Chapter 4 #2
How many times over the years did my mom tell me to be careful because most men aren’t good guys like my dad was?
I thought she was just being dramatic, but now I see what she meant.
It won’t matter that Cal made sexual jokes to get a laugh at my expense.
It won’t matter that I was just trying to do my job.
These entitled rich guys hold all the power, and I’m just a server. Nobody will believe me.
Ian seems to be taking care of Cal, thrusting a towel he found on one of the sailboats in his direction.
So, tucking my tray under my arm, I quickly head back across the grass.
I have a feeling Cal isn’t the sort of person to let something like this go and it’s probably only a matter of time before he reports me to Susan.
A second later I hear a voice call out my name.
Reluctantly, I turn around, and my stomach muscles unclench when I see that it’s Ian and not Cal charging across the lawn in my direction.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Cal.” Ian stops in front of me and shoves his hands in the pockets of his nylon sailing pants.
There isn’t any point in trying to be nice anymore, my fate is pretty much sealed, so I just shrug. “Your friend is an asshole.”
He nods. “I hope you know we’re not all like that.”
I remember Ian’s face, the hard set of his jaw, his tall frame towering over Cal telling him to apologize to me. But he didn’t deny that Cal is his friend, and he’s choosing to hang out with him, so I’m not sure what to think. “Sure. Whatever.”
He cocks his head to look me in the eye.
“Cal is on the team, and his dad pays a lot of money to the club, so we’re all kind of stuck with him.
He’s never been that bad before, though.
I’m sorry you had to be there.” He hesitates, his lips twitching as if he’s holding back a grin.
“Except the part where you… uh… helped him into the water. I’m definitely glad you were there to do that. ”
“I’m not,” I say, biting my lip. “Since it probably means I’m about to lose my job.”
Ian’s smile slowly fades. “Listen, Cal isn’t going to say anything to anyone.”
I blink at him. “I have a hard time believing that.”
“He’s not. I promise. We had a little talk back there, and I convinced him that it would be in his best interest to let everyone think he fell in.”
“What about the other guys? They saw what happened.”
“You think they’re going to tell? They don’t want to get you fired; they’re hoping you’ll throw Cal in the water again.” Ian leans closer. “I promise you’re not going anywhere because of this. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Thanks.” A weight lifts from my chest, and something in his voice draws my gaze to his.
I’m suddenly aware that the breeze has died down and the conversations of the bar patrons have faded to a dull hum.
I don’t know what to think of this conversation, or the way Ian makes me feel.
I’ve dated before. A few guys in school, a couple of dates to awkward dances, nothing that ever left me wanting more.
But this is different. There’s a hum just under my skin, like my whole body is suddenly tuned to him.
I’d think it was just me, just a silly crush on a good-looking guy who came to defend me, except his gaze holds mine, steady and unflinching, like he doesn’t want to look away.
“Happy to help.” He hesitates. “But I admit, maybe I’m being a little selfish, too. I really hope to see you around here more.”
“I’d like that,” I admit.
He opens his mouth like he’s about to say something else, but movement by the bar draws our attention.
I look over to find Alice gesturing wildly at Susan, the bar manager, who’s on her way from the dining room out to the patio.
Susan made it clear in my job interview that she’s been running the sailing club’s restaurant with complete precision for longer than I’ve been alive, and she doesn’t tolerate employees screwing around.
I’m pretty sure that tossing the son of a prominent member into the ocean counts as “screwing around,” but it sounds like maybe Cal won’t talk.
I wonder what Ian said to get him to agree to that.
I shift the serving tray in my hands. “I really should get back to work.” Reluctantly, I turn and head over to the bar. I get to Alice at the same time Susan does.
“I heard there was a commotion out by the dock,” Susan says in her no-nonsense tone, crossing her arms over her perfectly pressed shirt.
Alice looks at me wide-eyed, waiting for an explanation, too.
“Oh, uh—” I pick up a rag and get to work drying a tray of glasses to keep my hands from shaking. “Some of the guys from the sailing team were goofing around out there, and one of them accidentally fell in.”
“And you were there when it happened?” Susan asks, her voice stern.
“I—Yes,” I stammer. “I was just delivering their drinks and trying to stay out of the way.” I shrug as innocently as possible.
“You know how boys like to roughhouse.” I have a feeling that the guys on the sailing team have gotten away with bad behavior their entire lives under the guise of “boys will be boys.”
Susan’s nod confirms this. “I certainly do. Just hand them the drinks and try to avoid the ruckus. And let me know if they give you any problems in the future.”
As helpful as her words sound, I could never actually tell her about the kind of problems they gave me.
I’m well aware that I got lucky this time, thanks to Ian stepping in, but when it comes down to it, I’m just a server, and those boys come from families that pay thousands of dollars a year for the privilege of being members of this club.
But I nod because I will take one part of her advice.
I’m going to do everything I can to stay out of the way and avoid the ruckus next time.
Maybe I’m lucky I learned this lesson on Day One.
Susan heads off to talk to the bartender about some drink orders, and I can finally relax my shoulders.
“What really happened over there?” Alice whispers when we’re alone. “It didn’t just look like roughhousing.”
I set my empty tray on the bar. “One of them was kind of harassing me.”
“I bet they were giving you a hard time because you’re new,” Alice says. “Those guys are dicks.”
“They are,” I agree. But then I glance back across the patio and my eyes land on Ian, engrossed in a conversation, one hand wrapped around the drink I served him earlier.
The late afternoon sun dips lower in the sky, casting a soft glow around him.
As if he senses my gaze, he looks up, and his mouth curves into a slow smile, the kind that makes me forget whatever I’m supposed to be doing. “Well, most of them, anyway.”