Chapter 9
NINE
Sophie
“Good morning yourself, Chester. Have a great day,” I say as I continue walking towards the locker room.
Chester and I started around the same time.
He has joked at Christmas parties that he would love to be a playmate but he can’t have no one giving him instructions in the bedroom.
Ever since he made that joke, I remember it whenever I see him and it makes me laugh.
Funny, the things that stick in your brain about someone.
When I get to the locker room, I hang up my bag with my jacket on the same coat-hanger.
No one bothers with the actual lockers because everything is safe.
Nothing gets stolen because everyone can afford to buy whatever they want.
Casey is already here. I can see his helmet is on the shelf, next to his leather jacket hanging on the rack.
I hear someone open the door and look up to see Casey standing in the doorway.
“Oh, good, you’re here,” he says, pleased to see me.
“Good morning to you too,” I laugh back at him wondering what is going on as he looks all kinds of riled up.
“Sorry Sophie, good morning. Can you make lunch today? I need to speak to you.”
“I can make lunch today. Is everything ok?” I ask in concern.
“It’s fine, I just know we can’t discuss our playmate jobs when we are amongst the members and I need to discuss the job I took last night.”
“Did anything bad happen?” I ask in alarm.
“Oh no, no nothing like that. The opposite actually. Fuck this woman is messing with my head and I can’t stop thinking about her and I don’t know what I am doing.”
“Ok, calm down. I know exactly what you are talking about and it’s going to be fine. Some members we just work really well with and enjoy them a little more than others which is simultaneously a perk and a curse. Take a deep breath, playboy, and I’ll make it all better after work I promise.”
“Shit, ok thanks Sophie. I’m a mess. I feel like I’m one bad decision away from looking her up and tracking her down.”
“Let me save you from yourself, we have work to do now and then I’m taking you to lunch. Please try and behave until then. I like you, I don’t want you to get fired because you illegally looked up a member and turned up on her doorstep half naked with a rose between your teeth.”
“I wouldn’t!” Casey gasps. “Well, those rose thorns are sharp, it is never going anywhere near my mouth.”
“But the rest is ok?” I say sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
“Well she said she liked seeing me naked, sooo…”
“Honey, she is probably at home, married with two point four kids and a Dalmatian for all you know. Try and tame down the big feelings and gestures until at least after our shift, ok?”
“Ok,” sighs Casey as I spin him around and follow him out of the door.
We are walking up to the Marion Cafe when he whispers under his breath, “Hey look, it’s that guy again.
Does he literally come every day?” Casey nods at the man standing by the bar, smiling and waiting for us to open the cafe/bar.
“Shhh, don’t be rude, he’s one of my favourite customers,” I whisper under my breath.
“Hi Tye, would you like your usual?” I ask as we set about opening up and switch the coffee machine on.
“That’ll be great, thank you.”
“I don’t think you’ve been introduced to Casey, Casey this is Tye, my favourite member,” I smile brightly back at Tye who stands in his cream trousers and navy polo shirt, his light brown hair ruffled and unruly on top.
“Tye this is Casey, he is now my 9-1pm working partner in the Marion. He’s been here for just over six months,” I wink at Tye, who understands that I mean he’s only just been let in on the playmate secret.
“And he makes a delicious cappuccino if, on occasion, I am not here.”
“Good to meet you, Casey,” Tye holds out his hand for Casey to shake.
“I can’t find anyone who can make me a better coffee than our Sophie here.
I’m getting to the point where I can’t start the day without a brew poured by the hand of this beautiful woman,” Tye compliments playfully, I know he’s a flirt, he’s just being his true authentic self.
“Stop, you’re embarrassing me,” I complain as I playfully reach out and swat at Tye, who flashes me a smile that is all charm.
“You’re early and I need to warm this old girl up before she can brew you your addiction.
” I laugh as Tye’s eyebrow raises. “Go take a seat and I’ll bring it over,” I say, shooing him over to the seats as I begin moving around the register and switching everything on.
“Thank you, sorry, please don’t rush on my behalf,” says Tye, putting a hand against his chest. I guesstimate he is younger than me, maybe in his late twenties but oozes the charm of someone older.
He’s not smarmy or obnoxious, he’s self-aware and charming.
He always says the right thing and makes me feel at ease.
I like that about him. Because there are also plenty of people who can treat us like we are supposed to be there to serve them, it makes me feel like they’re looking down on us.
Most people aren’t like that, but I have come across a few of the younger guys who haven’t earnt their money and think we are there to be at their beck and call.
It all just feels yucky and I have my dickhead antenna raised whenever those types of guys are around.
I can tell Tye comes from money, everyone here has money.
His money is not earned is my guess, given his age.
But I’d expect he comes from a wealthy family, judging by his easiness around here.
Someone taught him well and I’m glad for it.
When Tye is out of earshot, Casey asks me under his breath, “Does he play golf every day?”
“I don’t think so, he doesn’t look like he’s dressed for golf. My guess is he comes in for coffee and meetings or something.”
“Or to see you.”
“No,” I rebuff. “It’s nothing like that, he’s just a nice guy, one of the good guys, like you.” I laugh at his unconvinced frown.
“I’m not sure. He’s been in every day. Seems unusual.”
“Not unusual, you’ll get used to all the members and their different quirks. Then tell me how you feel about Tye.”
“Fair. Nice guy, ok got it.” Casey shrugs, dropping the subject.
Within a few minutes I’ve made Tye’s coffee and am carrying it over with a biscotti balanced on his saucer. “Enjoy,” I say cheerily as I carefully place Tye’s coffee down in front of him where he’s seated overlooking the golf plains.
“Do you ever play golf?” asks Tye as I straighten.
