AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why are you fighting me on this?”
“I’m not fighting you on anything, Jamie, but this is bullshit. She’s had it out for me since I got here.”
I have a pounding headache and I can’t handle this right now. “Listen, why don’t you just take the night off? You’ve been working nonstop. I can handle the bar and Shelly will work the lounge. You can just have a night off and we can talk about this tomorrow.”
Her bottom lip quivers and I’m unsure if she’s about to cry or scream. Instead, her voice comes out low. “Shelly doesn’t want to share tips because of your bouncer, Ricky. Apparently, she owes him something, and he’s taking half her tips. Oh, and she’s drinking before she works. So, good luck with that.”
Lara storms past me, and I close my eyes. I glance across the front-of-house as she disappears out the front door, passing Ricky–and Shelly, who is leaning against his shoulder.
Shelly grins as Lara walks out.
I lean against the wall, dropping my head backward in a loudthump. “Fuck.”
Chapter 8
Jamie
Shellyisinmyface within seconds. “You fired her, didn’t you?” Her smile is so wide the wrinkles on her cheeks confirm my suspicion that she’s never had work done above the neck.
“No, she just needed a night off.” Shuffling past her, I head to the bar to deal with the guests before the major rush arrives.
Ricky nods at me from the door, his bouncer uniform untucked. Lara’s accusation that he is taking Shelly’s tips is too big for me to deal with right now. If it’s true, I’ll have to fire him, and right now, I don’t have the time to get to the truth. Besides, we’ll never survive a Saturday night without a bouncer.
Shelly follows me behind the bar like a panting puppy eager for a treat. “Listen–and hear me out. If I can find someone to cover my shift in the lounge, let me dance tonight.”
“You’re not on the schedule.”
“The schedule Lara made! C’mon, Jamie. She’s been here one week and you’re letting her change everything?”
“It’s been working so far.”
Shelly crosses her arms. “That’s called beginner’s luck. Let me show you that my dancing is too good for the afternoon shift.”
Juno pauses as she approaches. “What’s going on?”
Shelly smirks. “Jamie fired Lara.”
Juno’s jaw drops. “You did what?”
God. I don’t have time for this. “No, I didnotfire Lara. I told her to take the night off. She’s been working too much. I’ll work the bar tonight. Shelly’s going to work the lounge.”
Shelly slides in front of me, her finger raised in the air. “Unless I can find someone to cover for me in the lounge.”
Juno snorts. “Good luck with that.”
Shelly’s eyes narrow. “Fifty bucks. I’ll make more tips tonight than you did on your midnight shift last week.”
“Fifty bucks out of our shared tips?” Juno laughs. “Yeah, no thanks.”
Shelly spins around on her heels so fast she almost bumps into me. “Let’s go back to the old ways. Just for tonight. No shared tips. Each of us in our normal spots. I never even got a chance to prove that I’m worth the midnight shift. Lara just changed everything without even giving us a chance to prove her otherwise. I mean, honestly, who relies on the opinion of our drunk customers?”
Marla, another dancer who's on the schedule for tonight, steps up beside Juno. “What’s going on?”
Juno glances at her. “Lara’s fired and Shelly’s betting me our shared tips to dance tonight.”
One of our regulars waves at me. “Jamie–can I get a drink?”
“You fired Lara?” Marla laughs. “I knew that was coming. And wait, what do you mean we’re betting shared tips? No fucking way.”
