THE CAMELLIA TAVERN

CHAPTER 23: EYES AND EARS

"So sorry I double-sat you, but everyone else's section is full," Anjali says, sounding flustered.

    "It's no problem," I tell her.

We are absolutely slammed tonight, even more so than a normal Friday night.  There is an hour long wait for a table, but that doesn't seem to deter practically all of Sturvis from wanting one.

    I'm heading from the bar to one of my tables when I spot a familiar face.

    "Chandler," I say, stopping in my tracks.

    "Milly," she says with her pretty smile.  She's seated with two other girls who are equally as well put together. The three of them together could be a magazine ad for, like, hair products or makeup, or perfection....

    "How are you?" 

    "Good!"

"What are you doin' back in Sturvis?  Wait. Did you go to East Alabama State for undergrad, too?" I ask her excitedly.

    "Oh, God, no," she says looking at her companions, "I went out of state." 

I try to hide my uneasy smile at the three of them laughing.   Not everyone can afford out-of-state tuition or to go to a private university, but I decide to tell myself her comment about EASU was unintentional.

    "Well, what can I get for you, ladies?"

    Chandler wiggles her finger implying that I should lean in closer to hear her.

    "Milly, I was kinda hopin' you could be my eyes and ears at this place.  You know, let me know if anybody is swarmin' around Warrick or, like, has their eye on him."

    I stand back up in the upright position. 

Oh, God.  This is awkward.  She wants me to essentially spy on Warrick for her because she's into him?  She has no idea that we're, well, whatever we are right now.

    "I don't think I'm the right person for that job," I say, trying not to sound too obvious.

    "Oh, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. I just figured you could alert me to any problematic individuals."  She pulls her cell phone out of her purse like we're about to exchange numbers.

    "What do you mean, problematic individuals?" I say with a confused smile. 

"Oh, don't get me wrong," she says with a smile.  "I'm not, like, all that worried about it. He doesn't get involved with his staff, but I just like to keep a sharp eye. I know, in the past, a few girls have gotten rather fixated on him.  Who can blame them?  But the whole idea is just ludicrous," she says the last part with a laugh as if the idea of Warrick getting involved with someone on his staff is unfathomable.

"Yeah, I still don't think I should--"

    "Milly," she says my name as if I'm missing something.  "My parents and Warrick's parents are good friends. And we're sort of slowly making our way down the track for marriage, if you know what I mean."

    Marriage?! What?!

    "Wait. I don't understand.  You two are---,"

    "Chandler," a voice from behind me says and I turn to find our new manager, Dylan, standing there.

    "Dylan!" she says excitedly.  "Warrick told me you were comin' over here to work.  I just didn't know it would be this soon."

    "Yeah," he smiles at her. "This is my first official night."