by Sophia Banks
“No, you don’t have a career, Tamika. You have a wish that somehow you will wake up and be a movie star. Well let me inform you of something, all those girls you see on the big screen have, at some time or another busted their ass to get where they are. When is the last time you did anything to further this “career” of yours?”
Tamika stood and grabbed her purse. “Fuck you, Gracie. You’re just mad because you lost your job and you can’t hack it as a poet.”
Gracie balled her fists. She knew her sister was sick and needed compassion. She stood and grabbed her sister’s forearm. “Don’t run off, Tamika. Please, just listen to me. I love you and want to help you get better.”
“No, you don’t want me to get better, you want me to become as boring as you are, and guess what? I won’t do it.” Tamika shook off her sister’s hand. “Thanks for the pep talk sis, but I need to go. One of us is going to a party tonight.”
“Tamika, wait!” Gracie began to walk after her sister but then checked her watch. It was just past three and she had her first shift at Steak Exchange at four. She couldn’t afford to lose this job as well so Gracie stopped and watched as her baby sister walked towards into the setting sun.
I’ll just have to pray for her….
*
Gracie turned onto Lexington and checked her watch. She still had enough time to call Lamar and let him know Tamika was on the warpath. She punched in his cell number and he answered on the second ring.
“What’s up cuz?” he said.
“Hey Lamar. I hate to ruin your evening but I wanted to give you a heads up. I just had a lunch date with Tamika and things didn’t go so well. She mentioned she was going to a party tonight, but who knows if she’s telling the truth. I just wanted to let you know she’s out there somewhere and pissed off at me.”
Lamar sighed. “What happened between you two?”
“I called her out on her shit, that’s what happened. As usual she acted like the victim and became abusive towards me. I snapped this time and am afraid of what she might do. Do you think I should call into work and go look for her?”
Lamar sighed. “No, I do not think you should do that. Didn’t you tell me you were fortunate to get this chance after losing your last job?”
Gracie leaned against the side of a building and took a deep breath. “Yes, I told you that, but this is my sister we are talking about. I can’t just let her run around and kill herself.”
“And weren’t you the one who told me the other day only Tamika could save herself?”
A lone tear ran down Gracie’s cheek. “Yes…but…”
“But nothing, Gracie. You can’t chase your sister around for the rest of her life and hope she eventually listens to you. We have to accept the fact that she’s on her own journey and won’t be coming back to us until she’s ready. Our timetable for her recovery doesn’t matter, it’s up to her now.”
Gracie knew her cousin was right, but it didn’t make the pill any easier to swallow. “I know all this, Lamar. But it’s not easy to accept. That’s my little sister out there, killing herself while surrounded by vultures.”
“I know baby, I know.”
Gracie wiped her eyes and glanced at her watch. “Well, I gotta get going Lamar. Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Alright Cuz. You’re going to work, I hope?”
Gracie pushed herself off the wall. “I guess so. Call me if you hear anything about her, ok?”
“You got it cuz. I love you, Gracie.”
“I love you too, Lamar.” Gracie put her cell phone back in her purse and began the short walk towards the restaurant. She accepted the fact she couldn’t do much to help her sister and instead decided to focus on having a good shift.
*
The Steak Exchange had the same floor design as Parker’s, which made Gracie’s first night on the floor a lot easier to deal with. The Micros machine was also the same as Parker’s, so the only thing she had to learn was the menu, which was easy enough due to the fact that the majority of the dishes were built around slabs of expensive beef.
Gracie met her new boss—a white woman in her late forties named Patty—and instantly warmed to her. She was the hard-female type, the sort who got ahead in a man’s world by simply outworking everyone and Gracie admired the way Patty carried herself with a masculine-like confidence. While closing in on fifty, the woman kept herself in shape and obviously ate a clean diet. She wasn’t what most men would consider “pretty” but was still a very sexy woman. While Gracie was impressed with her new boss, her chief concern about Patty was that she would be receptive to the idea of a flexible work schedule.
