Page 20 of Employing Patience

But today … I’ve come here straight from Freddy’s for the third day in a row. It’s only been a month of juggling both jobs and classes, but I’m feeling the effects of burning the candle at both ends.

My muscles are tired. I’m sluggish. I don’t even know if the assignment I turned in last night makes sense. There’s this cloud over my brain constantly, and I can’t shake it. I’m just … bleh.

My phone dings with an email, and I pull it out to find one from Art to the team, requesting a server upstairs tonight. Overtime rates.

Before anyone else can offer, I reply all and volunteer before stuffing my phone back in my pocket. With my assignment turned in, I can take an hour or two for a quick nap this afternoon before coming back. No problem.

I instinctively glance at Art and know that he’s read my reply when he looks over at me. I go for a cocky grin and a salute, but I don’t know if I pull it off because his frown deepens.

Damn that man looks good when he frowns.

I stifle another yawn and get on with the day. I’m on my feet all through lunch, almost smashing two glasses in the process and colliding with Courtney so hard she’s knocked clean off her feet.

“Fuck.” I grab her and help her back upright. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” She shakes me off, face flaming. “What’s up with you today?”

“Just having an off day.”

“Well, get your shit together, Manning.”

She has every right to be pissed, and when Art comes down half an hour before my shift ends and tells me to head off early, I don’t hang around to argue. Or flirt. Which is wild for me when I take every opportunity I can get.

But back home, it’s too bright in my bedroom, and my brain refuses to switch off. I drift in and out of a haze, the bang of the front door letting me know Hannah’s home, the beep of the microwave as she heats up a snack, the constant hum of cars making their way home from work.

A light knock on my door snaps me out of the half-awake, half-asleep phase, and I push myself up onto my elbows.

“Yep?”

Hannah nudges the door open. “You home for dinner?”

My yawn cuts off my reply, so I shake my head instead.

“Joey …”

“I’m good.”

Hannah’s eyebrows knot. “You’re not. You’ve hardly been home in weeks.”

“I’m working.”

“You’re working too much.”

I force a laugh and flop back against my mattress, body rebelling at the thought of having to get up soon. “You know how much I enjoy the eye candy.”

“Yeah, Freddy’s a real dreamboat,” she throws back dryly. “You know you’d get a lot more eye candy if you dated.”

“No time for that.” Surprisingly, I haven’t had the urge to go out with someone in … a while.

“Yeah, because you have no time for anything right now.”

I have zero energy to spare for this. “Done nagging yet?”

“Nagging?” She makes a choking noise. “If you weren’t my brother, I’d kick your ass.”

“And if you weren’t my sister, I’d kick you out.”

She rolls her eyes at the empty threat. “You’re running yourself into the ground. The only thing you should be worried about is your classes. Doing your best. Getting out of this shithole town.”

---