“Oh no, I don’t even know how to.”
“Really? Isn’t that part of the rules of working here?”
“Oh no, we have different rules here, didn’t you know?” I say playfully, knowing he got my innuendo perfectly.
“Ah, yes,” he laughs as a red blush begins to creep up his cheek. He doesn’t look like he’s going to say any more so I turn as he blurts out, “I could teach you if you’d ever like to learn.”
I spin back to look at him, my eyebrows pulling in as I try and work out if I just heard him correctly. The pink flush is now a brilliant red across his cheeks, his embarrassment is adorable. “I haven’t been asked before,” I say honestly. “I don’t think I’d be very good.”
Tye clears his throat. “I am actually not that good,” he admits, which makes us both laugh. “But if you don’t mind a less than perfect teacher, I can show you the ropes?”
“That’s very sweet of you to ask, I guess I do wonder what all the fuss is about. I’ve been here for a few years now and have never hit a golf ball.”
“Let me show you,” requests Tye earnestly, which makes me feel bad saying no.
“I-I don’t want to take up your time.”
“You wouldn’t, it would be my pleasure,” he beams back at me. Oh, what harm can one lesson be? I wonder to myself.
“Oh go on then, I am interested even if I do not hold any of the skills.”
“Excellent. How about before your work shift starts? 8am?” An hour, I can do an hour, I think to myself.
“8am works,” I nod thinking about my timetable.
“Tomorrow?” he suggests, which makes me laugh.
“Oh yep, I can make tomorrow. Worried I might talk myself out of the lesson?”
“Something like that,” he replies warily.
“Okey dokey, let’s do this. One way or another, we are going to find out if I possess any of the skills needed to hit the ball.
Maybe come wearing all that cricket padding or something.
Sandy would kill me if I injured you in any way.
Which is not what I’m suggesting I am going to do, but also, it’s a long stick and balls.
And my god what am I talking about? I need to get back to work.
Enjoy your coffee and have a nice day Tye.
See you tomorrow,” I say, flustered and red faced.
“What was that all about?” enquires Casey as I walk back around the register.
“Oh god I just said long stick and balls. I think I am due a coffee myself,” I say as I slap my forehead with the palm of my hand.
“His?” asks Casey amused.
“No, but it did sound like that and I just made a twit of myself and now I need a coffee.”
“One coffee coming right up.”
An hour later, I put my hand in my pocket to pull out the keys to the locked supplies room but I realise I’ve left them in my handbag.
“I’m just going to grab my keys,” I tell Casey as I quickly make my way into the locker room.
I check my bag and no keys. Odd, I’m pretty sure I checked I had them as I was leaving my apartment.
I search all the pockets but nope. Maybe they fell out in the car?
I take my car keys out and go out to my car, look on my passenger seat, on the floor, down the sides and no keys.
I do remember checking my bag when I was leaving, but I concede that maybe that was another day’s past memory. I walk back into the building.
“Hey Ches, could you open the supplies room for me, I apparently forgot my keys today,” I ask, bemused at myself. Not only can I not get into the supplies room, I am also locked out of my apartment now. Lucky for me Mrs Mangle keeps my spare key so I won’t need to get a locksmith in at least.
“No problem Sophie, let’s go,” replies Chester, relieved he is not telling me off right now.
But he wouldn’t do that anyway, he’s always sweet to me.
I pocket my car key and walk with Chester back into the cafe and around the side to the supplies room.
“Would you like me to carry anything out for you?” Chester asks helpfully.
“Yes please, we need more coffee and the mini biscottis need restocking. Want a coffee for your help?”
“No thanks, I had my one cup a day already. Here let me carry those.” He lifts the two bags I’ve picked up and starts making his way out of the room with me following with a tin of biscuits behind him.
We go behind the counter and Chester helps me put away the coffee.
“Hey Chester, now Casey is working the mornings with me, could you sort him out a key too? In case I lose my marbles and misplace my keys again?”
“That’s no problem Sophie. I’ll have one cut and ready for him tomorrow.”
“Thanks Chester, I appreciate it.”
The rest of the morning goes fine without incident like usual. At 1pm we hand the shift over to the afternoon team, Donna and Franny.
We walk into the locker room together, I pick up my bag and take one more look to double check I didn’t miss my keys and there, in my zip pocket are, in fact, my keys which I swear I checked and double checked. Didn’t I? “That’s weird,” I frown at Casey, “I promise you I did check this pocket.”
“That’s odd then. Do you think someone borrowed your keys?” asks Casey, concern lacing his tone.
“Why would anyone? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Could you have dropped them and someone put them back in your bag seeing as it has your name on the keyring?”
“In the zipper of my handbag and not say anything? That seems even creepier.”
“Agreed. Is anything taken from your bag?” he asks and that hadn’t occurred to me to check.
“I literally have my keys, a lip gloss, my purse and throat drops. And they’re all here,” I say as I check all my cards are in my purse.”
“Are there cameras in the staff room?”
“Yeah I think so,” I say as I pull on my jacket and Casey picks up his helmet, following me out. We both look up at the camera at the end of the room.
“Ask the security guard to check?” suggests Casey but that seems like too much fuss.
“Nah, I have them now. Nothing has been taken, I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s go. I want to hear about your evening more than I want to hang around here to investigate.
“Are you sure, won’t take a minute I bet?” he offers.
“Forget it, I’ve moved on now. Let’s eat and talk.
I need all the juicy details of your playmate job last night.
See you there shortly,” I say as I climb into my car and watch him throw his leg over the bike.
There really is something deliciously hot about seeing a man with a sexy black bike between his thighs.
I must ask him to give me a ride some time.