“Patty, can I ask you a question?” Gracie and Patty were at a beverage station discussing Gracie’s future at the restaurant.
Patty nodded and began stocking a sugar caddy. “Sure, go ahead.”
Gracie fiddled with her thumbs. “Would it be possible to work out some sort of flex in my schedule? I am trying to work on my career and handle a full time job, so scheduling conflicts may occur. Sometimes I may ask for a few hours at the start of a shift. It won’t happen often, I promise. Is that going to be a problem?
Patty packed in as many Splenda packets as the caddy could handle and then looked up at Gracie. “What sort of career are you talking about? Are you in school?”
Gracie shook her head. “No, I’m not a student. I am a poet and recitals frequently occur at night. If I’m fortunate to get a slot at a good show, it’s hard for me to say no.”
Patty looked at Gracie and said nothing. After a few seconds of silence she asked, “If I tell you that no, you can’t have extra time off because of the demands of the business, what would you do?”
Fear penetrated Gracie’s mind and her pulse quickened. She wasn’t sure what sort of answer Patty was looking for so she went with the truth. “I wouldn’t want to but eventually I would have to quit.”
Patty kept her eyes locked on Gracie and gave a curt nod. “Okay, as long as you give me ample notice we can work something out. You will have to find somebody on the afternoon shift to cover for you, of course, but that shouldn’t be a problem” Patty placed a comforting hand on Gracie’s shoulder. “I respect anyone who chases their dreams as hard as they possibly can. Just be honest with me and I will do the best I can to help you. Now, if you don’t mind I need to start the paperwork for the night.”
“Thank you Patty, it means a lot.”
“You’re welcome Gracie, and it’s great to have you as part of the team.” Patty shook Gracie’s hand and walked off towards her office.
Gracie couldn’t believe how fortunate she was. Patty seemed like the boss from heaven and Steak Exchange was busier than Parker’s, at least it appeared that way. At the end of the day she had traded a sleazy, minty-fresh sleaze ball for a nicer version of Miranda Priestly and she was going to make more money in the process. If Gracie knew spilling drinks on billionaires paid so well, she may have been a tad more careless in the past.
A man waved his hand in the air and pulled Gracie from her daydream. Shit! The man had asked for the check before Gracie had begun her conversation with Patty. Gracie shuffled to the table and offered her apologies. The man was on a date (the couples first, in Gracie’s opinion) and wasn’t upset at all. It appeared he was just in a rush to get home with his tipsy special lady friend. Gracie gave the man the check and he paid her with a generous tip. Her first night of work had gone as well as she could have hoped and as Gracie closed out her final ticket she began to think of what flavor bubble bath she would soak in when she got home. Lavender? Mint? Both? All the options were pleasing and when she finished counting her tips and headed to the service bar to tip out, Gracie had a huge grin plastered on her face.
When she rounded the corner, looked up and noticed who was sitting at the bar, the smile fell and was replaced with a look of shock.
Tyler Scott? What the fuck is he doing here?
He was sitting at the bar and talking to Joey, the bartender. Gr
acie caught herself staring but just as she was about to turn away, Tyler looked in her direction and caught her red handed. He smiled and waved her over.
Gracie trembled and began fidgeting with her uniform. After a few seconds she worked up enough courage to walk forward and give him thanks for the new job. Why should she be surprised at his presence anyway? He did own the restaurant, after all.
Tyler Scott’s eyes never left Gracie as she nervously shuffled across the floor and came to a stop in front of him. “Hello, Gracie,” he said and stood from his stool. “How do you like it here?”
Gracie’s pulse quickened. “It’s great, Mr. Scott.” Heat. “I wanted to thank you for the opportunity. I really appreciate it.” Gracie extended her hand.
Tyler took her hand in his and closed his left hand over the top. He stepped forward and ever so slightly pulled Gracie forward. “It was my pleasure, Gracie. So, tell me, how is your poetry going?”
