Life Is (Mostly) Beautiful

6. She Works Hard For The Money

"Look Trina, you're allotted one 30 minute lunch break each day, but you've been sitting and talking to Collette for over an hour," I explained patiently. "This is the last time I'm having this conversation with you."

"Ok, are you done now or can I go back to work?" she asked rolling her eyes.

"Before you go, hand me that stack of applications please?"

"Applications?" she asked, passing the stack. "For what?"

"For the girl that's going to replace you if you don't get it together."

Trina instantly straightened her back and huffed back out to the dinner floor. For the rest of the night, she wiped down her tables well and was only rude to two customers. I sighed and tiredly ran a hand through my hair as I watched her work. Handling money was the easy part of my job, but managing people was hard.

More and more, Mike had been sloughing off his responsibilities on me. I didn't mind because I knew I needed the experience if I was going to run this place some day, but it was still stressful.

Ok breath, just breath. I could do this.

***

One Year Ago

"Congratulations again on your promotion Alena," Leonard, my boss, mentor, and friend said to me in his office.

"Thank you Lenny. I couldn't have done it without your tutelage," I beamed.

"So what can I help you with?" He asked, stretching back in his plush, leather chair.

"I actually wanted to talk about my promotion," I said cautiously. "Lenny, I know I've only been here for two years but my numbers are amazing, and I have more billable hours than my entire team combined. I guess...I'm just wondering why Nick got promoted to Senior, and he's only been here a year and a half."

"That's a fair question," Lenny said, scratching his chin. "The simple answer is that Nick's influence with clients is greater than yours. We felt he was ready to be in a more client-facing position than you were."

"Oh," I stated, feeling embarrassed. "Well, maybe if I could take on more responsibilities, I'd be able to improve right?"

Brik, having been a couple years older than me, was already a Senior Data Analyst at the firm. He told me that if I wanted to be a Senior Business Analyst by next year, I had to learn the Senior role, and perform it better than the current Senior.

"That's not a bad idea," he agreed. "We'll talk at your year-end review."

I left his office with a smile on my face and determination on my mind.

Nick wasn't as hard-working as me, and he was more than willing to have me take on some of his work. I also made a point to take note of the Manager's duties because in a few more years, I wanted to be in her position. The end goal, however, was to eventually make Partner at the firm.

I spent the whole rest of that year nearly working myself to death taking on tasks for both the Senior and Manager, while doing my own job on top of that. It was hard, but I was determined to succeed. The whole time, I just kept thinking in my head, I could do this. I could actually do this.

***

"How you doin Alena?" Kente asked, sliding up to me at the register. It was the end of the night, and I was emptying out the register to count it. Only me, Kente, Shanti, and a few of the dishwashers were still here.

"Tired, Kente. Did you finish mopping the back?"

"Sure did Boss Lady. What else you need me to do?"

"Uh here's the closing checklist. Can you check the bathrooms?"

"Hold on, hold on let me see," he said moving closer to me. Rather than taking the checklist from my hand like I thought he would, he instead placed his hands on my shoulders and rubbed. "Damn, you are so tense."

"I am now," I said, my shoulders rigid from his unwanted touch. "Please stop."

"Come on ma, I can tell you need this."

"No, I really don't!" I snapped. Work had only been getting harder. Most of the staff's work was still half-assed, the younger girls still didn't respect me, and Mike hardly showed up to work anymore, so I had to take on his jobs. On top of that, one of the employees quit last week, but not before taking $200 out of the register--and Mike blamed me for it!

"Hey, look, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know you've had a rough week, and I'm just trying to make you feel better."

"I know, and thanks. I just...I need a nap," I yawned. It was already midnight and I still had to come in at 7 tomorrow to open the restaurant.

"Sleep in my arms," he said, softly wrapping his arms around me and rocking me slowly. It was tender and sweet. Against my better judgement it was actually...nice.

"Thank you Kente," I mumbled, wanting so bad to give in to my sleepiness.

"Oh, well look at this!" a voice called out. My eyes flew open to see Shanti standing in front of us with her hands on her hips. "I didn't mean to interrupt nothing," she smirked.

"No, you didn't," I said pushing Kente away, a little harder than I intended to. I ignored the brief look of dejection on his face while I scrambled to pick up the receipts and coupons I'd been sorting. "You going home Shanti?"

"Yep, came to clock out," she said, a strange mix of confusion and amusement on her face. She scribbled her time on the timecard sheet and handed it to me. "Dueces."

"You can go home too if you want Kente," I said to the register, too embarrassed to look at him directly.

"No, I'm good. It's alotta work here and you shouldn't have to handle it alone."

"Thanks Kente," I said softly. He may be annoying when he was trying to hit on me, but he was a good employee and a good man at heart.

We spent the whole evening, and even into the morning, cleaning up and taking inventory even after everyone else left. He kept me laughing and smiling the whole time, talking about his high school days and what a trifling kid he'd been.

"I can't believe you were the one who spray-painted Principal Hershad's door!" I laughed, nearly choking on the ice-cream cone we'd snagged from the machine. "That was so mean!"

"I simply gave him an embalm I thought represented him better," he said innocently. "Shit, no I was a bad kid. That's crazy we never crossed paths though."

"Not really, I always kept to myself. I was never as cool and outgoing as Shanti and her friends,"  I shrugged.

"I don't believe that for one second. You had a tough mama, came from a tough hood, and you still escaped out--that's pretty dope."

"Please, I'm a college dropout who's mother doesn't even want her. The truth is, I used to think I was better than everyone else here, because they didn't try hard enough. But that's not true. For most people it's circumstance and lack of opportunity, but it's not their fault."

"You may be done chasing your dreams, but I don't think your dreams are done chasing you," he said softly.

"What does that even mean?" I giggled.

"It means you're going places Alena Parker, and I wanna be with you when you do." He leaned and kissed me, softly but urgently. After a moment, I relaxed into his embrace and let him hold me until it was almost dawn.