Page 20 of Protecting Tiffani

She just smiles at me and hops back into the truck. I stand here, watching them leave me behind, until the sound of water hitting the floor reminds me; I work at a broken-ass laundry mat and can’t stand around.

In the past week and a half, I’ve gone on multiple interviews around this small town, and so far, I haven’t been able to find another job. The ones that call me back offer hours I can’t work, but most just don’t call. Emilee and Parker have been on my ass, reminding me my time’s running out. They aren’t trying to be mean about it. They just want to help me, but still, I’m annoyed by the messages. Every morning I wake up to a reminder, and today is no different.

The wanted ads haven’t changed since yesterday, which pisses me off. I ball up the paper and throw it toward the trash can. “God damn it, what am I going to do,” I say out loud.

“What’s wrong pretty girl? Is there anything I can do to help you?” A feminine voice scares me, making me jump. I was so wrapped up in finding a job that I didn’t see a customer standing in front of the window.

“Unless you know of a local place that needs someone to cover the night shift, I’m afraid not.” I slump forward. I’m at a loss for what to do. Taking the money from Parker would afford me more time to search for a job, but the thought of doing that makes my skin crawl. I’ve never taken money from anyone. I really don’t want to start now.

The girl, who looks no older than me, places her hands on the counter and leans forward toward the glass. “Actually, I do. The place I work at is always hiring people. The pay is alright, but the tips are where we make the most money.”

I’ve never been a waitress before, but the sound of the fantastic tips she’s talking about makes me willing to try it. “Is the restaurant in town? I swear I haven’t seen anything about one hiring.”

A laugh falls from her lips. “Honey, I don’t sling drinks. I work at Mick’s. It’s about a twenty-minute drive from here.”

My saliva gets caught in my throat, and I start coughing, trying to get it down. I’ve heard of Mick’s. Everyone around here has. It’s a strip club outside of town, bordering on the state line. I hit my chest several times to try to stop the coughing. My eyes start to water, but soon the coughing passes, and the saliva goes down.

“I take it you’ve heard of the place.” A smile spreads on her face as she raps her fake nails on the counter.

“Yes, I have, but I don’t think I can get up in front of a bunch of horny men and take my clothes off.” Just the thought of what I’m describing makes me feel dirty. I’m not one to shame someone who does that for a living, but… I can’t do that, can I?

“We have waitresses as well. We had a few quit the other day, actually. You don’t have to take your clothes off, but you will have to wear the uniform. The tips aren’t as good as us dancers get, but it has to be better than what you make here.” She waves her hand around.

“What does the uniform look like?” Serving drinks is something I can do, and I have to be realistic here. Nothing in this town is hiring.

She walks over to a dryer and opens it, pulling out two scrap pieces of fabric. They are bright pink and hurt my eyes when I look directly at them. “This is from one of the girls who just quit. It looks like it would fit you perfectly.” She hands it to me.

Walking over to a mirror on the wall, I hold up the top. “How does this go on?” I ask.

“My name is Laura. Put your arms in here,” she says, holding the top up. I slip my arms through the holes. Little cap sleeves cover barely an inch of my arm. “And then these two wraps over your breast like this.” She crisscrosses the two ties over me and ties it in the back. If I didn’t have another shirt on, my whole stomach would be on display right now.

I step into the shorts and turn to see that they would show the bottom inch of my ass if my pants weren’t on. “The waitresses wear this?” I admit it looks good, even without the curves I once had. Still, I’m sure I’d be very uncomfortable with nothing else on.

“It looks good on you. I know the manager of the girls on the floor. Let me give her a call, and I bet she would set up a trial night for you.” She pulls out her phone and starts scrolling, looking for a name.

“I don’t have a car,” I admit.

“That’s okay. I work tonight. I can give you a ride if you want, but that’s up to you…” She pauses for my name.

“Tiffani.” I take one more look in the mirror, close my eyes, and remember what is at stake. It’s just delivering drinks and food to people. I can do that, or at least I think I can. Sighing, I say, “Yeah, make the call.” Nerves rattle my body from that point on. They never stop. It feels like I walk around with a small current of electricity under my skin all day. My stomach constantly rolls like a ship being tossed around in the middle of an ocean. Laura’s manager agrees to give me a trial run. Laura told me to be ready by eight. The shift starts at nine, but I need to meet everyone before then.

When six rolls around, I almost chicken out and call Laura telling her I changed my mind, but a text from Parker makes me determined to do this.

As the minutes tick off, the clouds outside get darker, and my nerves worsen. I’m standing in front of my mirror at seven forty-five when the radio in the kitchen stops playing music, and instead, a siren sound comes from it. As the message starts to come across, the lights in the apartment go out. I scream and stumble my way over to the bedside table. I grab the flashlight I keep there and turn it on. Going to the window, I pull back the curtain and see that all the lights in town have gone out. The rain’s coming down so hard that visibility is low. I can only catch glimpses of things when the lightning flashes across the sky. I’m so tired of this weather. I head into the kitchen and grab the pot I always use when it rains. I place it on the floor to catch any drips from the ceiling. Sometimes it drips, and sometimes it doesn’t. It all depends on how the wind is blowing.

A knock on the door below startles me, but I assume it’s Laura. I grab a jacket to place over my head so the rain doesn’t ruin my hair or the little makeup I spent my time on. Using the flashlight to see, I slowly make my way down the stairs. I’m wearing the only heels I have. They aren’t the best, I bought them at a yard sale, but they should work. I would change into sneakers, but it looks like I don’t have the time. Another knock comes from the front door.

“Hold your horses, Laura. I haven’t walked in heels in a long ass time.” I shout over the rain.

I insert the key into the lock and open the door right as the lights come back on. The outside light illuminates the doorsteps. The person standing on the top step is not Laura. As my eyes take in the individual standing in front of me, another car pulls up and parks. The cab light comes on in the car, and I see Laura sitting there waiting on me.

Levi pulls his hood down, and my skin burns as his eyes take in my lack of clothes, ending with the heels on my feet. Goosebumps break out over my body, and I fight a shiver. The light hits his eyes just right, so I see his pupils dilated, and his jaw is so tight I could cut paper with it. A low growl comes from deep inside his chest. “Where the fuck are you going dressed like that?”

Laura honks the horn making Levi turn. I take my opening when his eyes aren’t on me to put my jacket on and pull it close. “I’m going to work. Now if you move, the rain has stopped, and I can make it without getting wet.” I step out onto the small space with him and try to close the door behind me. Levi moves, and I turn around to lock the door. The sound of Laura’s car pulling out of the driveway pulls my attention away from the door. My gaze lands on Levi, standing there with his arms crossed. “What the fuck did you do, Levi?” I scream at him. How fucking dare he send her away. There goes my only chance at being independent. If I had something in my hands besides the keys I need, I would throw it at him. I settle on picking up a few rocks on the step and chuck them at him. He stands there and lets them hit his chest.

He doesn’t answer me, but he does stalk toward me and snatch my keys out of my hand. Twisting the door handle, I guess to ensure it’s locked, he spins and picks me up right under my ass. My stomach hits his shoulder hard in a flash, forcing all the air out of me. I start pounding on his back, “Put me down, you overgrown ape.” I yell. The wind is eerily silent; every time the lightning strikes, the clouds look like they are hanging low, and they have a green hue to them.

A sharp sting shoots through my right ass cheek when he smacks it with his big hand. “Stop fucking squirming, Tiffani. There’s a tornado heading this way, and we have got to get somewhere safe. Then we will fucking talk about why one of Mick’s hookers was picking you up for work.” He grits out through his clenched teeth.

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