Staying True by Suzie Carr

Author:Suzie Carr [Carr, Suzie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sunny Bee Books, LLC
Published: 2013-06-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Ruby

My massage chair business grew quickly. I didn’t have to, but I worked every lunch hour and every happy hour. Then later, Shawna and I would sit at the bar and talk about hair, makeup, and shoes. She loved shoes. She wore a different pair every night, and they ranged from flats, to sandals, to heels far too high to be comfortable behind a bar.

One night, after I closed up my massage chair, I went into the lounge for a drink. Shawna couldn’t keep up with her orders. Customers filled every last seat. Her face flushed. She didn’t even see me when I walked up to her. She rushed past and stuck a pencil behind her ear. So, I decided to step in and help her out. I walked behind the bar and took some guy’s order for a shot of Sambuca. As I poured it, Shawna turned away from a trio of guys and locked eyes with me. She ran towards me, flinging her hands up. “Get out from back there.”

She looked angry, like I’d just stolen her dog or her wallet or a great parking space at the mall at Christmas rush. She charged at me. I freaked out and hopped back over to the customer side of the bar. “Sorry.” I slid out of her way as she tossed the empty tray on the bar.

“Please don’t mess this up for me.” Her eyes pleaded. Fear hung on each spoke.

“How would I mess this up for you?”

Despair leaked from her cheeks. “You’re not supposed to be behind the counter. If you got caught, I could get myself and Nadia in a lot of trouble. She went out on a limb here to hire me. Her brother-in-law can be a real asshole when he wants to be.”

“I just wanted to help.” My words fell out of my mouth. “I would never try to get you in trouble.”

She sighed. “Not everybody is carefree like you, dear.”

She walked away, shaking her head. For the first time, I felt out of place at the Gateway Suites Lounge. I sped out of there, through the back door and out into the dark parking lot. I climbed into my Camaro and sped away, cursing at the starless night for being so dark and dreary.

I turned on the radio, searching for a song. Every station played a commercial. So I drove all the way back to Jamestown in silence, fighting the deep gnawing in the pit of my stomach, blinking away the look of angst on Shawna’s face.

I hated that I angered her. I hated even more that I cared.

Fuck friendships. What good were they anyway? The structure, expectations, and rules just complicated things. Yet, friendships depended on such details.

I didn’t want to be counted on as a friend because I’d never be a good one. I would never be there in times of trouble. I would run away from dramatic, emotional phone calls in the middle of the night. I would never know what to advise someone if ever someone asked my opinion.

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