9
1108 Words
Chapter 9
Eloise Brooke
'A bottle of red wine here'
'Five bottles of Heineken over here'
'A bottle of water, please'
'Three more glasses over here'
'Waitress, over here'
'Why the hell is your service here so slow? Can you f*****g attend to me?'
'I'm ready to make payment. Over here, waitress'
I knew working in the bar was a whole lot of work, but what I didn't know was the fact that it was this insane. My head was literally splitting with headache, yet there were still demands.
'You need to stay focused, Eloise. It's your first day here, you need to put in your best'.
I whispered to myself, trying to meet every customer's demand.
"A pack of cigarettes here, waitress."
Just when I thought I could get some rest, a man spoke behind me as I walked to the counter, and I paused.
"I guess there is no rest for me," I sighed as I glanced back at the man sitting across from me.
"Coming."
I grabbed the cigarette and went back to serve them. "Your cigarette is here, Sir."
He looked up at me. Eyes reddened. Lips chapped and rough.
"You didn't bring lighter? What am I supposed to use?" His voice was raspy and firm, his eyes bored into mine. I didn't mean to judge, but he looked like a junky... I wasn't being judgemental, the look on his face gave him away.
"Uhm... I'm sorry... I'll go get it." I hurried off and got them a lighter.
"Is there anything else you need?" I asked politely once I handed him the lighter.
His eyes roamed my body, a smug smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Yes. I might still need something."
"Alright, Sir. Please let me know what else I should get for you."
"Do you offer home service?" his eyes glued to my chest, he asked. "You don't look bad. At least you are prettier than the other girls. It would be fun, don't you think?"
I tightened my jaw, clenching my fingers tightly. My heart twisted in my chest.
"What do you say? The pay is good. I have friends that might be interested in you too. It's a good offer."
I wanted nothing at that moment more than to send a hot slap across his cheek to reset his rotten brain or punch him hard in that area between his legs, but recalling that it was my first day here, I had to control my anger and force a smile.
"Call me if you need anything, Sir," I bowed slightly and turned to leave, but froze on the spot when I felt a spank on my ass, bringing me to an abrupt halt.
"You have pretty soft ass, you know? I wouldn't mind having it twerk on my d**k, you know?" his voice had my skin crawling with disgust.
"Hey!" I yelled as I turned to glare at him. "What gave you the right to touch me? What f*****g right do you have to touch me with that filthy hand of yours?"
His jaw dropped.
A dead silence played in the atmosphere that even the sound of a pin drop would be heard. When I looked around, I realised that the other customers already had their eyes on me.
"I am only a waitress here, and not selling my body. If you so desire to get a woman, I guess you know where to go. Don't try this s**t with me again," I spat out then turned to leave.
"Do you think you are better than those women in the strip club?" His voice made me pause, and I bit my lip so hard that it almost bled. "It's our money they pay you with. How dare you speak to me in that manner?"
I was at least expecting one of the customers around to say something, but they all seemed to be enjoying what was happening. Not even the female ones stood up to defend me, and I knew that I was left to defend myself now.
"I am being paid for the service I render to you, which is serving you drinks, and not my body. If your Mom didn't teach you how to respect women, at least you should've learned that in school..." I paused, closing the distance between us. "But too bad you don't look educated enough.
SLAP!
His hand swung over my face, leaving a deafening slap on my cheek, and my hand flew to hold my burning cheek.
I reacted instinctively as I swung my hand in the air, but I froze at the person it landed on. Right on the manager's cheek. s**t!
"Eloise!" His eyes widened, his hand holding his cheek. "What do you think you are doing?"
I froze.
"I...I... I'm so sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to do---"
"Were you going to slap a customer?" He scoffed.
"Si...r..." my voice cracked.
"Don't you interview people here before hiring them? How could you hire a psychopath to work here? If she can't even take a simple joke, how come she's working in a bar?" The man gritted out. "She was seriously going to slap a customer? Is that what you do here? Treating your customers like piece of trash?"
I was expecting the manager to at least ask me what happened, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to the man and apologised.
"I'm so sorry, Sir. This is her first day here. I guess she doesn't know how things work here."
"Sir---"
"You are already causing trouble here on your first day. Is this how you are going to work here?" He turned to me and barked. "Customers are always right. Weren't you taught that?" He continued.
"Apologise to him, now!"
"Huh?" I looked up at him in disbelief.
"I just told you to apologise to him. What are you waiting for?" He glared hard at me.
Apologising to him was the last thing I wanted to do, but recalling how hard I tried to get a job before I got one here, I knew then that I didn't have a choice. I needed to make a living, and quitting here now wasn't a good idea.
"I'm sorry," I turned to the man and bowed to him with my heart aching.
"Go on your knees, now!" The manager instructed, and I didn't bother to argue with him. If this was the only way I could save my job, then I wouldn't mind.
With an heavy heart, I fell to my knees and held my gaze low as I said audibly. "I'm sorry, Sir. I shouldn't have done that."
- Writer
