by Sophia Banks
Gracie grinned. “Thanks Manny.” She picked up her tray and headed for Mr. Scott’s table. If she was lucky him and the Asian couple would be her last customers of the evening and she could get home a little early and soak herself in a hot bubble bath before bed.
“Excuse me, waitress?” The Asian gentleman waved Gracie down as she walked by with Mr. Scott’s drink. “We’re ready to order.”
Gracie turned her head back and a surge of stress rippled though her body. The presence of Tyler Scott was far more nerve racking than a darkened audience. She smiled at the Asian man. “Okay, I will be right with you.”
Gracie turned her head forward but it was too late to notice the chunk of ice melting in the middle of the dining room floor. She slipped and fell forward. Gracie reached out and tried to catch the cranberry and vodka before it went flying in the air. She failed and watched as the red liquid landed all over Mr. Scott’s lap.
Mr. Scott stood in shock as the cold liquid soaked into his trousers. He then reached out his hand to assist Gracie. “Are you ok?”
Gracie rose from her knee, unharmed. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you Mr. Scott." She dusted off her knees and offered a nervous smile. "I'm terribly sorry for spilling that drink all over you.”
Mr. Scott grabbed a dinner napkin and began soaking up the beverage off the fabric of his pants. “It’s okay, it’s only a pair of pants.”
“I’m so sorry. It looks like someone dropped an ice cube on the floor and it melted.”
Mr. Scott dabbed the napkin near his crotch area and smiled. "Really, don't worry about it, Gracie. I don't even like this pants."
Leo appeared out of nowhere and began helping with the mess. Once Mr. Scott sat back down at his table Leo looked Gracie in the eyes and motioned for her to head to the kitchen area. Gracie followed him and when they were out of earshot of the dining room he stopped and frowned.
“You’re fired.”
Gracie's nostrils flared. “It was an accident, Leo and Mr. Scott isn’t even upset.”
Leo waved her off. “You always have your mind elsewhere, Gracie. I think it’s best if you just move on. I can tell you don’t want to be here.”
Gracie ripped her smock off, balled it up and threw it towards Leo. “Fuck you, Leo. I do a damn good job and you know it. You just want me out of her because I won’t sleep with you.”
Leo shook his head and looked over Gracie's thick frame. "You give yourself too much credit, Gracie, I don't like 'em as thick as you. Trust is, I don’t want you here because you don’t care about this job. Now please, clock out and head home. I don’t want any trouble with you tonight.”
Gracie flashed a middle finger up at Leo and clocked out. "Fuck this place."
*
Great, now what am I going to do?
Gracie slammed her now empty locker shut. The excitement of the ordeal had begun to wear off and now the stark reality of the situation was beginning to set in. She would need another job, and soon. Rent was due in a week and borrowing money off of friends was simply not an option. While she was sure most of them would be happy to help out she preferred to work through her tribulations on her own. One thing was for sure; the seven hundred dollar tip she’d made tonight would come in damn handy over the next few weeks.
Leo appeared next to her locker. “Mr. Scott wants to see you.”
Gracie slammed the locker shut. “Fuck him and fuck you too. I don’t work here anymore, or have you forgotten you fired me already? For slipping on a melted ice-cube, by the way. Ice I certainly didn't drop fucking drop on the floor, if you must now. Maybe I’ll sue the both of you for a dangerous work environment.”
Leo shrugged his shoulders. “Look kid, despite whatever beef you have with me I suggest you go see the man. He’ll probably give you a generous tip and maybe if you’re lucky a roll in the hay. Word has it he’s a magician in the sack.”
Gracie stood and balled her fists. “Leo, if you don’t get the fuck away from me I’m going to split your lip open. Do you understand?”
“Hey relax a little, kid. I’m just messing with ya, nothing personal.” Leo took a step back and distanced himself from the reach of Gracie’s balled up fist. “Look Gracie, you’re a decent enough worker but you have your mind elsewhere all the time. I can’t blame you for having a dream and wanting more out of your life, but this restaurant here is as good as it gets for me. I don’t have any bigger dreams than this and I can’t have people working for me who aren’t fully on board with my program. So I’m sorry I had to fire you, but if I were you I would go see Mr. Scott. What do you have to lose?”
