The Mess
1200 Words
Chapter 3
The Mess
(Aspen’s POV)
By the time I reached the catering hall, my feet felt like they were made of lead. I slipped through the back entrance, tied my apron, and grabbed a stack of menus, hoping I could blend in before Rachel noticed me.
No such luck.
“There you are,” Rachel snapped the moment she saw me. “Late again.”
My stomach tightened. I glanced at the wall clock. I still had three full minutes before my shift started.
“I am not late,” I said quietly.
Rachel lifted her chin, looking down her nose at me. “You are late when I say you are late. Tonight is important, Aspen. Do not ruin this.”
I swallowed the humiliation. “What is the event?”
“It is for the San Diego Cyclones. They won tonight, so the owner is throwing a celebration. Very wealthy people here. Very important. Keep your eyes down and your ears shut. Do not get involved with anything you hear or see.” She stepped closer. “And try not to embarrass me.”
Before I could respond, a group of servers strolled in behind me, all clearly late. Rachel did not say a single word to them.
She only ever spoke to me this way.
“Get to work,” she ordered.
I nodded, grabbed a tray of hors d’oeuvres, and pushed through the swinging doors into the event hall.
The sight took my breath away.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead. Women in shimmering gowns laughed with champagne glasses raised. Men in tailored suits talked loudly near the open bar. Everything gleamed. Everything radiated wealth.
And then I saw them.
The players.
I could tell instantly who they were. Taller. Broader. Powerful in a way that had nothing to do with the suits they wore. Their presence filled the room like electricity. My father would have loved to see this. He loved winter. Loved hockey. Loved the Cyclones.
The memory twisted inside me. I forced myself back to my job.
I kept my eyes low as I walked the circle of guests, offering food without speaking. My heart pounded from the noise, the crowds, the pressure not to make a single mistake.
Jack caught me between trays.
“You look tense,” he said with a grin. “We should go out this weekend. The new Korean place downtown is amazing.”
“I cannot,” I said.
“You always say no. It will be on me. Come on. It will be fun.”
Before I could decline again, Rachel’s voice cut across the kitchen.
“Aspen. Stop flirting. Get back out there.”
She said nothing to Jack.
She never did.
I lifted my tray again and headed back into the ballroom.
I barely took three steps when a girl spun toward me, drink in hand. She crashed into me, the tray tilting violently before it flew from my grasp. It hit the marble with a loud crash, plates shattering, food scattering.
Gasps rippled through the guests.
The girl stared at the mess, then at me.
“What is wrong with you,” she shrieked. “You ruined my outfit. Are you blind or just stupid?”
Heat flooded my face. I stared at the floor.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Sorry,” she repeated, laughing harshly. “Pathetic.”
I could feel eyes on me. Tons of eyes.
My throat tightened painfully.
I bent down to gather the broken pieces, trying to blink back tears, but Rachel stormed out of the kitchen first.
“Aspen. What did you do,” she barked. “You created a scene. Do you know who that was? I have had enough of you. You are done here. Leave the building.”
My mouth fell open. “Rachel, please, the girl bumped into me. It was an accid—”
“I do not want excuses. Get out.”
She pointed to the exit as if I were garbage she wanted removed.
Tears blurred my vision. I placed the broken pieces on the nearest tray, untied my apron, and hurried out the back door.
The cold night air hit me, and I finally let myself breathe. I leaned against the brick wall, trying not to cry too loudly. I could not afford to lose this job, but I had. Just like that.
Just like everything else.
I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming.
I felt like everything inside me was breaking.
- - - - -
(Slade’s POV)
I saw the argument from across the room before I even heard it.
Jenny, drunk again, was yelling at a server who was picking up pieces of a shattered tray. The girl looked too young, too scared, too exhausted to be dealing with Jenny’s theatrics.
Jenny lifted her voice even louder, drawing attention to herself.
I had reached my limit for the night.
I walked toward them, ignoring the looks from guests who parted like I was a storm pushing through.
“Get out,” I said to Jenny.
She spun around, messy hair sticking to her cheek. “Slade. No. Wait. I did not mean to yell. She ruined my dress.”
“I said get out.”
Jenny blinked, trying to focus on me. Then she lurched forward and wrapped her hand around my arm. “Please. Come with me. We can talk.”
I pulled my arm away. “Go home.”
She moved closer. “Slade. Please. I miss you. I made one mistake. Roman tricked me.”
I exhaled sharply, done with this conversation.
“Leave me alone. There is no chance we are getting back together.”
Her lips trembled. “But we talked about marriage.”
A humorless laugh escaped me. “I would never have married you. Not before you cheated. Not after. Not ever.”
Jenny froze.
I looked past her for the server girl. The one with the dark hair and wide eyes. The one who looked like life had kicked her more times than she could count.
But she was gone.
I turned to Ryder. “I am leaving.”
Ryder tilted his head with understanding. “See you tomorrow.”
I walked out without another glance back. Cameras flashed behind me as I stepped into the cool night air.
I had taken only a few steps toward the players’ exit when I saw something near the side of the building.
A girl.
Leaning against the wall, trying to hide her shaking hands as she wiped her face.
The server.
For a moment I paused. Something twisted in my chest. Something I didn’t want to acknowledge.
She looked broken in a way I knew all too well.
Part of me wanted to walk over and say something. Anything.
But I didn’t even know how to comfort myself. I had nothing to offer her. And she was a stranger.
I turned away and kept walking toward my car.
But even as I drove home, the image stayed with me.
The girl with the dark hair.
The shining eyes full of pain.
- Writer