Gracie pulled her hand free and stepped back. “I haven’t had much time to work on it lately, to tell you the truth.” Tyler’s aggressive nature caught her off guard. She wasn’t used to men acting so boldly and had to take a second to gather her wits. She reminded herself to stay on her toes around Tyler. He could easily seduce her and getting involved with a man was the last thing Gracie needed right now.
Tyler raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Is this lack of time related to your family emergency?”
Gracie squirmed. “Yes. It has been a long week, to say the least.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I don’t want to burden you. Please, enjoy the rest of your night. It was good to see you again.”
Tyler stepped forward and motioned for Gracie to stop. “Gracie, hold on, before you run off.”
“Yes?”
“Would you come out with me tonight?”
Gracie recoiled. “Are you crazy? It’s damn near 2am!”
He shrugged. “And?”
Gracie’s blood boiled. “And? How about that’s a terrible way to ask a girl out on a date?” Where did he get off asking her out for a first date past midnight? And why did it make her hot that he did?
“Good thing I didn’t ask you on a date then.” Tyler smirked and leaned against a barstool. “So, what do you say? I have a driver with me. We can cruise around the city and you can tell me all about your poetry. I am dying to hear all about it.”
Gracie’s pussy throbbed. Why did he have to make this so difficult on her? All she wanted to do was get through her first workday and find out if anyone had heard from Tamika. Instead she has one of the finest white boys ever throwing himself at her. Part of her wanted to go and be a free spirit, have no-strings-attached sex, live more like Tamika. The other part of her, however, wanted to be the responsible woman she knew she was. As usual, the latter part of her won the internal debate. “I wish I could, Mr. Scott, but I have to be up early in the morning.”
Tyler smirked. “I’ll be waiting outside.” He grabbed his sports coat, smiled at Gracie and walked towards the exit.
Gracie followed him to the edge of the bar area. “I really can’t go out tonight, Mr. Scott. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll see you when you get off,” he called out without turning around.
With that he disappeared from view.
*
Gracie tallied her checks and counted her tips out. One hundred and twenty-five bucks, not a bad haul for a weeknight. She gathered her receipts and headed to Patty’s office to cash out for the night. She wondered if Tyler was still outside waiting for her and then decided he probably was. Tyler Scott didn’t seem the type to make idle threats.
Gracie knocked on the office door and Patty looked up from a pile of paperwork. “How did you do tonight?” Patty asked.
“I did pretty good, thanks. If this place is as busy as this on a weeknight, I can’t wait to see what a Saturday night is like.”
Patty smiled. “I’m sure you will do just fine on the weekends.” She lowered her gaze and peered over her reading glasses. “I noticed you talking to Mr. Scott. I wasn’t aware the two of you were so friendly.”
The hair on Gracie’s neck stood. “I wouldn’t say we are friendly, so to speak. Mr. Scott just wanted to see how I’ve settled in here at my new digs.”
Patty smirked and nodded her head. “I see. Well, have a good night Gracie. You did an excellent job tonight.”
“Thanks Patty, it was great meeting you.” Gracie closed the office door on her way out. Great, now my boss suspects I am sleeping with her boss. She shook her head and clocked out before heading to the restroom to wash up. The whole time she worried Tyler would be waiting outside and she wouldn’t be able to resist his charm. Heck, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to resist him. She hated to admit it, but the confident manner in which he had acted tonight had been driving her insane with lust. The way he said, “I’ll be outside…” gave her shivers. Never before had a man spoken to her with so much confidence.
Should I hang out with him? The question bounced around in Gracie’s head like a marble in a washing machine. On the one hand, she should get home and get a good nights rest. She’d had a stressful day and could always use a good nights sleep. On the other hand, however, Tyler Scott was drop dead gorgeous and filthy rich. Having a man with his status ask you out on a date was one of the higher compliments a woman could receive. Who was Gracie to look a gift horse in the mouth?
