| July 11 | Wednesday Afternoon |
~ Sam's POV ~
I fumbled with the last button on my shirt and gazed at myself in the full-length mirror. As excited as I was for my first day at Crossroads, I was also highly nervous. The anxiety of my first shift at this new job was eating away at my thoughts. Would the staff like me? Would they hate me? Doubt me? Would I be tested within my first hour on the clock?
There were so many things that could go wrong, but I knew better than to dwell.
You got this, I internally encouraged. It's just another day, except in a different office.
Megan hadn't returned from her interview at Bay Point, which could either be a good or bad sign. Either she was filling out paperwork or being told "sorry, but we just don't think you're fit for this position." The latter was highly unlikely, but according to Megan, teaching jobs weren't easy to come by.
Then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I reached for it and slid the text notification open.
Megan: "Well, Bay Point is a no go, but the principal told me about an opening at Palm Vista Elementary."
Sam: "Elementary? That's a bit younger than you were hoping."
Megan: "Sure, it's not middle or high school, but it's still a job."
I nodded to myself. Megan was flexible, and she could certainly get the job done. It would just be significantly different than her past jobs.
Sam: "I say go for it. I believe in you, babe."
Megan: "Thanks. Are you leaving for work soon?"
Sam: "Yep. Don't wanna be late on my first day."
Megan: "I'll see you tonight, then. I love you."
Sam: "I love you, too."
I put my phone away and grabbed the rest of my things before kissing Charlie on the head and bolting out the door. The drive to work was about thirty minutes, with traffic, which I didn't consider too bad considering we lived in the St. Petersburg area and I worked in Tampa.
After finding a parking spot, I relaxed into my set and took a deep breath. Everything was going to be fine. First days were always nerve-wracking, but it was part of life. Chris wasn't going to leave me hanging, the workers would love me... I mean, why wouldn't they? I was cool. Everyone at Jinx loved me. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.
I exited my car and made my way toward the back entrance of the venue. The band tonight had soundcheck at four, which gave me an hour to settle in and prepare for their arrival. The show didn't start until seven, doors didn't open until five, and bartenders got here at four to set up.
The kitchen crew was already here and greeted me as I passed through their domain. Chris would most likely be at the bar waiting for me, where we would run through his nightly procedures and routines. It wasn't predicted to be a busy night, so there shouldn't be any learning-under-pressure.
"Sam!" Chris greeted. "You're a little early."
"I hope that's okay?"
"It's great. We can get a head start on your training before the night kicks off."
My nerves settled as we fell into conversation. Then, without much hesitation, we jumped right in, which is exactly what I needed. He showed me where everything was, gave me keys to the office, showed me which keys were for what, because there was a lot of them, and continued to fill my head with information.
"I don't expect you to remember everything on your first day," he said. "But we'll have more training shifts so you can get more comfortable."
"Sounds good," I answered as I filled the bartenders cash drawers. "So, who's working tonight?"
"Tonight is..." Chris looked over his schedule. "Jade, Ty and Mia."
"And they're in at four?"
"Correct."
I checked my watch and realized that should be any minute now. The band had also arrived on time for their soundcheck, which was a huge relief for me.
"The bar radio is right here," Chris said. "We keep it on channel three. You and I get an earpiece."
Then he handed me what looked to be a brand-new earpiece with my initials on it.
"The door also gets a radio just in case they have trouble with tickets or cover. You might get called in either direction, but problems at the door rarely occur."
I took in the information with a stiff nod. Then, I heard an echo of laughter come from the kitchen door. I turned to see three people walk in and head straight for the bar, which led me to believe these were our bartenders for the night. I instantly tried to place names with faces, which in the end, wasn't a challenge at all.
On the left was a tall, lanky guy with droopy brown eyes that stared down his wide nose as he laughed with a lazy smile. He ran one hand through his relaxed, curly high-top, likely looking to shape it up before his shift. I immediately pinned him as Ty Williams, considering he was the only male of the group.
On the right had to be Mia Rodriguez. Her silky black hair, soft, brown eyes and smooth, honey skin gave her away. A part of me wondered if she had been gifted with a height above five-two, would she be on a runway instead of behind a bar?
And last but not least, squished in the middle, was Jade Hanson. She stood a few inches above Mia and held a playful, closed-mouth grin, as if she had been the one to crack the joke all three of them were laughing at. Wavy, brown hair bounced against her broad shoulders which were exposed in a tight tank top. Her most prominent feature though, was the tattoo that rested on her right bicep. And, as predicted, she was the first to speak first as she noticed my presence.
"Oh, a new face," she teased. "Bartender?"
"She's the new bar manager I was telling you about," Chris informed. "Sam, this is Jade."
A manicured hand extended for a shake and I clutched it with a firm grip, attempting to give off an alpha persona. I sensed the same aura from her as well. A part of me figured she was the top bartender just by her demeanor. We would either get along great, or not at all. I wasn't sure which it was yet.
"Manager?" She dropped my hand abruptly. "Goddammit Chris, you didn't tell me she was gonna be hot."
