Page 14 of Risking it All

“Marta wanted me to tell you not to come back there looking mean as hell because you already scare the other chefs.”

“I do not scare those damn people.”

“She seems to think you do.”

“Not the women. Those two bigheaded niggas that be peeping around the corner at me are just weak as hell. If they can’t take me, that’s on them.”

“Don’t go down there before they finish my plate. I’m getting the Monday night special.”

“You do know it’s Friday, right?” I asked him.

“That’s why I don’t need you down there messing it up for me. I had a taste for country fried steak. She only makes it on Mondays. She told me that it was an insult to steak.” He laughed.

“I couldn’t agree more. Get you some real meat in your life, boy.”

“I am, in about an hour when I take my lunch break.”

“Go find that man’s watch, or lack thereof, and don’t bother me anymore tonight unless you have to.”

“It’s not like you gon’ be doing anything other than sitting here worrying the hell out of Manny.”

“That’s my prerogative. I want to do that in peace.”

He nodded. “Got it.”

“Let me know if there really was a watch, though.”

“I will with your nosy ass,” he said, grinning as he backed up.

“It’s my job to be nosy.”

“You’re right. I’ll give you the rest of the night to worry Manny.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Once Chris was on his way, I went back to my drink. As I lowered it from my lips, a flash of white that hadn’t been there before came into my vision. There was a woman a few seats down removing the olive from a martini and popping it into her mouth. With as many bachelorette parties that passed through Cashville, I had my pick of all kinds of women.

I didn’t always indulge, because I had this thing about shitting where I ate, but there were times when I had to make an exception. A super thick, fine woman with skin the same color as my drink and a ponytail sitting in the center of her head, falling past her shoulders, was feeling like one of those exceptions.

She was sitting alone, which was usually a good sign. Not that I preyed on lonely women, but her being alone usually meant she was available. It also usually meant that she wanted to be alone. That didn’t have anything to do with me. I wanted her undivided attention.

At the moment, that attention belonged to a half empty martini glass. A second untouched drink sat right in front of her. All kinds of people frequented Cashville, but she looked out of place. Not because she was so beautiful, but because she looked uncharacteristically sad. Now, there were a whole bunch of sad sacks lurking around the bars after losing their shirts on the craps tables. Something about her sorrow was different.

I downed my drink and motioned toward Manny for another as I moved over to occupy the empty stool next to her. She glanced over at me and briefly stopped my heart when her warm, brown eyes connected with mine.

“I was wondering how long it would be before someone sat in one of those seats,” she stated. Her melodic voice was music to my ears. Mentally, I thought of ways to hear more of it.

“So, you were waiting for me?”

“Actually, I was hoping no one would show up.”

“I’m offended,” I said, putting one of my hands on my chest.

“Don’t be. I don’t even know who you are.”

“I’m Sawyer,” I told her.

She didn’t bother to look up from where she slowly stirred her drink with the long black toothpick.