Gracie waved him off. “Thanks for the parting advice Leo. Now if you don’t mind I’d like to clock out in peace.”
Leo nodded and left Gracie alone with her thoughts. Why did Mr. Scott want to see her? Maybe he would override Leo’s decision and keep her on as a waitress. Or maybe he would just stick a fat tip in the breast pocket of her blouse, pat her on the fanny and wish her the best of luck on her way out the door. Gracie reached into her pants pocket and felt the knot of bills in her hand. After tipping out the bar and hostess she would have something like six hundred dollars to her name and with rent due in a week that would soon be gone as well. She decided that whatever Mr. Scott wanted it was in her best interests to find out.
She had nothing to lose at this point.
*
Gracie made it back on the floor and saw Jenny standing at the hostess stand. By this point the restaurant was nearly empty and largely remained open to service the thirsty patrons of the hotel. She looked around the dining room but didn’t see Mr. Scott.
“Gracie!” Jenny walked over to her wearing a frown on her face. “I heard about what happened. I’m sorry, girl.”
Gracie hugged her. “Don’t worry about it Jenny, I’ll be fine. Have you seen Mr. Scott? Leo told me he was looking for me.”
“Yes, he just left. On his way out he asked me to inform you to meet him in his office.”
Gracie shook her head. Now she was supposed to chase the man all over the hotel for a damn tip? She felt pitiful for the things she had to do for money, but times were tough. “Thanks Jenny. I’ll be back next week to get my last paycheck. I’ll see you then.”
Jenny jumped into Gracie’s arms and hugged her again. “I’m gonna miss you Gracie."
“Me too Jenny, me too.” Gracie exited restaurant and headed towards the bank of elevators near the entrance to the hotel. An older security guard stood sentinel.
“Are you a guest of the hotel, ma’am?”
“No, I work… rather, I used to work at Parker’s. I have a meeting with Mr. Scott. I think his offices are on the penthouse floor?”
The guard nodded. “Are you Ms. Johnson?”
“Yes, I am.”
The security guard handed Gracie a card-key. “Go on up. Mr. Scott told me you would be coming by. Just slide this card in before you press the penthouse floor, okay?”
Gracie nodded. “Thank you.”
She walked into the elevator, slid the access card and pressed PH. The doors closed and after a smooth twenty-second ride, re-opened. Gracie stepped into an empty foyer and noticed a door off to the right that was ajar. That must be his office. I wonder how I look?
Gracie smoothed the wrinkles out of her blouse and made her way to the entrance. She knocked lightly on the door and peered in. Mr. Scott was sitting behind a large wooden desk and motioned for her to come in.
“Ms. Johnson, I’m glad you came up to see me.” Tyler motioned for her to sit. The office was sparsely furnished and very clean. Large windows offered a panoramic view of the city. An efficient workspace with a touch of style.
Gracie took a seat and crossed her legs. She did her best to remain composed in front of her former boss. “What is this about Mr. Scott? Leo already fired me, in case you weren’t aware.”
Tyler smirked. “Do you think there’s much that goes on around here that I’m not aware of?”
Gracie felt a pan
g of annoyance. She just lost her job and now she had to sit and listen to an egomaniac pat himself on the back for being smarter than everyone else. Gracie sighed. “I suppose you know exactly what is going on at all times, sir, but if you don’t mind, could you please tell me what you need me for? I’ve had a very long day and I would really like to get home and relax.”
Tyler leaned back in his chair and nodded his head. “Fair enough. First, I want to apologize on behalf of Leo. He can be a little…rough around the edges at times.”
“He’s an asshole.”
Tyler laughed and nodded his head. “In a nutshell, yes, Leo is an asshole. He’s great at running a kitchen but dealing with employees, especially females, is not one of his strong suits. Anyway, I called you up here to offer you severance, if you decide you would like to leave, that is.”
