whatever it takes - odell beckham jr.

chapter fifteen

i watch as the shock registers on her face and she says something to the table of customers, before turning and walking towards sienna, and towards me with a completely puzzled expression.

"do you recognise this man sitting here?"

her finger flies to me, and ira looks between sienna and i with her mouth wide open. "well, yes i do. but, i do actually know him."

"i didn't ask for an explanation. i simply asked a, 'yes or no' question. do you know who this man is?"

"yeah." ira states with a shrug.

"sienna, really. i'm not sure what you're thinking–" i start to interject, but she ignores me with a shake of her head.

"it's bad enough that i have to work around your schedule. i mean, really. i could have a different girl in here tomorrow, who would be far better looking than you, and who is friendly to my patrons. but, i felt sorry for you. so i did my good deed in hiring you. but then, you have the nerve to come in here, to my bar, and sell your sob story to this kind, young man." she scoffs. "are you using this as your platform to beg for money? it's not his fault that you're getting evicted from your apartment. it's all yours. you are fired. fired as of right now! get out of here, and don't you dare think about coming back."

ira whips her head towards me, narrowing her eyes. "what in the actual fuck, odell! you told her i was begging you for money?"

"no. no, sienna." i wave my hands at her, trying to find some way to fix this. "you've got it all wrong, she didn't–"

"your drinks are all on the house tonight." she cuts me short before turning her attention back to ira. "and his tab will be coming out of your last pay check." a sly smirk spreads across her face as i hop out of my seat.

"no, no. charge my card for my drinks."

"absolutely not." she storms to the register and grabs my credit card and thrusts it towards me.

"fuck you, sienna. you are a worthless, crotchety bitch!" ira seethes, stepping closer to her so that their faces are only inches apart. "i hated this job with a passion. so you're doing me a favour by getting me out of this place so god damn quickly." she sidesteps sienna, storming towards the door.

"have fun being homeless!" sienna calls after her, prior to rolling her eyes and trying to turn her attention to me. "i'm so sorry about all of that. really, you can have whatever–"

i pretty much ignore her, turning and running towards the door after ira.

if this was my sign that i was begging for, then let me take it back to where it came from, it's practically a sign that i should stay away. everything i just did back there did nothing but cause a major problem.

"ira–fuck. wait!" i burst through the door, scanning both ends of the sidewalk until i see her figure moving hurriedly down the street. i run after her, bobbing and weaving through the crowds of people, tryna catch up.

"ira!" i call when i finally get to her. "ira, wait up."

i reach out and grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks and spinning her around to face me. her eyes are huge and full with tears as she turns her head away from me.

"odell, please. just leave me alone." she sniffles, before reaching up and wiping an escaping tear. "you've done enough."

"i know. all of that back there, i didn't mean for any of that to happen. i was just asking how much i could leave for your tip, that was it. and then it turned into all of that." i finish, making the corners of her mouth quirk up slightly.