Page 3 of Autumn's Coming

“Oh, no.” Her voice was quiet. “If you need help, seriously…”

I swallowed.

“I might. Let me shuffle some stuff around and see what I can do, okay?”

Jessie nodded. She hesitated, then spoke again. “You know…we’re still looking for waitresses at Bounce.”

I bit my lip.

Bounce was the strip club where Jessie worked, an upscale establishment where beautiful girls wore beautiful costumes. Most of them were trained dancers—Jessie had done ballet for most of her life, until she broke her ankle and had to quit. Still, she was good at it, and apparently very good at stripping.

But I was sure that it wasn’t for me.

At the same time, if Jessie was suggesting it, then maybe there was a spot there for me.

“Waitressing, right?” I asked.

Jessie nodded. “Yeah, like…you’ll have to dress sexy, but it’s not like what me and the other dancers wear.” She smiled. “Short skirt, tight top, sexy lingerie underneath? You’ll make bank.”

I blushed. A little bit of discomfort, and I wouldn’t have to mooch off of Jessie or my mom anymore. It would be worth it. “You know what? Yeah. If your boss is hiring, I’m in.”

“Great!” She smiled. “Do you work a double? He might want you to start tonight.”

“Nah, I’m off at five.” I hated the lunch shift—most of the people who came in were grumpy old people who stiffed their waitresses over the dumbest stuff. I remembered being told not to expect a tip once because there was no artificial sweetener on the table, even though I was able to bring some over. “I shouldn’t have to ask for anything,” the old bat had shouted at me.

I hated my job.

It was all I could think about as I drove into town. I hated my job. I just wanted to be done with my degree so I could start a career and not have to worry about money anymore. I wanted to live on my own, and be able to take care of myself.

I wanted to take care of my mom.

I sighed, pulling into the parking lot and sitting in my car for a moment, head bowed forward.

Just get through this. See if the strip club works out. If it does, go from there. Hopefully make lots of money.

I sighed and walked into the pub.

* * * * *

The day was dragging.

I needed more tables than this, but I’d only had ten in my entire shift. Two of them had left nothing; one had left me a ‘tip’ that looked like a $20, but was actually a pamphlet for their church.

I’d made thirty-five dollars.

This wasn’t going to cut it.

I sighed and took a look around. My manager was at the back, playing on his phone. No surprise there.

I went to him, smiling. “Hey, I was just wondering, are there any other shifts open this week? I could use the—”

“Nope. No extras.”

I hesitated, then tried again. “Please, I’m not making enough to cover my bills, and I—”

“I said no extras. If somebody calls out, I’ll let you know, but we’re not looking to put anyone else on the schedule.” He looked at me and frowned. “Get back to work, Allison.”

That wasn’t my name.

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