Page 37 of The Gin Lover's Guide to Dating

‘Liv. Whatareyou doing?’ she barks, as she towers over me menacingly.

With my blood pressure already soaring, Clara’s surprise entrance nearly finishes me off.

‘Oh… err… hi, Clara. I’m… umm… just doing bar maintenance, while it’s a bit quieter. Reyes and Amir suggested I do that.’

‘Did they?’ She peers at me with suspicion. ‘Well, it looks like you’ll be needed out front after all. Some more customers have just walked in.’

‘I… err… I’m sure they can manage.’ I’m on severely shaky ground, but my survival instincts are in such conflict, I’m willing to take the risk. ‘Some of the tasks on this list are really overdue. I can help the bar team get on top of things after being so busy recently.’

I’m hoping the ‘team’ reference will work, and I can see Clara mulling this over. Then, to my alarm, she looks out across the bar at my ex-colleagues. I can almost see the thoughts processing in her mind.

‘That group that just came in.’ She narrows her eyes at me. ‘Do you know which company they’re from?’

‘Err… who knows?’ I try to sound genuinely unsure, but it’s pointless; she’s on to me.

‘Yes, Reyes and Amir definitely can’t manage this by themselves.’ Clara’s mouth curls up slyly at the corners. ‘An opportunity for you to do some of the running – get some practice with the Waiter Pad after your training.’

What a bitch. Unfortunately, a smart bitch. She’s read the situation as easily as Amir did. This is her chance to either lose me for good for insubordination, or subject me to total humiliation.

‘Go on. Get their order in.’ She flicks her head towards my ex-colleagues.

I have less than two seconds to make my decision. Face the humiliation, or risk losing the roof over my head. My pride screams at me to avoid this interaction at all costs. But I realise I have no choice. It could be weeks before I find and start another job, even doing bar work. Weeks of no income. I can’t afford that. And I could never face Aaron again if I got fired.

Without saying a word, I put down the maintenance list and walk past Clara into the bar. Glancing to my left I see Reyes and Amir standing awkwardly, having clearly heard every word. Reyes mouths ‘sorry’, and I shake my head, communicating that an apology is not needed. Neither of them saw the beast coming, and even if they had, there was nothing they could have done.

I pick up the Waiter Pad, and try to manage my breathing, as I add the table details on the screen. Then I slowly approach my friends and ex-colleagues, as if I’m walking to the stake.

Chapter 11

‘Err… hi, guys. What can I get you?’ I murmur almost inaudibly as I reach the tables occupied by my friends and ex-colleagues.

At first, they barely register my presence, too lost in their conversations and hilarity. Then Anya glances up and does a double take.

‘Liv? What are you doing here?’ Her face drains as she takes in my bar uniform and the Waiter Pad in my hand, and for a long moment she appears too taken aback to speak. ‘Do you…workhere?’

The rest of the group look up suddenly; dozens of eyes, nearly sending me scarpering back to the store cupboard. There’s a clatter as Derek finally catches up, in his surprise, dropping his precious phone. Most of my friends and ex-colleagues just look genuinely shocked. But as my eyes land on Sharon, I can tell this has made her night. I realise I need to say something, but what?

‘I… err… what can I say? You’ve rumbled me.’ I hold my hands up jovially, and aim for a light-hearted chuckle, but it reverberates around the group pathetically, causing a few people to wince in embarrassment.

‘But, Liv, I thought you had an amazing new job.’ Anya looks stricken. ‘This isn’t it… is it?’

I realise, caught out or not, I simply cannot bear to reveal the full truth. They just must not know that my career has bombed, and how much of a failure I actually am.

‘Oh… umm…of course not.’ I wave my hand flippantly. ‘This isn’t the job I told you about. Bit of a delay with my start date. Still working through their confidential restructure. They can’t bring me in until they’ve got it beyond the point where it may ruffle feathers.’

I ignore the looks being shared among the group.

‘Right…’ Anya still looks confused. ‘And you’re working here because…?’

‘Because I know the General Manager. We worked together years ago.’ I intentionally leave out the fact that I actually workedforhim. ‘We recently bumped into each other, and he mentioned that he was tight staffing-wise. So, I offered to help out while waiting to start my new job.’

‘Oh right. I see.’ Anya seems happy enough with this explanation. ‘Well, that was good of you, offering to help him like that.’

‘What’s the new job, Liv?’ Tom asks.

‘It’s a senior manager role – in communications.’

‘Great stuff. Well done you!’ Tom stands up and makes a show of giving me a bone-breaking congratulatory handshake-come-hug, while Anya beams at him adoringly. ‘Where’s it at?’

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