"Decide to leave? I’m not sure I follow, Mr. Scott.”
Tyler stood and walked to the window that overlooked the city. He placed his hands on his hips and looked back at Gracie. “It’s simple, Ms. Johnson. Leo was wrong to fire you. I talked to him briefly and he told me you had other…infractions. The latest one being a tardiness due to a poetry recital. Is that correct?”
Gracie squinted her eyes and tried to figure out Mr. Scott’s end game. Was he trying to get in her pants? Playing the hero, when in fact he was just leveraging his position into a piece of her black ass. “Yes, that’s correct. I was due to start my shift at 8pm and I showed up late. I had a family emergency to deal with after my recital and traffic was not cooperative. Like I said, I’ve had a long day.”
Tyler cocked his head to the side. “A family emergency? Is everything ok?”
Gracie fidgeted in her seat. She didn’t like talking about personal matters with strangers, but Mr. Scott had such an easygoing way about him she felt compelled to share her struggles. Instead she bit her lip and met his reflective gaze in the window. “Yes, everything is ok. Just a personal matter.”
Tyler nodded his head and headed back towards his desk. Instead of sitting behind it, however, he rested against the front and smiled at Gracie. “How did it go?”
“How did what go?”
“The recital.”
Gracie forced herself to look up into Tyler’s eyes. If she let her gaze drop she would be staring right into his crotch. The distance between the two of them was small and her box began to burn. “It went great, thanks for asking.”
“I’d like to watch you perform sometime.”
Gracie squirmed. Eyes up, eyes up! “Are you a poetry fan?”
“No, not at all.”
Gracie gulped and focused. “So, you are offering me my job back?”
Tyler nodded. “Yes, you may remain employed here, if you like. I will speak to Leo and let him know your dismissal was unapproved. Or perhaps if you like I can get you a job in another one of our restaurants? It’s up to you Ms. Johnson.”
Gracie smiled. The heat from Mr. Scott’s crotch beckoned her but she was too preoccupied with the man’s penetrating glare to steal a glance. She quickly considered her options and decided perhaps a job at another restaurant wasn’t such a bad idea. Working for Leo sucked and the prospect of limping back to him with her tail between her legs wasn’t an inviting one. “What other restaurant did you have in mind?”
“Steak Exchange, down on Lexington. It’s a nice place. Here, let me get a card for you. I will call the manager over there and let him know what’s up.” He pushed himself off the edge of the desk.
Gracie stole a look at his crotch. She wanted to reach out and grab it but restrained herself. Instead she stood and composed herself. “Thank you, Mr. Scott. This meeting went a lot better than I expected.”
He picked up a business card and wrote a number on the back. “Is the meeting over already? I was hoping to hear more about your poetry.”
Gracie met his gaze and melted. If she stayed another five minutes she knew what would follow. A drink. Another drink. Legs spread. Moans, ecstasy, regrets. No, she would take the card and head home. She had enough drama in her life. “Maybe another time?”
Tyler’s eyes danced. “If you insist.”
“I must, I’m sorry.”
He extended his hand forward and offered Gracie the business card. She reached to take it and watched as Mr. Scott's finger ran across the back of her hand. Pleasure shot straight up her arm. Gracie shivered and jumped back. “Thank you, Mr. Scott.”
A wry smile. “I wish I could do more. I’d like see you again, one way or another.”
Gracie smiled and headed for the door. She needed to escape before she did something she would regret. Gracie was sure of one thing; she wanted to devour the handsome owner of the Omni Hotel and had a sneaking suspicion he felt the same way. But there was no way she should be getting involved with someone right now. Gracie simply didn’t have the time for a man; even one as hot as Tyler Scott. “Good night, Mr. Scott,” she squeaked on her way out of the office. She made it to the safety of the foyer. Just in the nick of time.
*
Gracie leaned against the side of the hotel and fought her raging hormones for control of her body. The feelings she had were new to her and she had a hard time controlling them. Of course she’d been attracted to men before and had even imagined being with a few of them. What had occurred in Mr. Scott’s office, however, was very different. Up in his office her body was begging her for sex and Gracie was sure if she didn’t leave when she did she would end up making love to Tyler Scott. And she just couldn’t do that, not yet anyway.
