Chapter 19 Not A Dishwasher
“You’re staring.” Animkii nudged him. “That’s not an answer, and it’s a shit strategy for flirting.”
“I had a meeting with my shiny new administrator.”
Upon Dorian going into details about the slide deck romance, Mason clapped him on the shoulder.
“Drinks on me,” Mason said. “Lots of drinks on me.”
“Bad day does not excuse bad behavior. He’s at least paying for his own drinks…”
Thin, pale legs caught his eye. Animkii stiffened, and the waiter named Riley approached as Animkii waved her over.
“Could you send your manager here, please?”
Her eyes widened and filled with recognition before nodding and scurrying off.
“You’re done. Clock out.” Jason barked just as Lydia passed him.
His nosebleed had stopped, but the bruise was darkening. Served him right. She shrugged, waved to Riley, whose whole demeanor dropped. She looked panicked and devastated. Lydia whipped off her apron and headed to the locker room, dropping her tablet in the charging station and feeling an odd sense of deja vu. She went to her locker and grabbed her bag.
Cherry came storming in, pouting and sneering. She ripped her locker open and stopped past, smashing the clock out button so hard, it sounded broken. Lydia glanced up and noted that the cameras were on in the locker room, too.
Well, at least Jason couldn’t blame her if it was damaged.
Her phone rang. The number was from within the Bar. She answered.
“Get back to your station and keep your mouth shut.” Jason hung up before she could even get a word in. She considered clocking out anyway, but she could really use the money, especially if she was going to have to figure out housing.
Besides, that very nice, very obviously native man said he was guaranteeing a tip, and after he’d smacked Knox twice over the head with no retaliation, she figured he was good for it.
She tied her apron back on, adjusted the fall of her t-shirt, and headed back out to the floor to find Riley in a small sea of men, looking like she was already drowning.
They caught each other’s eyes across the room as Jason stormed to the other side of the Bar to pick up Cherry’s tables, along with whoever was likely going to be pulling overtime tonight. She grabbed her tablet again, noting the tables that had no menus, and grabbed a big stack of them, stopping at the closest table to the kitchen, where slightly younger men sat.
One with pale gray eyes, long, thick hair, and a light, golden complexion looked up and smiled. He could have been the young brother to the guy with Knox.
“I apologize in advance.”
She shook her head. “Nothing to apologize for. What can I get started for you?”
Her feet ached, but Lydia kept the smile in her eyes as she picked up the check and the stacks of cash on the tables. Riley worked from the other side to bus and clear the tables, waving the rowdy athletes goodbye, but she couldn’t help but laugh.
They had actually been great and stayed until closing. The fact that Ken and the rest of the Knights’ second line hadn’t been in attendance screamed volumes since most of the Knights had been there.
She caught Riley’s eye across the room and grinned. A tacit agreement to tally up and split the tips.
The bartender had already left, probably leaving a mess for the next shift because the woman was an asshole, and Jason let her get away with murder. Or she’d been fired for her too-revealing top. Who knew. Lydia loaded up the cart and sped through, wiping down tables with a clean rag and stacking chairs. Soon, she and Riley were making rounds with the broom in the section. The back door slammed open, and Jason’s voice boomed across the hall.
“From here on, there won’t be any food to take home, and everyone is getting photographed at the beginning of the shift for dress code compliance.” Jason shot Lydia a glare. “And you two are off the schedule for the next few days. Bus those tables, and make it quick. If you’re a minute over an hour, I’m writing you both up.”
He stormed off, slamming the back door again and shouting at the kitchen staff.
Riley’s shoulders drooped. “There goes my dinner plans and my new hairdryer… Wonder what he said.”
Lydia shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that won’t last long.”
The handbook she’d gotten had a whole section on spoilage that basically encouraged shift managers to either let the staff eat at the restaurant before they left if there were leftovers or take them home.
Jason was the type to take all the leftovers for himself and turn the cameras off about it, but if the owner was around, he’d be asking questions. They finished their section and clocked out right at the hour mark, leaving the dishes in the dishwasher’s room that looked oddly empty.
Jason had probably sent the kid home early, too. Well, that wasn’t her problem, and as much as she’d like to have stayed on the clock a little longer, it wasn’t worth the fight.
She took down her hair, impressed that it hadn’t started to frizz, and the curls were still there. A few moments later, she and Riley were headed out into the night to walk through campus together. This late at night, only the night patrol was around. They walked to the corner of the athletic building, and Lydia hit the button for the night escort.
Together, by flashlight, they counted out their tips and split them. It had been a damn good night, more than making up for the shortened hours and the lack of free food.
“How long before Jason cracks, you think?” Riley asked, folding her cash together and tucking it into her bra. Lydia followed suit and adjusted her t-shirt so it hung better. “I mean, I’m pretty sure we lost Cherry for good, never mind Paige.”
“Not that either of them was really great to begin with.” She shuddered. “It just means Jason is going to have to step up and either hire some competent people or wait to hire more incompetent people.”
Could go either way with him, since the owner had definitely been in the building tonight.
“Think he’ll wash those dishes?”
“No, but he’ll regret being an asshole when it’s just him and Paige for the brunch rush tomorrow.”
“You have time to hang out tonight? I worry about you, you know?”
Lydia chuckled. “Yeah, I know. But grandpa is fine. It was a smaller scare than we thought, and I’m… okay.”
“You’re… okay?” Riley repeated and rolled her eyes. “Try again. From the top, if you please.”
The night escort pulled up in the little golf cart as Lydia told her about getting fired, Megumi, and Ken. Saying it all now, it was hard to believe that it had all happened just today.
“I would not have come to work after all of that.”
Lydia scoffed. “It could have been worse.”