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I had no other choice.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Penny
After my shiftat the Hyatt, Mary called me on my birthday to say ‘her eyes’ had given me the thumbs up.
Turns out ‘her eyes’ was Tara.
She had been testing me. And thanks to her little pep talk, I passed, and Mary started booking me for regular functions.
Sometimes, it provided catering assistance to high-profile clients at business meetings in downtown Columbus, and other times I worked more formal functions like the one at Hyatt Regency.
They all had one thing in common: the clients were wealthy—worlds apart from the life I lived.
At least my paycheck gave me an excuse to actually celebrate turning twenty-four.
During my fourth week of working for Touch of Class, Mary called me in to cover a charity event at the Arlington Country Club. It was my first black-tie dinner gala, and the organizers of the event, West Lake and Associates, provided us with a uniform.
The prestigious law firm was hosting the event to raise money for a new state-of-the-art medical center, and according to Mary, everyone who was anyone in Columbus was going to be there.
I rechecked my appearance for the third time. The black pleated skirt framed my legs, making them appear longer, and the white cap sleeve blouse hugged my chest a little too tightly. To my relief, the black waistcoat fit perfectly, making me feel less exposed. Female staff had been instructed to wear their hair in a sleek braid down their backs. Our instructions had been so specific, right down to the shoes we had to wear—black three-inch pumps—that I wondered just exactly who these people were.
The ride to the country club took almost forty minutes by the time I’d caught the connection. Marissa kept me company with her play-by-play text messages. She was on a date with a guy she had been seeing since we returned from Camp Chance. Although, from the length of her messages, I gathered it wasn’t going all that well.
Marissa: Have you contacted him yet?
I rolled my eyes at her question. That was her MO: lull you into a false sense of security, and then wham, hit you with the million-dollar question. But my answer was always the same.
No, I had not contacted Blake.
I didn’t know if I ever would.
After typing out a quick reply saying that I had arrived, I switched off my cell phone and tucked it into my purse. The bus stopped just outside of the vast grounds, so I’d left in plenty of time to find the main building.
When I climbed off the bus, I headed in the direction of the country club. It was a members-only establishment on the outskirts of the city surrounded by luscious green golf courses. The clubhouse was located in the middle of the grounds at the end of a long, winding driveway.
Thirty minutes early, I took a steady walk to my destination.
Mary was on point tonight. She usually left things to Tara, or another girl named Felicia, but West Lake was one of Mary’s biggest clients, and she couldn’t afford to have any slip-ups.
I felt the usual flutter of nerves in my stomach but quickly shook them off. This was a good gig. Sure, I had to mingle with high society, but aside from the occasional piranhas like Brittany and her friends, the majority of people we served didn’t pay us any attention.
We were invisible, there to serve and not be seen or heard.
It suited me.
“You’re early.” Tara met me at the kitchen entrance and stepped aside to let me through. “Mary’s inside getting herself worked up. It’s not like we haven’t done this kind of thing before.”
I had a strange relationship with Tara. Ever since that first shift when she had warned me about Brittany and the piranhas, she’d taken me under her wing, but we weren’t really friends.
Still, I appreciated her insight.
Mary was pacing when I entered the kitchen. She looked up, and her eyes sparkled. “Ahh, at last, someone who knows what they’re doing. Penny, can you go over the order of service with Milly and Natasha again, please.”
Me?
I looked at her with bewilderment.