Chris crossed his arms. "Why does that even matter?"
"Because Jade can't sleep with her," Ty interjected as he stuck out his hand toward me. "Hi."
"Sam, Tyrone," Chris continued to introduce.
"Just call me Ty," he suggested. "My name scares white people."
I couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
Mia stepped up and offered her hand. Even her grip was delicate. I was eager to see how she performed behind the bar.
"Mia, Sam."
After meeting my staff for the night, I was excited to see what I was working with. Everyone seemed cool, but I knew better than to assume. I had done that before, and it had gotten the best of me. I also reminded myself I needed to keep boundaries. Making the same mistakes I had made at Jinx wouldn't happen here.
The bartenders got to work as me and my boss sat at a nearby booth to discuss more work stuff.
"Well, that was interesting," I expressed.
"Jade's very upfront." Chris leaned back into her seat. "But she's our best bartender."
"I can tell," I answered as I watched her move around her bar.
As Chris went on about things I should know, I caught Jade's glance falling onto me several times within an hour. It wasn't hard to catch because I was positive she wanted me to. Every time we locked gazes, she would give me, what I believed to be, her award-winning smile. Of course, I refused to return it. The last thing I needed was her getting the wrong idea because I came off "too-friendly" or something.
The shift proceeded smoothly, which was a let down because when things went smooth, you didn't learn much. I was pacing back and forth behind Chris, hoping something happened that would need our attention, but nothing.
Yet, aside from the monotony of the night, I realized Crossroads was a phenomenal bar and venue. The sound that came off that stage was crystal clear. The food looked amazing. The drinks were served with precision and timeliness. The bad was rocking. I mean, everything about this place was stellar.
"Tonight was an exception," Chris informed after the band began breaking down. "Usually we're a lot busier but, it is Wednesday."
"Friday is gonna be wild though," Ty said.
"Hope you're ready for an ass-kickin', Sam." Jade counted cash on the bar in front of me and Chris. "Tonight was child's play compared to what's comin'."
"And yet, you still made almost two-hundred dollars," I included.
"I just know how to work a crowd," Jade bragged.
Then, ironically enough, her striking jade-colored eyes glanced at me as she gave me a quick smirk and wink. I forced a stoic expression in response to the flirting in hopes to curve it. Was she going to keep this up for as long as I worked here?
"I'll be right back." Chris stood from his barstool. "Gotta go pay the band."
I remained seated as Ty and Mia conversed about ten feet away from me and Jade. A part of me felt uncomfortable being alone with her, but I knew it wouldn't be the last time. I had to get used to it, and I had to try and control it. If Jade was interested in me, which I was almost one-hundred percent sure she was, I would need to enforce boundaries.
"So how are you liking Tampa so far?" Jade asked while leaning on the bar, intentionally exposing her cleavage. "Have you gone to GaYbor yet?"
"GaYbor?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's kind of the spot for the LGBT crowd."
My expression must've confused her.
"You're gay, right?"
"Well yeah, but that's not something I want to discuss-"
"Oh, c'mon Sam, don't be so uptight. I don't bite." Jade tilted her head. "Unless you want me to."
"I'm engaged," I blurted.
The comment at least got Jade to hesitate instead of continuing to flirt with me. Her eyes traveled from my eyes down to my hands that were sitting on the bar. I knew what she was looking for, but unfortunately, my ring was off being sized. I folded my arms across my chest.
Jade caught my drift, but I was sure she thought I was deflecting. She raised her eyebrows in a condescending manner and leaned back, finally giving me room to breathe.
"I'm flirty," she revealed. "It's who I am, and I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable."
The apology wasn't sincere, but it was something. I could tell I had hurt her inflated ego, but she wasn't convinced I was engaged. I guess hard proof was needed, but I wasn't trying to appease her or her curiosity.
"Listen," I started. "I'm not trying to be a bitch, but I am your boss. Flirting is inappropriate with your uppers, regardless of if it's playful or not, okay?"
Jade bit her lower lip and propped herself on the bar with both arms. I could tell she wasn't taking to my comments, which made me worry about the future of our relationship. I didn't want problems, but I needed her to look at me as a manager and not a friend.
"Understood," she stated before grabbing her cash. "But for the record, Chris is the boss. You're just his bitch."
Then she left the bar without another word to me or her coworkers. Mia and Ty looked at me with curious expressions, probably wondering what the hell I had said to put Jade in a bad mood. I attempted my best fake smile to cover up the fact that I was fuming. I wanted to tell Chris, but it wasn't his problem if Jade didn't necessarily like me.
But with a new job came new challenges. I just had to learn to navigate them and hope I did, the right way this time.
***A/N***
Here's another update for y'all! I'm going to try to post once a week, but on top of working and developing/writing a new story, I can't promise anything. As much as I love Sam and Megan, I'm afraid the continuation of their story is sort of on the backburner, but there is a semi-developed season in the works. Just bear with me!
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And don't forget:
Be Proud. Stay You.
Lauryn