Gracie always prided herself in taking care of what was important and keeping distractions to a minimum. Tyler Scott was a distraction. Her baby sister was important. Tyler Scott would intoxicate her and she needed to be clear minded. Both for her sister, and perhaps more importantly, herself. Yet Gracie also needed the companionship of a man, or at least she thought she did. When would she have to time to focus on that aspect of her life? Would her sister ever get her act together? Would Gracie’s poetry career ever take off?
She took a deep breath and sighed. She knew that no matter how disappointed she was in Tamika, she would always be there for her. So Gracie decided to perish the thought of having relations with her handsome, billionaire boss and instead focused her mind on what was most important to her.
Gracie’s lust-filled desires could wait. Helping Tamika couldn’t.
*
New York City in late July is suffocating. The air feels like thick blankets and the scorching cement make the rubber of your soles feel as if they were about to melt. Add in eight million people, design your city in a fashion that restricts airflow as much as possible and you are left with what Gracie thought was the closest thing to hell on earth. If riding on the subway next to a cranky, sweat-soaked crack head wasn’t bad enough, the trash left in dumpsters while temps crept towards 95 sure nailed the point home. So as Gracie sat in the middle of Central Park and listened to her sister attempt to justify her relapse, she began to wish she were anywhere else in the world. Scratch that. She began to wish, specifically, that she were still conversing with Tyler Scott in his penthouse, to be precise.
“Are you even listening to me, Gracie?” Tamika asked. “It seems like you’re pre-occupied with something.”
A pulse of anger surged through Gracie’s body. She bit her lip before she spoke her true feelings and smiled. “No, I am listening. You were just telling me how it was “sort-of” an accident that you ended up doing cocaine again. I’m not sure if I have the facts straight, but if I recall correctly, it was two-thirty in the morning, you were at a party at some rich white-boy’s house and the host offered you a bump. Do I have everything right?”
Tamika’s face soured. “I’m glad you think my life is a joke. You have no idea how hard it is to stop.”
Gracie’s pulse quickened and she took a deep breath before responding. “No, I think I have an excellent idea of how hard it is to stop. You, on the other hand, seem to have forgotten how hard it c
an be to stop using. Because if you remembered how hard it was to stop, you wouldn’t be partying, again, to begin with, now would you?"
Tamika folded her arms in front of her chest. “You don’t understand, Gracie. I don’t want to spend my early twenties sitting at home and reading books. I want to go out and have some fun, meet interesting people.” She smirked. “Maybe find me a rich husband.”
The tension in her neck made Gracie tremble. It was the same cycle over and over the past three years. Tamika would use cocaine until she crashed and burned. Then she would limp home to either Gracie or Lamar and seek refuge while she recovered from her latest binge. Sooner or later though, Tamika would end up hanging around the same losers as before and before long be using again. Gracie was nearing her limit of how much she could tolerate. “You don’t think you can have fun with people who don’t do cocaine? Or party every night of the week? What about your friends from recovery?”
Tamika sighed. “They are boooring. You know me sis; I need some excitement in my life. I don’t want to sit around and talk about how grateful I am for just being alive. Plus, those people aren’t doing anything with their lives. They just sit around and try to stay sober. I want to be around movers and shakers.”
Gracie winced. “Movers and shakers? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? You don’t even have a career to be advancing, why do you need to hanging around those sorts of people?”
Tamika flared. “I do have a career, but thanks for the insult.”
Gracie’s blood boiled. She knew Tamika was going to say that becoming an actress was her “career” and had her little sister actually taken steps towards becoming an actress she wouldn’t have made such a snarky comment. As it was, Tamika had never attended an acting class, never attended an audition and as far as Gracie knew never even watched movies. As far as Gracie was concerned, Tamika's dreams of becoming an actress were more-or-less a fantasy, spurred on by the fact that she was a drop-dead gorgeous girl and received loads of attention from men "in the business."
