Chapter 4 #2
I looked over at my new arch-nemesis. He didn't bother to respond.
He just picked up a nacho and chewed slowly.
I became irritated at his cold shoulder at this point.
I had already apologized, so I wasn't sure what else it was that he needed me to do to ease the tension.
One thing I knew was I refused to kiss his ass.
"I'll be back with more napkins."
I quickly spun on my heels to grab napkins, frustrated that I was trying my hardest to be the bigger person in the situation.
I was over him. I had apologized, given him good service, and even gotten his food to him at a decent time, yet he still treated me like scum on the bottom of his shoe.
I delivered the napkins without a word, checked on my other tables, and started on my side work so I could head home.
Thirty minutes later, all my tables were gone except for the three men. They had finished all their food and were on another round of drinks. I stood behind the bar with Chasity as the crowd died down and the restaurant was quieter.
"I wish they'll wrap this shit up. I'm ready to go home. I have to come back and do a double shift tomorrow," I whined.
"They should wrap up soon. How about this? Once they pay, I'll clean off the table for you and you can head out."
"You sure?" I asked Chas.
"Yeah. I'm off tomorrow, so it's no big deal."
Fifteen minutes later, the table waved me down.
"Yes?"
"You can bring the bill. It'll be one check," Vance requested.
I immediately ran to the computer and printed out the check.
Their total was one hundred and seventy-five dollars.
I placed the bill on the table, and the man who had ignored me all night reached for it.
He slid his black card into the booklet and handed it to me.
The two guys laughed as he sat there, shaking his head.
A part of me was curious to know what that was about.
However, I didn't have the bandwidth. I knew the quicker I settled the payment, the faster I could get home.
I looked down at the card and read the name Tremaine Houston.
I rolled my eyes and swiped the card, placing the receipts in the booklet with a pen.
I dropped the check off and looked at them. "Again, I would like to apologize for my earlier behavior. I'm not like that. I hope I haven't ruined your experience here at Justine's."
Vance smiled. "Not at all. We all have our days. We'll be back."
"Yeah. What he said," Owen joined in.
They both looked over at Tremaine as if they were waiting for him to confirm. Instead, he handed me the book and stood up from the table.
"I'll holla at y'all boys later."
They both looked at me with soft eyes.
"Give him time. He'll come around," Vance commented, standing, and Owen followed.
"Thanks, see you guys soon."
They handed me some folded cash and walked out with smiles on their faces. I made my way back to the bar and laid my head down, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Get out of here. I'll clean-up for you," Chas offered.
"I am. I just needed to sit for a second."
"How much did they tip you?"
"I haven't even checked."
I opened the folded bills, and my eyes widened. There were five twenties. I looked up at Chasity, and she had a silly smirk on her face.
"Chas, this has to be a mistake. This is two hundred dollars!"
She nodded. "Yep, them niggas got money. They always tip like that when they come in. You probably would've gotten more if your attitude wasn't shitty in the beginning." She laughed. "Look and see how much was left on the receipt?"
I scoffed. "He definitely didn't leave me shit. He didn't even look at me for the rest of the service." I pulled out the booklet and almost fell out of my seat when I saw how much was on the tip line. One hundred and fifty dollars.
"Chas, th-this has to be a mistake."
She looked over. "Nah, no mistake at all. He must not have been as pissed off."
I was stunned. I couldn't believe I made two hundred and fifty dollars in tips from three men. I was even more surprised that the one who barely wanted to be bothered with me anymore left the most.
"Appreciate it. You could've walked out of her with five dollars," Chas said. "Get out of here and get some rest. I'll call you later."
I closed my eyes, thanking God that I had enough money to cover my Uber for the night and to cover my week at the extended stay hotel that KJ and I were staying in.
My Uber finally arrived, and I was on my way to the extended stay.
Chasity's mom was keeping KJ for the night since I had to work tomorrow morning.
On the ride to the hotel, my mind kept going back to Tremaine Houston.
A part of me wanted to know more about him.
I was intrigued by his ability to show kindness after everything.
Once I arrived at the hotel, I immediately got ready for bed.
I scrolled through my phone, looking at job listings.
My resume was horrible. I received several rejections via email, but I needed a job that would help me get on my feet.
It wasn't fair that KJ and I had to live in a hotel.
Chas crucified me for not asking for alimony, but I didn't want any contact with Kyle.
KJ could speak to Kyle through his iPhone using Wi-Fi, but I made sure to stay out of the room whenever the two spoke.
I wanted nothing to do with Kyle, and if that meant starting from scratch, then so be it.
A position for an administrative assistant popped up, so I clicked on it to apply.
The skill sets were simple: answering the phone, scheduling appointments, and managing the office.
It was worth a shot. I sent in my application and went scrolling for more opportunities.
After applying for five more jobs, I closed my phone and shut my eyes.
I said a silent prayer for KJ and me, praying that my head would eventually come from underwater.