"Amber!" Sammy roared from inside his office.
Clicking my jaw and rolling my eyes, I sat the glass mug I was drying down behind the bar and sighed deeply as I made my way out from behind the bar and through the busy bar over to Sammy's office. All I wanted was for this shift to come to an end so I could go get stupid drunk with Christy and forget the past couple of days. Instead of helping Amanda and Ramona clean up, here I am, leaning against the door frame of Sammy's office, watching him snort lines of cocaine off of a small glass mirror placed carefully on his desk.
Christy had spent basically the whole night clinging to Joe, not doing any work besides getting up to get Joe and the other 9 men more beer or more shots throughout the night. I wasn't pissed off though, her lack of caring about the other customers only made me even more busier which in the long run, I ended up making most of the tips since Ramona was the bartender tonight and Amanda is the waitress when my shift ends in fifteen minutes. But, since Christy's been doing nothing except fucking around, Amanda has been helping me.
"Yes?" I asked in annoyance.
Sammy snorted hard, tilting his head back and sighing in relief before looking over at me, staring me up and down, a sly smirk forming across his lips as he slowly nodded. I've never had a boss snort cocaine in his office in front of one of his employees before. But given the fact that the bar itself was located in inner city Boston, a rougher, poorer part of the city... it was something I guess I should have expected. Christy had already gave me the heads up about the neighborhood and how dangerous it apparently really was and to make sure all of the locks on the door to our apartment were always locked at all times and that I wasn't out of the balcony late at night, since we were on the first floor, at least not without a weapon or without somebody with me.
"Have a seat," He insisted, pointing at the chair in front of his desk.
Reluctantly, I stood tall and walked over to the chair, plopping down and folding my arms over my chest. Sammy tapped out a small amount of cocaine from a little clear baggy onto the mirror and held up a rolled dollar bill that he had been using as a straw to snort his cocaine with.
"Want a line?" He asked, staring up at me with bloodshot eyes.
I shook my head, "No thanks... I have to get back out there and help Amanda..."
"You sure? Christy tells me you've been through quite the shit the past couple of days. Do a line or two, escape Baby." He trailed off before snorting another line off the glass mirror.
Lovely, Christy told this fuck about my past...
Sammy sat back up in his seat using his thumb to wipe away any powder around his nostrils as he sniffled a little, "Ramona tells me that the tip jar is pretty full tonight. Don't be sad, that's a good start for you."
"Kind of hard to be sad about anything when you're too busy being a fucking champion," I stated snidely referring to the fact that I made a shit load of tips tonight.
"Yeah? well let me tell you how it works around here... new comers don't get tips." Sammy stated a matter of fact like.
I scoffed, "What the fuck do you mean?"
"It's how I do business. Don't like it? get the fuck outta here. Too bad you have no choice but to deal with it, huh?" Sammy taunted wheeling his computer chair over to the wall where a pin-up girl calendar hung.
"You see this? Do you see it?" He asked pointing at the the calendar.
"Yes...?" I asked in confusion and slight annoyance dripping from my tone.
"Good. Do you see these blue circles around the dates? Those are the days you're scheduled to work." He explained pointing at the calendar and then staring back over at me.
I shrugged, "Okay?..."
"You wanna make those tips and be able to bring home those tips?" he questioned in a low tone. "Then you gotta fucking earn those tips! Work these fucking days and you'll get those tips" His tone changed, becoming angry as he scribbled over the blue circle that indicated what days I worked.
"You work for me, you fucking work for me. You do as I say, when I say or you can go the fuck back to wherever the fuck it was you came from and starve." He laughed hysterically before spinning around in his chair and throwing the marker down on his desk.
I closed my eyes as I sighed in disbelief. This was my first night working here and I'm already getting fucked out of my own cash that I earned. I folded my arms and pressed my tongue against my cheek as I tried to keep my cool and not walk out of this shitty bar right now. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't just up and quit as Christy and I were strapped for money and since I just moved here... I need the money more now than ever before.
"This is bullshit..." I grumbled out loud.
Sammy's eyes widened at what I had just said.
"Looks like you're not working at all this weekend! You can thank your fucking american woman mouth for that! Now get out of my sight before I send you to clean the fucking toilets!" He shouted at me as he stood up and shooed me out of his office. "Go see if Amanda or Ramona have anything for you to do before your shift ends!" He added before slamming the door to his office shut behind me.
"Fucking asshole!" I mumbled out loud as I stormed through the bar, past the table with the group of nine men, and Christy sitting at it.
I hadn't noticed that they were all staring at me as I made my way over to behind the bar where Ramona was pouring shots and placing them on a tray for Amanda. I picked up a dish towel and started to dry beer mugs as I tried to calm myself down from what just happened in Sammy's office. Ramona chuckled to herself as she stared over at me.
