“She’s trying to be a tough girl, but I’m pretty sure she needs to put her feet up.”
I had never in my life wanted to smack someone so badly. How dare he step in with my boss of all people. How dare he belittle me like that.
“I am fine,” I told Tim, not even looking at Kai anymore. “I had a cramp was all, but I’m good now.”
“Hmm.” Tim looked me up and down before glancing over his shoulder at the dining room, then back at me. “I think we’re slowing down a bit. Soon as your current tables leave, I want you heading home. You’ll just be first off tonight, okay, honey?”
At that, I heard Kai’s teeth clack together, but I still didn’t look at him. The fury rolling through me had to be held at bay at my place of work. I would allow him to draw whatever conclusions he wanted regarding my boss calling me honey, though Tim and I both knew it was just his Southern sweetness coming out.
“Tim, it’s seriously fine. I came in later than usual. I really don’t mind sticking around and closing up.”
“It would put my mind at ease.” He patted my shoulder with a kind smile. Kai’s hands fisted at his sides as he shifted his weight back and forth. “You know I don’t like you overdoing it.”
“Of course I know that” was all I could say. Anger brought my nausea to the forefront. This was something I couldn’t fight, couldn’t control. “I’m gonna get back to my tables, then,” I told him. When I walked past them, I shoved the billfold at Kai’s chest, snapping, “Your check,” without even glancing at him.
My tables were satisfied, even though I’d gone missing for however long that had been. Kai paid their check but hung around after Ava and Cade went home. I didn’t pay him any attention while I finished off my few tables and closed out the section for the night. The tightening kept coming and going, but with things a bit slower, it calmed down, too.
After doing some side work, Tim cashed me out and told me he didn’t need me to come in again until Sunday. My heart sank. A Sunday. We did just fine on Sundays, but as things went, that usually ended up being our slowest day. I could see what he was doing, and I couldn’t allow it. My bills would pile up. I had two freaking babies to get ready for. And I would not be accepting any charity from Kai. “Tim, please don’t pull me from the schedule just because of tonight. I need the work.”
“Honey, you need to get some rest.” His eyes were imploring, full of kindness, yet his attempt to coddle me had my heart rate rising. “I was watching you tonight, too. Whatever you’re trying to hide isn’t going to end good for you or those babies.”
Why was everyone suddenly treating me like some fragile porcelain doll? I had taken care of myself for years, and I would continue to do so now. “I get it. Just please don’t cut me back so much.”
“Look. I’ll make you a deal,” he offered, holding his hands out. I cringed. I didn’t like deals much—it seemed an awful lot like gambling. “You get me a note from your doctor saying you are 100 percent good to serve full time, and I won’t say another word about it. Okay?”
“Okay.” My shoulders sagged. He had me there. I had no clue what Dr. Clarke would say about the weird tightening, about me working full time. But I would still talk to him and try to get that note. I had to. It was the only way I could keep taking care of myself.
When I was done, I found Kai out by my car smoking a cigarette. The urge to give him shit for sucking at cutting back was overshadowed by my will to ignore him. I got in the car without saying a word to him. Once he climbed in, the car filled with the scent of smoke. A scent I had rid my life of since moving to Tennessee—until he walked into it.
Neither of us said anything to the other, for which I was grateful. I had nothing good to say to him. It had only been two days of us trying out this relationship thing and we were already a roller-coaster mess.
By the time he pulled up to my apartment, I was exhausted and ready for the day to be over. He got out and lit another cigarette, earning a snort from me that he ignored. I went inside ahead of him, going straight for the bathroom. A shower was always necessary after serving. Smelling like a restaurant all night was not my favorite thing in the world. I took a long one, hoping he would decide to stay at Ava’s or anywhere else for the night. The hot water worked wonders on my sore body. All the weight I was carrying was killing my hips, my back, my everything.
My anger hadn’t ebbed one bit by the time I got out. He’d convinced my boss that I needed to take it easier. He had to realize he was taking my only way of providing for myself away from me. He was stealing more of my control and acting like he didn’t give two shits about it.
In my haste to get in the shower, I had forgotten to get clothes out of my room, so I had to try wrapping a single towel around my belly that suddenly seemed enormous, because the towel wouldn’t cover the whole thing. For the love of Pete. I was going to have to go out there, pissed as hell, in a freaking towel that didn’t cover me.
Of course, he was standing right there when I opened the door. The way his eyes bulged and his mouth popped open when he took in my