Gracie pulled her phone out and texted Tamika, asking her if she was okay. She doubted she would respond but felt a responsibility to text her anyway. Then, she applied a thin layer of lipstick and tried to do something with her hair. Five minutes later Gracie was about as satisfied with her appearance as she could expect and exited the restroom with a smile on her face.
She’d made up her mind. If Tyler was waiting outside and wanted to give her a ride home, she would let him, but that was it, just a ride home. Gracie didn’t intend to lose her virginity at three in the morning, to a virtual stranger no less, so a ride home is all she was willing to commit to.
This was all provided he was even waiting outside, of course. Gracie suspected he probably got tired of waiting for a girl who so far had done nothing but deny his advances.
She was wrong.
*
“Would you like a vodka tonic, Gracie?”
“Sure. Just one though, I can’t be out all night drinking.”
Tyler grabbed a bottle from the limo’s fully stocked bar and began mixing a drink. “Did you make good money tonight?”
“I did okay. Not the sort of money you would consider good, though.”
Tyler finished mixing the drink and handed it to Gracie. “Just because I’m rich doesn’t mean I don’t understand the value of a dollar. I know how much a hundred bucks means to the average person.”
Gracie blushed. “I didn’t mean any offense. But yes, I made good money tonight. The customers were very generous. I wanted to thank you again for all your help.” She took a quick sip of her tonic. “And the drink too.”
Tyler cradled his drink. “It was my pleasure, Gracie.” He leaned back, draped his arm over the back of the seat and gazed into Gracie’s eyes. “May I hear some of your poetry now?”
The question caught Gracie off guard. “No, not right now…and not right here.”
Tyler looked around him. “What’s wrong with the limo?”
“I can’t just begin reciting on the drop of a dime, I need to be properly prepared.” Gracie crossed her legs and took a sip of her drink. The cold tonic tickled her throat and she fought off a cough. Tyler certainly knew his liquors. Top-shelf liquor for a top-shelf man. “We can talk about poetry, in general, if you like.”
He rubbed the stubble on his chin and considered. “Fair enough. Okay, what do you, personally, find so interesting about poetry? I have to admit to being sort of a novice on the subject, so please bear with me if I ask a question or two along the way.”
“Of course,” Gracie said and took a
sip of her drink. She dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin and considered where to start. “I suppose my love of poetry started in high school. We didn’t take it as a course, which I think is a travesty, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, my English teacher, Mr. Clarke was a very nice man and I would often spend time after class chatting with him. I told him how I found most fiction boring but that I still craved the escape a good book allowed. He recommended I read some poetry and even gave me my first book. It was a collection of Robert Frost’s work and I was hooked from Jump Street.”
The limo hit a pothole and Gracie bounced forward. Tyler reached out to catch her and his hand brushed against the side of her breast. He looked down at her and smirked. “Why are you so jumpy Gracie? I thought we were just getting to know each other?”
Goosebumps formed on Gracie’s arm and she hesitated for a second before jumping out of Tyler’s embrace. It was a second too late.
Tyler took her chin in his hand and guided her mouth towards his. Their lips met for what felt like an eternity but was in fact only a split second.
“Tyler, I can’t. At least not right now, anyway. The timing just isn’t right.” Gracie fanned herself off and took a sip of her drink.
Undeterred, Tyler leaned forward and placed a hand on Gracie’s knee. “What’s wrong, Gracie?”
“It’s a personal issue. My sister…”
“Yes?”
“Well, my sister has a drug problem, and… wait, I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
Tyler removed his hand and sat back. “I understand and I apologize for prying into your life. I thought perhaps you were just having monetary problems, I didn’t realize you were dealing with a tragedy.”
Gracie’s nerves began to calm. “You don’t have to apologize, Tyler. I know you’re just trying to be nice.”
Tyler nodded. “Dealing with family can be a tricky business. I have a brother who is an alcoholic and it hurts me deeply. He's one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life, but he just can’t stop drinking. So, I can empathize with the pain you’re feeling. We should get you home so you can get some rest. Where do you live?”
