Back Woods

Chapter Two

What a night. Tightening the dirt trapping apron around her waist for the upteenth time that evening, Tess blew a loose strand of hair from her eyes, which had escaped from her careless up do.

"Tess!" a throaty voice shouted in her direction. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she busied herself with re-arranging the confectionery station. A large hand snaked itself around her bicep and with a sharp tug, she was forced unceremoniously around. Dave. A port bellied, brute of a man, or in politer terms her boss, bought her body closer to his. Out of earshot of the diners.

"What the fuck you doing just standing around for?" he pushed her petite body away from his, a sharp hiss leaving her lips as her hip made contact with the corner of the cabinet, "I ain't paying you to just stand around looking pretty."

Her hand stopped rubbing the tender skin of her hip. It clenched into a small fist. Her eyes latched onto his own. His lips turned upward into a leering, provoking smirk.

"What are you going to do?"

Seeing a couple of regulars turning in their direction, Tess let out a defeated sigh. She grabbed a bus tray from the side next to her and tucked her pen into the nest upon her head. Two men were watching the scene with interest, hazel eyes watched her every move. Fists clenched tightly around the top of his beer bottle, which he bought to hips lips slowly. His eyes never leaving her frame.

"Dumb cunt." A sharp sting reverberated across her backside and she came to a sudden halt. Behind her, she heard a chair scrape against the laminated flooring, along with some harsh whispering. 

"Dean, sit down,"  a hushed masculine voice whispered, as if appearing to try and draw away from unnecessary attention. 

 Ignoring this, she tightened her grip on the tray that hung loosely by her side.

Blinking only once, Dave's short cackle was bought to a halt, as she spun her body around and bought the flat side of the tray against the side of his face.

With a painful cry, Dave's body hit the floor and he bought his hands to his nose to stem the blood from his gushing nose. Without even looking in his direction, Tess unravelled the ties to her apron, and folded it neatly, moving forward she handed it over to the bartender. 

"Thank's Frank." 

Smirking and without looking in her direction, the bartender grabbed the material from her hands, shaking his head and with a laugh he winked at her. "See you later sweetheart."

She smirked in his direction, "No you won't." Taking a long stride over Dave's strewn legs, she grabbed her jacket and belongings from a small cabinet.

"You dumb bitch! You're out, you hear me!" Dave had balanced his upper body onto his elbows, his lips stained crimson and the colour was now invading the white of his tattered white vest shirt, "you're fired!"

Tess rolled her eyes. Him firing her was just a formality at this point. Shrugging her jacket onto her shoulders, she turned towards him.

"It may interest you to know Dave..." she grabbed another tray from the rack beside her and threw it onto his pot bellied stomach "that i don't give a shit."

Exiting the building, she gave a dramatic bow as some of the regulars had started to cheer and clap at her display. She gave a final middle fingered salute towards Dave's cowering frame, before thrusting the door of her previous employment open. With purposeful, elated strides she marched towards her car, humming along to Creedence Clearwater's 'Fortunate Son'. Not hearing the door of the diner open and close, she attempted to find her car keys in the abyss that was her purse.