“Is this more to your liking?”
“It is.” He grabbed his rolled silverware. “So, what happened back there?” he asked, motioning toward the back with his fork.
“I got dinner,” I told him. “Next time, I’d like it if you’d just ask me what I want first. A fifty-nine-dollar steak is not in my price range.”
“He made you pay for the meal?”
“Yes, actually. It’s being deducted from my pay. If I’m lucky, he’ll let me use my employee discount.”
He rolled his eyes. “I would’ve fired you.”
“That’s what you were hoping for, wasn’t it?” I asked softly.
He ignored me and started cutting into his steak.
“Why do you want me to lose my job, Eli?”
He glared at me for using the old nickname.
Before I could get him to answer, my manager walked over.
“How is everything, sir?”
Elliot was chewing a piece of his steak. His eyes flashed toward my boss.
“Much better, although I believe you need to reevaluate your staff.” He glanced at me before going back to eating.
“Again, I’m very sorry for the mix-up. I hope you enjoy your meal. I will have Ms. Evelyn add her discount to your bill to make up for the wait. If there’s anything else I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Customer satisfaction is a top priority here.”
Before Elliot could say anything else, he turned and walked away.
I knew it wasn’t likely that he’d fire me. I’d never had a customer complain before. Most of the people I’d served came back and requested to sit in my section time and time again. I could handle more tables than anyone else on staff, and I was able to get things done around the restaurant while keeping my guests happy. I was a valued employee. Nonetheless, I didn’t like that Elliot was trying to make me look bad.
“Let me know when you’re ready for your check.” I went to take a step, but he stopped me.
“I graded your paper today.”
I turned back to him. “And?”
“Much better. You organized your thoughts clearly, and it was easy to read; I enjoyed your point of view. I gave you a ninety-eight to keep from raising suspicion, but just so we’re clear, I expect everything you turn in to match the quality. Now that I know you can do the work, I expect the effort.”
I turned and walked away. So, he wasn’t going to give me the pass as he had promised. He was still going to make me work for it.
Despite all that, he’d praised me. He’d liked my work. I smiled at that because it was the only silver lining I had to keep going.
ELLIOT
She didn’t want me to see the smile on her face when I gave her my praise, but I saw it, and it caused excitement to surge through my body. If she was happy by getting my praise, I knew she was starting to accept the deal we’d made. If she was beginning to accept it, it was only a matter of time before she fully embraced it. I had to take it slower than I would’ve liked, but as long as we were moving forward in some way, I tried not to focus on the negative.
I continued eating my dinner and watching every step she took. I watched the way she talked to people, how she looked at them, how she’d move around them, how they reacted to her. Every single person she walked by had their attention stolen by her. The guys were checking her out, even the ones who were entirely way too old. And the women, they were sizing themselves up against her. None of them could compare.
I wish that she had gotten fired, though. I guess I didn’t realize that her manager was also under her spell. I hated how much I had to share her. There was school, homework, her friends, and a fucking job. She had too much shit on her plate. Something had to give, and it wasn’t going to be me. I would’ve liked to see her get rid of that fucking kid that kept sniffingaround her. I couldn’t blame him, though. If I had been him, I would’ve been the same way. Kid had good taste, I’d give him that.
Evelyn didn’t check on me again, but when I finished, I dropped a few hundred bucks on the table to cover my bill, the food her manager was going to make her pay for, and a hefty tip. I never hurt for money. I had seven figures in my bank. My family was prominent, and the college paid me well. I stood and left before she saw me. I had an itch that I needed to have scratched, and I knew she wasn’t ready for something like that just yet.
I found my way to a local bar that I’d gone to on a few different occasions. Inside was dimly lit, mainly by the lights on the bar and the various poker machines. The music was loud. The women were dancing in small groups. I wasn’t sure who was with whom since most of the guys were playing pool, darts, or hanging out around the bar.
I took a seat at the end of the bar and ordered a whiskey, drinking in the place. One small group of women dispersed, all going in a different direction. The bigger one went to the guy she was with, the short one went to the jukebox, and the prettiest of the group moved to the bar where she grabbed her nearly empty glass.
