Dante
So... I had started the day with a minimum objective of getting a bed.
And I'm using the word minimum lightly here.
A bed was really the only thing on my list at the moment.
Somehow, I was ending the day by creating a supply list for Sammy.
He said he would handle getting the materials I would need to start fixing his roof. You could imagine my surprise when he led me up to another level of the gym which randomly opened up to an entire apartment.
I had tried so hard not to stare, but the interior of the flat was something... unexpected? Most of the walls were exposed brick, like the gym space downstairs. One wall held five expensive looking guitars that made me question whether Sammy actually played them, or just collected them. His tv stand was actually a bookshelf flipped on its side, and filled with countless trophies. And I meant filled.
There were some trophies around the bookshelf stands that couldn't fit inside.
I wanted to take a better look at them, but I was sure Sammy had brought me here for one thing and one thing only.
I didn't want to waste any more of his time.
Sammy didn't seem the most keen on me getting up onto the beams, as opposed to just using the flashlight. I tried to explain to him that it would benefit his wallet if I could see how much of the wood needed to be replaced. Nevertheless I gave myself my own heart attack when Grayson appeared out of thin air, and I almost lost my footing. His ceiling was up there up there.
The thought of our conversation afterward, also came flooding back to me... more specifically the part when I mentioned my father.
He wasn't someone I brought up often. He wasn't someone I really brought up at all anymore. I couldn't understand why I had felt so comfortable just saying those things in front of Sammy- someone I had literally just met.
It was some weird twisted fuckery- running away from a previous life only to have memories surround you in your new one. Just being in Fight Club was starting to unearth the anxiety and pain I thought I had dug and buried deep enough.
I knew I needed to stay away from that place the first time I entered it to deliver lunch.
So what was it about Fight Club that made me lose every shred of common sense? Or more specifically, what was it about Sammy?
Maybe it was those eyes? Or the messiness perfection of his hair whenever he pulled it back. The smile lines when he cracked a grin... It had to have been something, because making it home today with no furniture let alone a bed was not part of the plan today.
I sighed to myself, as I plopped down on the sleeping bag in my bedroom...
If you could even call it that.
The studio apartment was more like a closet. No bed meant that this was going to be another night on the floor, which also meant another morning of pain. I had tried to look at a few places online, but the delivery seemed to be just what I thought it was: an arm and a leg for me right now.
I thought about how long I could make it sleeping on the floor. Maybe I could hold off until my next paycheck? That wasn't going to be for another few weeks though taking into account the pay schedule and when I started...
As I crawled into that sleeping bag that night, there was one thing I didn't necessarily regret:
Getting away when I did.
Sure, Texas had a bed, and a home with hot water...
But it also had pain. Abuse. The stares. My father.
Him.
I would sleep on the ground in a back alley before even the slightest thought of returning crossed my mind. This was home now. All I could do was take the bad with the good and try to survive.
-
When I arrived at work the next morning, Howard was already in the back working on paperwork. As soon as I noticed him, I realized something:
Kassie was right about my nose.
Even though the ice had brought down the swelling greatly, Howard still had a puzzled look on his face when he welcomed me.
"What a jab." Was the first thing he said to me. I wasn't sure if that even counted as a good morning.
"Yeah, it's a long story." I replied.
Howard shook his head. "As long as it didn't happen in here, it's not my problem."
Well, technically it had happened right outside of Tidal Wave, but if Howard wasn't trying to be concerned, then I decided there really wasn't a point in concerning him. Before I even had the chance to say anything else, Kassie joined us in the back room.
"Well good morning everyone! Hey Howie." She chirped. Howard flinched at the nickname but said nothing as he acknowledged her with a head nod. "We've got a busy week coming up here with end month. We need to work on the menu and new inventory for the next month." She spoke to Howard.
He nodded again.
"We also need to incorporate Dante in a new set schedule."
Another head nod from Howard.
"I also wanted to work on some new ideas to spruce up the place, and get our customers involved. I was thinking we could-"
"I trust your judgement." Howard stood, cutting Kassie off completely. "Do whatever you want. I'm going to take a smoke break." That was the last thing he said before he left Kassie and I alone in the back.
"What a charming guy." I muttered to myself. Kassie unexpectedly broke out into laughter when she caught my words. "He's an alright person but a shitty manager. The nice thing is is that if you just talk a lot, he'll agree with whatever you ask."
That made me chuckle. It was now clear as day who the real manager was here.
"What I was going to say before Howard decided to take his second break this morning-" Second break? I glanced up at the clock on the wall just to double check, and sure enough, it was still barely passed nine this morning. The day technically just started. "Was that I wanted us to think of things our customers could be involved in. Maybe a raffle? Or bingo?"
I thought about the regulars and semi-regulars I had the pleasure of meeting this week, and I genuinely thought that Kassie had some good direction with this.
"Maybe trivia?" I proposed. "On our busiest nights, we could throw up a trivia question and the person who gets it right can drink for free that night."
Kassie's face lit up at that idea. "That perfect!" She exclaimed. "We could have different categories during the week, and maybe even make that extra chalkboard in storage the trivia board? This is some good stuff!" She had already started scribbling things down in an open notebook on the table. "Do you think I could put you in charge of getting that started? You can work on it just whenever you have some down time." She rushed that last part out.
I gave her a nod. "Absolutely. I'll let you know what I come up with."
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