Page 5 of Waiting for Redemption

CHAPTER3

TANK

Either my newboss likes what she sees, or I actually look as shitty as I feel and she notices. After leaving Max’s last night and thinking about just how fucked my life got so quickly, I got re-acquainted with my old friend Jack Daniels. Before I knew it, the bottle was empty and my alarm was going off—sounding like fucking war horns might I add. But I figured prolonging this process wouldn’t do me any good, so here I am—hungover and trying my best to remember how to spell my own name for this application.

Working at Chattahoochies isn’t my first career choice—not by a long shot—but while I’m still taking it easy to make sure I don’t agitate my back, this is probably my safest bet. Max knows my situation and I don’t have to tell the story repeatedly to possible employers until one finally considers me a suitable fit. On the bright side, the person who will be training me seems to have a tolerable personality, and is easy on the eyes—she’s pretty fucking gorgeous, actually—which just feels like a reward for having to take this job in the first place.

“So that’s pretty much everything. It’s a simple job if you have common sense. Which is probably why Marco struggles around here.” Ruby leads us through the door from the kitchen, where she just gave me a very detailed tour of the freezer—which seemed absolutely pointless. Her voice drops as she mumbles the end of her sentence but I still hear it.

I remember the last time I came here, Marco was still new to the staff and someone ordered a drink he wasn’t familiar with. The poor kid looked like a deer in headlights and that look apparently never went away. I scoff at the thought, and Ruby’s eyes grow wider when she realizes I heard her.

“Uh, any questions?” I take the opportunity to study the sleeve of tattoos covering her right arm, as she folds them over her chest. It’s like a kaleidoscope of colors, unlike the black ink covering my own skin. I take notice of the bright blue water and purple mermaid tail leading up to a… “Okay, great! You start tomorrow at ten thirty sharp.”Before I can make out the rest of the tattoo she begins to move, blocking my view. “What size are you?” she asks, as she bends down to reach into a box beneath the bar.

“Excuse me?” I ask in confusion, as she stands back up holding two T-shirts in her hands.

“What size T-shirt do you wear? You’ll need a uniform.” She shakes the fabric in her hand as she explains. I examine the two shirts in her hands but don’t offer a response.

“Would you like me to just guess or something?” She presses impatiently.

“Extra large,” I answer simply, earning a playful scoff from her.

“Right. That checks out.” I raise a brow at her and her cheeks instantly flush. As though that thought wasn’t supposed to be said aloud. “Here you go.” I take the shirt from her hands, taking note of another purple tattoo along her wrist. She quickly pulls her hand away and offers me the same tight-lipped smile from earlier.

“Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, boss.”

* * *

I pull my bike into the parking lot behind the bar at exactly 10:29, cut the engine, and place my helmet on the handlebar. When I walk through the back door it’s eerily quiet. I’ve never been here before opening, and the deafening silence makes my skin crawl. However, the silence is shattered almost immediately after I walk inside.

Startled by a crashing sound, my hand instantly reaches for my sidearm and my heart rate starts to pick up. Before I can unholster it, I scan the room and my eyes land on Ruby. She is sitting on the stainless steel table off to the side, eating Sour Patch Kids and rolling silverware with her headphones on. Well, shewasrolling silverware, until it all fell to the ground. She pulls her headphones down around her neck and holds her hands up.

“Oh, hey. Relax. It’s just me,” she says quickly. I slide my gun back into the holster fully and glance around the rest of the kitchen instinctively.

“Sorry about that.” I can feel the scowl on my face, but it’s not towards her. I’m sure I probably just scared the shit out of her and that’s not the kind of first impression you want to give someone you’re about to be working with. “You alright? I didn’t mean to scare you. I just didn’t see you there. Then I heard the–”

“No, I’m okay. I get it.” She cuts me off as she hops down from the table to start picking up the mess.

“Here, let me help with that.” I bend down next to her gathering as many spoons as my hands can hold—which is pretty much all of them. I notice the way her eyes fixate on my hands for a second before she tears her eyes away.

“Thanks. I guess I’m done with that task until all of this is re-washed.” She laughs, tossing some dirty forks back in the bin.

“I can wash these and finish rolling them. If you want.” I don’t look up when I offer, but I can feel her eyes on me.

“I actually have another job for you. Marco can do this when he gets in.” She goes to pick up the bus tray but I grab it from her before she can.

“I’ve got it.” I smile at her before taking it over to the sink. I wipe my hands on my jeans making my way over to where she’s shoving her headphones into her bag. When she pulls the last sour candy from its package a small frown appears on her face before she tosses the trash in the bin.

“Alright, follow me.” She smiles, making her way through the swinging door that leads to the bar. “You can start by getting all the chairs down from the tables, then sanitize the surfaces. When you’re finished with that, come see me.” She turns around just fast enough to cause her long black ponytail to whip around behind her.

“Will do.” I unzip my jacket hanging it on the coat rack next to me, when I turn back around her eyes are fixed on me and there’s a hint of a smirk on her face.

“What?” I ask, drawing my brows together.

“Um, nothing.” She shakes her head, but I can tell she’s lying.

“That smirk didn’t seem like nothing,” I press. She laughs, taking in the sight of me in the T-shirt she gave me last night, giving me a feeling of self-consciousness I’m not too fond of.

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