Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“And she’s swooping by to snatch it up before you get the chance?” I guess, and she nods emphatically.
“I caught her. But when I called her out on it, she just shrugged and said, ‘Well, I guess if you were a better server, people would tip you.’”
“Oh, fuck that.”
“Right?” She jabs her finger into the air, pointing at me. “Right? I’m so mad. I bet she’s copped more than fifty bucks from me.”
“You need to talk to someone right now, Sarah. Not me, but Gordy or Sunny.”
“Oh, I plan to. I just knew that if I did in that moment, I would make a scene and probably get fired.”
“Make the fucking scene.” I stalk over to her and take her hands in mine. “For once, just make the goddamn scene, Sarah. Throw the biggest fit that Angela has ever seen, and make it crystal clear that she’s not to fuck with you ever again.”
“I’m going to,” she decides and grabs my face on both sides, yanks me to her for a hard kiss, and then pushes away. “I’m going to right now.”
She stomps away, and knowing that I can’t miss this, I march right behind her, locking the gallery door on the way.
Her stride is hard and purposeful, and if I were Angela, I’d be damn scared right now.
“She thinks she can fucking steal from me?” Sarah rants, her voice shaking with anger. “I won’t have it. I will not have it.”
Make that terrified. I’d be terrified if I were Angela, and I make a mental note to never piss her off like this.
It’s a wrath no man has any business evoking from a woman. Not if he values his neck, anyway.
Sarah yanks the door of the diner open, and I have to move fast to catch it so it doesn’t slam in my face.
“You,” Sarah says loudly, pointing at Angela. “In the back, now.”
“I have customers,” Angela begins, but Sarah snarls at her.
“I said now.”
Sunny and I share a look, then follow the other two back to the break room.
“What’s happening?” Sunny whispers to me.
“Angela’s been stealing Sarah’s tips all morning.”
“Oh, hell no.” Sunny makes a move to walk over and take care of things, but I put my hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
“Let Sarah fight this battle.”
“You’ve been swiping cash off of my tables all goddamn morning,” Sarah begins, shooting daggers at her foe. “You can hate me all day long, but you won’t fucking steal from me, Angela.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She examines her chipped nails, as if she’s not worried in the least about what Sarah has to say, although her eyes do slide over to see that Sunny and I are listening. “People just don’t tip piss-poor waitresses. You should step up your game.”
“Uh-oh,” I mutter when Sarah’s already heaving chest quickens. “You might want to call the cops. I have bail money.”
Sunny just shakes her head.
“I’m going to file charges,” Sarah says, her voice much calmer than her body language. “I’m filing charges for the stolen tips, and for you breaking into my house.”
Angela’s jaw drops. “Wait, what? I didn’t break into your stupid house. You don’t have anything that I want.”
“Obviously I do, because you’ve stolen it from me. And now that I think about it, my tips were low the other day, too. I think you’ve been skimming off my tables ever since I wouldn’t cover your shift just so you could go to a motherfucking concert. And you’re going to pay for it.”
“I didn’t break into your house, you stupid bitch,” Angela yells back. “But yeah, I took your money. It’ll teach you a fucking lesson not to be a cunt to your coworkers.”
“And that’s all I need,” Sunny says brightly. “Angela, collect your things and get out of here.”
“No way,” Angela counters, shaking her head wildly. “I’m not getting fired over that sack of trailer-trash garbage. She’s lying about all of it. She’s just like her mother, probably hiding the money so she can make me give her more for drugs. That’s what those people do.”
Now, the woman sounds like a lunatic and is changing the story again.
“That’s enough,” Sunny snaps, but Sarah’s already flown into action, her fist reared back, and I snag her around the waist and hang on with all my might, preventing her from clocking Angela in the nose.
“Let me at her,” Sarah snarls, but I hold on tight.
“She’s not worth it,” I say into her ear. “She’s already lost her job. Don’t you lose yours, too.”
“I don’t care about the job.”
But I know that she does, and we watch together as Angela rants and yells, but she gathers the stuff out of her locker and turns to Sarah.
“You’re going to pay for this, you piece of shit.”
“Oh, good, more threats. I’ll add it to the complaint I’m going to file today.”