“What? Are you firing me?”
“Of course not. But I figured that’s why you came in today.” Had Abuelita hit her head on the stove?
“Abuelita, you told me to come in this week, remember?” I had my hands on my hips before I could stop myself.
“Yes, I remember, but you accepted the job. That was the message from Constantine. Interns don’t moonlight as waitresses in run-down Mexican places.” She looked sad.
“Abuelita, I have no idea what interns do. I haven’t even read the manual.” At that, she gave me a confused look. “Long story. The bottom line is, as long as you still want me, I would like my job. It gives me a reason to run away from my evil overlord of a trainer. As long as you don’t mind me missing at times due to soul business.”
Abuelita laughed—a rich, powerful laugh that was contagious. The tension in my shoulders melted away. I hadn’t noticed I was carrying any. I felt good not being alone with this huge secret. It meant I wasn’t crazy.
“That is the best description of Constantine. He’s all about soul business. But don’t think I’m going to treat you any different now.” She gave me a serious glare, but I could see she was trying to hide her smile as she walked back to the stove. “Also, don’t tell Angelito a thing. He is clueless. Constantine has already made the announcement, so don’t be surprised if people congratulate you. Those who do—you know what side of the fence they fall on.”
That cat was fast. In less than ten hours, I had already been inducted into the world of the supernatural. I wondered if that was how those boys in that series felt. My life was becoming a comic book.
“So, basically, I have to wait for people to approach me, and then it’s OK to talk shop stuff?” I needed a better guide than the ones I’d had so far. They were too vague.
“No. Not everyone who knows is for you. You don’t talk to anyone. You just acknowledge they know and watch your back. Some want your job. Others want you out of the way.” Abuelita was great at delivering horrible news with flair. She had steam all over her face as she spoke and didn’t even blink.
“I believe that. The benefits package is out of this world.”
“That’s because you might not last long, so it needs to be enticing. Please try not to get killed. I would hate to murder some people.” Now, that was true love, and I was afraid she meant every word.
I had to move a little faster to get the drinks ready. I had left all the plates in the dishwasher the night before, and I needed to get them set up. I prayed the Monday crowd would be calm when I opened the door. I peered outside, and the parking lot was empty. Normally on my nights, we had at least two people waiting in their cars to come in. Maybe this crowd was timid.
“Abuelita, what time do your Monday regulars come in?”
Abuelita had moved to the back to get the roast out of the oven. She had to come to the front to answer me. “Usually between four fifty and five fifteen. They know the nieces are never ready on time.” She went back to the stove to prep more food. The blessing of Abuelita was that she had a set menu for each night. So she always knew nothing was going to be wasted, three entrees per day.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been killing myself trying to get ready.” I now had twenty minutes to kill and not much to do.
“I thought you were making up for yesterday. By the way, did you find Bob?”
My good mood vanished. “Nope. They took another lady today. Bartholomew thinks they’re witches.” I was heading toward the bathrooms to check the toilet paper levels when Abuelita popped her head around the bar area.
“Isis, witches in Texarkana. Are you sure?”
I had to turn around to answer. Abuelita looked worried.
“I’m not sure of anything. We got hit with some nasty spells on the loop. Bart’s the one who thinks they’re witches.” I was obviously missing something, because Abuelita looked troubled.
“What did Constantine say?”
“No time to talk. I was running late for work. You do realize I barely made it in at four.” I knew she had noticed; I was not that smooth.
“Isis, watch yourself. Witches and wizards can be extremely dangerous. The closest registered coven is in Sulphur Springs.” Was I supposed to remember that?
“Yes, we’ve noticed that. I still don’t know who they are or what they want, but they’re real good at covering their tracks. Bart has been trying to find them for over a year.”
Abuelita didn’t looked satisfied. I gave her one last glance and headed to the bathrooms.
By the time the first customer made it in, the bathrooms were stocked and cleaned. I had wiped down every table at least twice and even had time to eat rice and beans. My stomach was growling—not the best impression to give paying customers. Angel boy was the first one to walk in, followed by the Joneses. They looked nervous. I guessed interns didn’t have a good reputation. All three looked as if they wanted to turn around.
“Hi, everyone. Your usual drinks?” I said from behind the bar.
Everyone gave me a polite nod. Like creatures of habit, they all took their assigned seats. At least that was a constant in my life. Gabe smiled at the Joneses and headed toward the bar. I passed him taking the horchata to the table.
“Mr. Gabe, I’ll be right there with you.” I gave him my most brilliant smile. Somehow, knowing the man was not just out of my reach but out of my planet made it easier. I had stopped drooling over him.
“Here you go, guys. What can I get you today?” The couple was
