“What? No… Bernie, you promised when you hired a new girl that I’d being doing mostly days. You promised me and…”
“I know, I know, but right now I think it would be best to keep you on nights. In six months, we’ll talk again about bringing you on days.” He looked almost regretful.
Sadie was livid. “Six months? Are you joking? Six months? You told me when you hired Tracey, you would move me to days. That’s what you said.”
And now looking at his face, she saw it, she recognized guilt. Sadie realized Tracey just fucked her way to her day shift. Her face flamed and her hands balled up in fists. She couldn’t believe this. Her body started to shake. God, she wanted to hit him, she thought as she stared daggers at him.
She had finally reached the breaking point. She was promised that day shift. It was hers. She was done with taking this shit. She. Was. Done. She would not be a doormat.
Before she could even stop, she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was so loud Bernie jumped in his seat and looked like he might either shit himself or grab his gun. She must look crazed. Well so be it, she was crazed.
I’ll quit! That’s right, I will fucking quit this shitty ass job. I quit, Bernie! You can take this job and shove it up your fat hairy ass. Fuck You! I’m done, I’m outta here, I quit!
She would have loved to say it, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. She needed this job. She couldn’t afford to not work at this shitty fucking job. She was stuck.
She closed her eyes and took in four deep breaths—in and out, in and out. She needed to pull it together, reel it in. Sadie inhaled a few times and began to calm. She finally opened her eyes and stared at Bernie. She was so angry. She took one more deep breath.
“Okay. I’ll continue nights, Bernie.”
His face lit up a bit but he was still leery. He opened his mouth but Sadie put her hand up.
“I’ll continue my nights in two weeks. Starting right now, I’m taking the next two weeks off. I’ll be back the Sunday after Thanksgiving.”
“Sadie, sweetheart…” he tried to persuade her.
“Don’t you ‘Sadie, sweetheart’ me, Bernie.” She pointed her finger in his face. “I have three weeks of vacation coming to me. Be thankful I’m only taking two.”
“I know, but we are so busy, and…”
Sadie snapped and leaned in close. “You allowed Tracey to fuck her way to a shift that was promised to me. A shift I earned legitimately from working my ass off for four fucking years. I deserve that shift! Now, I’m leaving and I will see you in two weeks.”
A thought occurred to her. She didn’t trust Bernie. He had completely screwed her over. She would quit eventually but she needed the money. She planned on spending this entire vacation looking for another job. But she needed the security of knowing this job was still here when she came back. She walked to the door, grabbed the knob, and called out, “Bernie? Does Marge know Tracey got the day shift?”
His face paled.
“She’ll probably wonder why I turned it down. She’ll probably ask me personally, don’t you think? I’ll be sure and tell her I had a change of heart. I’ll tell her this in two weeks. Do you understand what I’m saying, Bernie?”
He nodded.
Sadie rushed back to the break room, grabbed her bag and coat, and dashed out. She completely ignored all the calls of her name and curious looks. She walked out the door, opened the car and slid in. She’d be home in fifteen minutes and free to drown her anger in cheap wine and leftover enchiladas.
****
Stone peered through the parking lot as he pulled into the empty spot at Bernie’s. The lot was dead, only two big rigs and a car in the lot. He wanted to get there earlier, but they met up with Trent and Declan later— business came first, for now at least. Stone hopped out of his truck and followed behind T to the front door. Sadie’s car wasn’t parked on the side in her usual spot. Taking another look around, he didn’t see her car at all.
Stone took longer strides, passing T, and opened the door to the diner. Stone tried to bury the worry that was building at not seeing her car. Now, standing in the entrance, his concern only grew as he didn’t see her anywhere. There were two guys at the counter and a booth filled with three women. Aside from the older waitress Sadie usually worked with, there wasn’t anyone else.
T tapped him on the back. “C’mon man, I’m starving.” T pushed his way past Stone and walked over to a booth on the right.
Stone stood a moment and scanned the diner again. Where is she?
“Sweetie, you can sit anywhere, I’ll get your waitress for you.”
Stone looked over to see the older waitress, Pearl, smile at him. He nodded and walked over to the booth where T was sitting looking over the menu.
Stone slid into the seat, ignoring the obvious perusal from the table of women behind him. There was only one woman he wanted to see. Where the hell is she?
“Man, relax, you’re wound tighter than a virgin on prom night.” T snorted, still looking at the menu.
“Shut up.”
T laughed, setting down his menu. “She’s really gotten to ya, huh? Never thought I’d see the day that some girl would have you by the balls.”
She’s not just some girl.
Stone glared up at T who was smirking at him. Stone should have expected the ball busting. Truthfully, no girl had ever come close to doing what Sadie had
