Life Is (Mostly) Beautiful

9. And The Hits Just Keep On Coming

I was scared to walk into work. Terrified. My legs trembled just getting out of bed that morning and my heart beat dangerously fast. This was the last thing I wanted to do, but I couldn't simply not show up, could I? Who would be there to run things? Who would keep the staff in order?

I had tried to call in sick, but Mike hadn't returned any of my phone calls. So I had no choice.

As usual, I came in early to open the restaurant. When the staff started to come in, no one would meet my eyes. No one would speak to me and everyone went to their posts without me having to say anything. It was unnerving to say the least, because we all knew what hung in the air.

That was fine enough with me, I decided. The whispers and stares continued, but we went along in a mostly silently service. It was all good, until the lunch rush started.

"So that's the bitch that slept with my man?" A blonde, afro woman in leopard asked her male companion. I was changing out cups at the soda fountain, when I heard them at a table nearby.

Shanti was their waitress, and she looked like she was trying to calm her down.

"She has some nerve, showing her face. Does she even know those pictures are out there?" Pictures? As in multiple?

"Mariah, ease up," Shanti said. "She told me they didn't sleep together."

"Then why did he have hickeys and scratch marks down his back?"

"Look, I don't know," Shanti said, unconsciously picking at her acrylics. "But you said you wouldn't bring drama here."

I ignored them, but a few other patrons began looking at me and pointing. It seemed everybody and their momma had seen that picture. I tried to ignore the rude comments and hushed whispers by doing my work in the back, but the staff was hardly any better.

By 2 o'clock, I'd had it with everyone. There was no place inside the building for me to breath peacefully, so I ducked out the side door to where the smokers usually sat. In my haste, I hadn't grabbed my jacket, so I was freezing. I rubbed my arms quickly and tried to slow my breathing.

I'm gonna get through this, I'm gonna get-

"Hey Ma," a masculine voice said. Terror struck me because I thought it was Kente, but it was just the afro lady's compnaion.

"Do you need something?"

"I'm just trying to figure out what you doing out here all alone," he said coming closer.

"I'm on a break, and you can't be over here," I said firmly.

"Damn, you cuter in person," he said licking his lips. Before I knew it, he was placing his hand on my waist. I instantly panciked, shoving him away and kicking him where it hurt. "What the fuck?" he yelled going down.

"Shit," I gasped, surprised by the amount of force I'd used. I ran back into the building where luckily nobody seemed to have seen anything. Still, I didn't know what the man would do when he could walk again.

"Where're you going?" Shanti asked when I breezed by. I didn't pause in collecting my purse and heading for the door.

"Home," I gritted. Screw the restraunt, screw these customers. Mike could deal with it.

I almost made it to the door, but the man was already back, and he seemed to have told his friend.

"You bitch! You think you can come onto my brother too?" she screamed, getting the attention of the whole restaurant.

"I didn't do anything," I said shaking my head.

"There were you running to, huh? Huh?"

I ignored her and ran for the door, but she lunged for me.