Him, Her and Me

“I’m out tonight and you’re in charge!” Said my Boss, she turned on her heel and flounced out the double doors, without so much as a goodbye. Like the mature woman I am, I pulled a face and stuck my fingers up at her as she left. Not the most professional response, granted, but she had the uncanny knack of being able to ‘boil my piss’ with just her mere presence!

Rebecca (The Boss Bitch) had been appointed whilst I’d been away on Maternity leave.  I’d only been out for 2 months… If my fanny hadn’t taken so long to heal after the car crash it had turned into from giving birth, I’d have been back sooner, and her job would’ve been mine.

I’d had to re-interview for my job before coming back, she wanted us all out really, but I knew the running of the place like the back of my hand and that wasn’t something she could overlook. It wasn’t the start back I was hoping for… but then again, I wasn’t expecting what happened next either.

It was only 6pm and already 2 of the barmaids had phoned in sick, I just prayed that Jo (my trusty sidekick) wouldn’t let me down, I’d be on my own at this rate and as it was Friday night, we were gonna be slammed.  Rebecca’s daughter, Aimee, was at the end of the bar. Every shift I was on, there she was, like a walking, talking spy camera with a huge stick up her arse. “Why did you come back here? You know she’ll get you out eventually” she sneered.

 It was the same tired line I had heard every day I’d been back. I turned to face her, took a pound coin out of my back pocket and flicked it at the little tart – “Take this quid and phone someone who gives a fuck! I’m sick of your whining and you’re making my bar look dirty, now Piss off!” I snarled! She slid of her stool and swiped the three or four empties off the end of the bar as she stomped out.   “Nasty little bitch!” I muttered.

As I swept the glass up into a dustpan, a pair of shoes stopped just in front of me…. smart but worn-in, a little soft around the edges, comfy looking.

“Settle down Cinders, she’s just looking out for her Mum” – a voice like liquid chocolate came from somewhere above the shoes. I recognised it; I’d been answering calls to this guy all week.

Every day like clockwork, he would call at 8pm to speak to Boss Bitch and every day he would flirt with me until I put him through. I got to my feet without making eye contact, I didn’t want to look at him. His voice already made me throb. “If you’re after Rebecca, she’s out for the night” I said as I finally met his gaze. The corners of his mouth twitched, and his green eyes widened just a little. “How do you know, I’m not here for you?” his tone was light and playful, but I was in no mood to play games tonight. It was gonna be busy and I couldn’t afford to show struggle, least of all to anyone on her side.

“Look mate, let’s cut the crap shall we? I don’t know where she is, I don’t know when she’ll be back and I could really do without you up my arse all night, checking I’m doing my fucking job!” – it came out a little harsher than I’d anticipated, but still he held my gaze. “I’m your cover for the evening, what is it you call her, Boss Bitch? She called me in after the second no show tonight. She isn’t all bad you know” His tone was soft, his smile warm.

“Oh, am I meant to curtesy in the deepest gratitude that she’s thought about her bar for once? I get it…” I fumbled around my brain for his name, but it just wasn’t there. “Shane” he offered. “Next time you want to give someone a dressing down, it would do you well to remember their name first. Stops you looking stupid halfway through…Leah” he teased. “Cocky Fuck!” I laughed my reply.

It’d been a long time since someone had spoken to me like that and despite myself, I had to admit, I liked it. He was every bit the flirt in person as he was on the phone, I was going to enjoy tonight and hopefully, so would he.

I tilted my head to the side, curiosity etched into my face.… “you tell me your name, every time you answer the phone. Here I was thinking you were the smart one” he gently taunted.

As I opened my mouth to reply, Jo burst in announcing her lateness in deafening volume. “Sorry babe, I was with Jack, lost track of time” she let out a raucous laugh. She loved to rub it in that she was getting laid every 5 minutes, while I was too busy trying to stuff my post pregnancy flab into a pair of spanx, to feel even remotely sexy.  Jo seemed to have brought half of the high street in with her and the pub was filling up fast as she dashed upstairs to change. “You gonna stand there looking pretty all night or you going to put me to work?” Shane hollered over the music the DJ had started to belt out. “You have no idea” I winked.

He moved effortlessly behind the bar, like he’d been there a thousand times before, a natural ease fell between the three of us and I felt like I was ‘home’. All of a sudden, a fight broke out in the corner, a glass came hurtling behind the bar and smashed into the shelf above my head, the glass rained down on me. I hadn’t felt it at first, it was the scream from Jo as the music died, that told me it was bad. As I put my hand to my head, I felt the warm stickiness of the blood mixing with my hair, I heard Shane call my name and then it went black…

 

 

To find out what happens next, join me for part 2