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“I can do it.” I placed my hand over Teresa’s where it rested on the black granite.
She studied me a long moment. “It’s an easier job for two.”
“Probably. But it’s been a crazy busy night, and you have your daughter to get home to.”
“I do.” She worried her bottom lip. “I miss Loretta.”
“So go,” I told her. “I can do this.”
“You’ve had a rough night. And—”
“Rough is my life now.”
Wishes and longings tried to bubble up, but those had no place in my world anymore. I had to accept things and move forward. One day, it would get easier, or that was what I told myself. Being busy helped.
“Anyway,” I said, “the boss is gone. You should go too.”
“What happened in his office?” Her eyes searched mine. “You seemed upset, distracted afterward. Did he take advantage of you?”
“No.” I shook my head. “He was actually nice. Nonthreatening. Flattering.”
Opening up to me, he told me stories about growing up. About being in baseball and a member of the debate club. About Miranda following him around like a puppy. About her crushing on his friends when she hit her teens.
I saw Martin as a person now. Maybe he wasn’t my enemy. Maybe he could even be an ally—if I played my cards right.
“He can be flattering.” Teresa’s auburn brows drew together. “But nice is never a word I’d use to describe him.”
Well, I had. I’d put it out there.
Sensing movement, I lifted my head. Across the club, Rachel pointed to the hallway that led to the stairs and the basement, gripping the handle of her guitar case in her other hand.
Getting the silent message, I nodded. She was calling it a night, going downstairs to the storage room, our new and not-so-luxurious home. I pointed to my wrist as if I wore a watch, then held up my hand, all five fingers spread wide.
Nodding, she turned and moved away.
“Rachel’s your sister?” Teresa asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“We both have loved ones to get to. Tonight, I’ll let you close, but I’ll do it tomorrow. Sound good?”
My world had been turned upside down, but there was some goodness in it after all. “Thanks for all your help today,” I told Teresa. “You made my first day go by fast.”
“You’re a fast learner. You have a feel for the ebb and flow, and the patrons are comfortable with you. You have the right skills for this job—not something that can be taught.” She squeezed my shoulder. “See you tomorrow afternoon.”
“See you,” I said to her back.
Teresa was already on the move, eager to get to the ringlet-headed little girl she’d shown me a picture of. Refocusing on my task, I frowned as I entered how much liquor had been consumed.
When I eventually lifted my head, only the emergency lighting remained on. The place was deserted except for me. It felt wrong empty, and I felt wrong too. Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked through the burn.
I reached under the bar for the key to the storage room. Pocketing it, I opened the small refrigerator and withdrew the to-go container that held food for Rachel. My one comped meal for the day was hers. I wasn’t hungry after the delicious steak Martin had provided. Tomorrow, I would share my free meal with my sister, but tomorrow wasn’t today. Except it was since it was three in the morning.
Weariness slamming down on me, I yawned. I slowly made my way across the deserted space. There were no patrons to avoid, no full tables to go around. The employees were gone, even Martin.
Unable to stop myself, I glanced at the darkened stage. Its sad silence seemed to echo the emptiness inside me. I stopped and tilted my head. No song played there. No notes. No music. Nothing.
When my world turned upside down, everything unnecessary dropped out. My love for a boy, my dreams for the future, and music.
