I had for a song I was wanting to write.

"Hey, Toria!" Bobby said, stopping me from rolling my silverware for the night before clocking out.

"Yeah, what's up?" I said, my voice sounding like the teenager inside of me had never left. 

"Thanks for staying over tonight. I had originally planned to have you cut from the floor at ten o'clock, but as you can tell, obviously that didn't happen," Bobby explained as he held his guitar case that I could tell he cherished. 

"It's no problem. I knew it was going to be busy tonight. All the hype about these ghost hunter guys have gotten people raving," I chuckled as I put my completed rolls of silverware into the pan as I dreaded the twenty-five I had left to roll. 

"These are good guys. They really know their stuff. But I can tell whatever resides here really affected them after they left. Especially Zak. He changed awful fast," He explained.

"I have no idea who you're talking about. Maybe I'll be working when they come and I'll meet them," I shrugged.

"You'd like them. They'll actually be here sometime tomorrow afternoon. You'd get along with them well," he said. "I'm having them shut down the kitchen. What do you want to take home?" 

"I'll be fine. I have food at the house," I said as I waved my hand.

"That wasn't a suggestion, missy. It's on me tonight."

"Well, if you insist!" I laughed. "I'll just take some breaded tenders with fries. I'll load up the carbs tonight before I go to bed!" I laughed. 

"Alright! I'll tell Bryan to get those tenders down for you. Go ahead and wrap up with the silverware. You did good tonight, and I appreciate you for helping through the dinner rush," He explained. 

Bobby is always so genuine and heartfelt. He didn't feel like my boss. He felt like he was a part of my family. Even though we shared the same last name, we were in no way related as I mentioned earlier. Our relationship was close, and I viewed him as either a father figure or even a grandfather figure. Considering his age, he was more of a grandfather figure to me, and when I told Bobby that, he playfully got offended. 

I wrapped my shoulders in my Ariat jacket as I grabbed my bag of food from the bar that Bobby had sat for me as he waited in his office counting down the drawer before shutting and locking the doors behind me. I will admit, I didn't scare easily, but the woods next to the building as well as the railroad tracks made my skin crawl every time I walked to my truck when I worked the late-night shift. 

The heat roared from my vents as I turned the ignition, feeling so satisfied that I was now off of my aching feet and feeling warmth engulf my body.

After working at Bobby Mackey's Music World for a year, there was no doubt that I felt uneasy sometimes after I left. I never really pay any attention to my surroundings when I'm working. I just make my money and go home, all to avoid workplace drama. I've heard the haunting rumors, but I don't really pay attention. In ways, I'm scared to look into what's cowering beneath the building as the locals say. Definitely after midnight is when I feel the most uneasy. I guess the ghosts come out to dance after the dancefloor dies out.