"He's quite the asshole, isn't he?" She asked, finally speaking.
"Ha!" I laughed shortly, "That's an understatement."
Ramona leaned against the bar, inches away from me and folded her arms, "I bet if you went in there and batted your eyelashes at him, made him think that you'd be willing to sleep with his disgusting ass... I could almost guarantee that you would have got your tips tonight and then some."
"Or... I could bring a baseball bat in his office and I can almost guarantee that I would come back with my tips." I retorted as sighed loudly.
"Did he cut you down on hours?" Ramona asked dully.
I cocked an eyebrow at her, "Yeah, how did you know?"
"Because he does this to me at least once every week... he's a real prize." Ramona replied sarcastically.
"I gathered that..." I grumbled.
"I'm off all weekend now... which sucks because I need the money." I added, running my fingers through my hair and exhaling a deep breathe I had just inhaled.
"Look on the bright side, you get the weekend off and your shift is over." Ramona replied as she placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a warm smile.
I gave her a weak smile as I stared up at the clock noticing that she was right and my shift had in fact just ended. Thank God. Ramona pulled her hand back and walked over to the tray of shots of whiskey she had just poured moments before. Amanda groaned as she stomped behind the bar and slammed her empty tray down on the bar.
"Take this tray of shots over to your brothers table," Ramona instructed to Amanda.
Amanda sighed, "I really need to have a cigarette before I take over... Amber, can you do it for me?"
"Hurry up and go have your cancer stick. Amber, take the tray of shots over to that table and tell Christy thanks a lot for not helping whatsoever tonight." Ramona said, shaking her head in disbelief over at Christy.
"Amber!" Christy called out from the table she was sitting at, well, sitting on Joe's lap at. "You're off shift, get your fine self over here and have a drink with me!"
My heart sunk as Billy stared up in my direction making me become nervous and too shy to go over to the table. But before I could even think, say or do anything, Sammy flew out of his office and started shouting at me again. "Amber! Quit fucking around!"
"She's not, she's actually off work now and she's doing me and Amanda a favor so shut your ass up and calm down." Ramona shouted back at Sammy as she winked at me. I smirked, knowing that she had just told Sammy off for me.
"Thank you" I mouthed to Ramona who just smiled at me and nodded.
"Mmm...hmm..." Sammy mumbled suspiciously as his eyes shifted from me over to Ramona who was looking at him like 'try and say something to me right now... see what happens' eyes.
"What are you looking at?!" Sammy hissed at me. "Quit standing there like a stunned broad and get those shots to that table! Now!" He hollered making the whole bar stare over at me.
My face turned beat red in embarrassment as Amanda handed me the drink tray with shooter glasses full of what smelt like and looked like whiskey. Now I was annoyed and having a super hard time not throwing this drink tray at Sammy's head and walking out on him. Instead, I kept my cool and made my way over to the table of men, drink tray in my hand and an annoyed look on my face.
"Here's your round of shots..." I mumbled carelessly as I sat the tray down on the table and waited for all of the men to grab a shot glass off of the tray.
"Got a name, baby?" Amanda's brother 'Baggy' asked.
What kind of fucking name is Baggy?
"Well, yeah." I replied in an obvious tone.
"It's Amber... remember? Christy just called for her." Joe, Christy's boyfriend answered Baggy's question.
"Do you guys want anything else?" I asked looking at the rest of the men.
They all shook their head 'no' as Billy remained silent and threw back the shot of whiskey and placing the now empty shot glass back on my tray. He glanced up at me as he pulled out a cigarette from his pack and placed one between his lips, lighting it and inhaling deeply all while still staring at me, making me even more nervous than I already was.
"You coming home with me tonight?" Baggy asked with a wink. "Invite you over for some fun" He added.
"Can't, I'm going to be busy shitting in my own mouth." I replied sarcastically as I grabbed the empty drink tray and turned to walk away. I was in no mood to deal with drunk pigs right now. I could hear the rest of the guys laughing and snickering at how I just told Baggy off.
"Fucking bitch." Baggy mumbled.
Slowly, I turned back around and stared at Baggy in shock.
"You got a problem, backpack?" I asked, mocking his name and making Joe choke on his drink from laughter. Some of the other guys 'oo'ed' while Billy smirked, staring down at the ashtray as he flicked his cigarette ash in it.
"No? good, then shut the fuck up." I hissed before staring over at Christy who was laughing her drunk ass off. I pressed my tongue against my cheek and rolled my eyes, "Drunk?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm fine!" Christy tried to reassure me as she almost fell off of Joe.
I rolled my eyes, "Clearly."
"Amby... have a drinky with me!" She begged in a whiny tone.
Joe pulled out his cellphone that had just vibrated and read the text he had just received. Christy burped as she leaned her head down and stared at Joe's phone screen. Joe frowned, knowing that Christy was about to pull her shit and flip.
"Who the fuck is texting you?" She asked angrily.
"Does it matter?" Joe asked clearly annoyed.
"If it's that fake blonde bitch texting you again and I catch you texting her back... I will punch your lights out!" Christy threatened, climbing off of Joe and tripping, falling down to the floor.
"Jesus Christ..." I mumbled crouching down and pulling Christy back up to her feet. "Alright... time to go. Let's go Buck Rogers." I added, struggling to hold her up as she was flailing around.
"No!" Christy exclaimed, yanking her arm out of my grasp and sitting back down. "Sit down and have a fucking drink with me!" Christy exclaimed, grabbing a shot and throwing it back.
"Yeah, sit down, you can sit on my lap." Heco insisted, winking at me.
I shot him a glare and laughed in disbelief as I turned and looked at Ramona who was still standing behind the bar, "Can you call us a cab please?" I asked. Ramona nodded and walked over to the phone that was hanging on the wall and proceeding to call Christy and I a taxi cab.
"God, you're such a buzz kill," Christy growled up at me.
"Yeah, sit down and stay a while." Heco joined in, grabbing at my waist, trying to pull me down on his lap.
I sneered at him as I grabbed his wrists and roughly shoved his hands off of me. Billy's jaw tightened as she now stared over at Heco who had just grabbed me again, this time pulling me down on his lap. I gritted my teeth and elbowed him roughly in the stomach before standing back up but before I could walk away, Heco grabbed my arm again and tried to pull me back down.
"Let me the fuck go!" I hissed at him.
"Come on Amber, what's your problem? Loosen up," Heco laughed, pulling me back down again.
"I don't think she wants to sit on you or anything to do with you, dog." Bodie finally spoke.
"Let me the fuck go!" I shouted this time, shoving myself off of him and fighting to get away from the table.
"Here, have a drink!" Heco exclaimed, wrapping his arm around my waist so that I couldn't move as he pushed a glass of whiskey over to in front of me on the table.
"Let me g-" I started but was cut off.
"Enough." Billy barked at Heco, firmly.
Heco instantly let me go and his expression dropped. I jumped back up and growled in disgust before staring down at Christy and narrowing my eyes into a cold hard glare at her. Billy slowly stood up next to me, towering over me as he stood about 6'2 and I stood maybe 5'6-5'7. Billy smirked as he put on his leather jacket and fixed the collar before lowering his lips down towards the side of my face, inches away from my ear.
"Get her home." He said coolly in a low tone, sending shivers up and down my spine as his warm breathe tickled my skin.
"Come on, let's get some fuckin' work done tonight." Billy said to the rest of his boys, nodding towards the door.
I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, I just stood there stunned, watching as Billy casually walked towards the bar doors. Once him and his gang were out of the Four Roses, I dragged Christy outside and lit a cigarette as we waited for our cab to arrive.
"I think I'm going to be sick..." Christy moaned.
"It's two in the morning." I stated randomly.
"So?" Christy asked in annoyance.
"Billy said they had work to do... what kind of work is it that your boyfriend Joe and his brother do?" I asked suspiciously, already knowing the answer deep down.
"They sell fucking bibles, Amber. What do you think." Christy snapped in a sarcastic manner.
I rolled my eyes and ignored her comment, staying silent for the rest of the wait. Finally the taxi came and I shoved Christy inside the backseat of the taxi cab before the cab proceeded to take us home. By the time we made it home, Christy had already passed out. Which partially sucked for me as that meant I had to drag her/carry her inside the apartment and put her drunk as to bed but was also nice as she was passed out and could no longer annoy me.
Once we were inside of our apartment, I struggled to hold Christy up as I locked the door behind us and then untied Christy's converse shoes and carelessly tossed them onto the shoe rack. Sighing, I wrapped her arm around the back of my neck and wrapped my one arm around her back and dragged her into her room where I then tucked her into her bed followed by going into the kitchen and getting her a glass of water which I then left on her nightstand beside her bed where a bottle of Advil already was placed.
"Amber..." Christy called out in a groan.
I closed my eyes and sighed, stopping dead in my tracks before turning around and placing a fake smile across my face.
"Yes?" I asked in a fake cheerful tone.
Christy groaned again before speaking, "There's a lot that I have to explain to you in the morning..."
Lovely...
"Get some sleep..." I said dully before leaving her room.