believe it was four forty-five already. Where the hell did the day go?
“I see you got my note and the phone Jesus used to invite everyone to the Last Supper.” Rachel smirked at me.
“Eff off, it serves its purpose.”
“Really, Jordie, you need a new one. It’s time to get into this century.”
I turned away from her.
“For real, you need to start living again.” Rachel dropped a bucket of ice to the floor with a loud thud.
“What the fuck am I doing? I’m living.” I flailed my arms while my eyes searched for anywhere but her face.
“No, you’re hiding.” She mocked my arm flailing.
Bitch . I gave up and stalked back into my office. “Let me know what you guys want for dinner. I’ll order it now.” I slammed my office door.
“Knock, knock.” A few minutes later Mike poked his head in my office waving a white napkin.
“Ha ha, very funny, Mike.” I fixed my gaze on a killer game of Minesweeper. “What’s up?”
“Chinese sound good?” He lowered his white flag.
“Yup, fine. Who wants what?” I opened my desk drawer without looking up and pulled out a menu for the Tasty King.
“I got it.” He walked in and took the menu out of my hand. “What do you want?”
“Nothing.” I sat motionless with my hand lingering in the air as if I were still holding the menu.
“Hey, don’t take this shit out on me.” He slapped me lightly on top of my head with the menu.
“Ugh, Mike. Fine.” I groaned and gave him my best ‘I’m sorry’ smile. “Wonton soup and some crab Rangoon. Thank you. Just use the card in the register.”
“Got it, boss. Don’t be pissed at her for too long. She loves you. We all love you.” He smiled back.
“That was good. Thanks, Jordie.” Carlos rubbed his belly.
The phone rang and Mike got up to answer it. “The Post.” He paused for a moment and grinned. “Sure thing, short-stuff. Hang on, I’ll get her for you.” He put the phone down on the bar and nodded at me. “It’s Emma.”
I picked up. “Hey, baby, everything okay?”
“Yes, Mom,” she exaggerated. “Aunt Kelly wants to talk to you. I just wanted to say hi and tell you that I got new boots today at the mall.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Emma, that money was for clothes.”
“Don’t go Britney on me, Mom. I got clothes, too, and the boots were on sale.”
I sighed. “Okay, I can’t argue with a sale.” I smiled, wary of my lip again.
“Here’s Aunt Kell. I.L.Y.”
There was some rustling and then my sister’s voice came through the line. “Hey.”
“Hi, Kell. What’s up?”
“I’ll have Emmy home around five tomorrow.” She insisted on calling Emma Emmy, and it drove me batshit crazy. “John has a game at one, pizza after it, and then I’ll head into the city.”
I tapped my foot as I stared at the ceiling because I knew I wouldn’t win even if I argued with her. “That’s fine.” I conceded.
“Love ya.” Her tone reeked of ‘Ha ha, I won again’.
“Love ya more.”
“Doubt it. Bye!” We both blurted it out at the same time and hung up.
At eight thirty p.m. the bar was packed and alive. I stood on my tippy toes and stretched my neck to see over the crowd.
“Why are you stalking the door?” Rachel popped off the top of a beer and placed it on the bar.
“What? I’m not.” My answer flew out of my mouth too quickly. She’d know I was lying.
“Okay. Whatever, Jordie.” She laughed, put money in the register, and handed the guy his change back.
She had been right, though. I was stalking the door. I’d spent more time watching that door tonight than I had in the seven years I’d owned the joint.
It was definitely a Saturday night. Rachel was bitching about her usual issues—that guy was an asshole and that chick was a raging bitch who wore too much makeup. My only salvation was the loud music that drowned her out. The DJ was a local radio personality who always got the crowd going. Rachel and I carried on the busy pace
“I see you got my note and the phone Jesus used to invite everyone to the Last Supper.” Rachel smirked at me.
“Eff off, it serves its purpose.”
“Really, Jordie, you need a new one. It’s time to get into this century.”
I turned away from her.
“For real, you need to start living again.” Rachel dropped a bucket of ice to the floor with a loud thud.
“What the fuck am I doing? I’m living.” I flailed my arms while my eyes searched for anywhere but her face.
“No, you’re hiding.” She mocked my arm flailing.
Bitch . I gave up and stalked back into my office. “Let me know what you guys want for dinner. I’ll order it now.” I slammed my office door.
“Knock, knock.” A few minutes later Mike poked his head in my office waving a white napkin.
“Ha ha, very funny, Mike.” I fixed my gaze on a killer game of Minesweeper. “What’s up?”
“Chinese sound good?” He lowered his white flag.
“Yup, fine. Who wants what?” I opened my desk drawer without looking up and pulled out a menu for the Tasty King.
“I got it.” He walked in and took the menu out of my hand. “What do you want?”
“Nothing.” I sat motionless with my hand lingering in the air as if I were still holding the menu.
“Hey, don’t take this shit out on me.” He slapped me lightly on top of my head with the menu.
“Ugh, Mike. Fine.” I groaned and gave him my best ‘I’m sorry’ smile. “Wonton soup and some crab Rangoon. Thank you. Just use the card in the register.”
“Got it, boss. Don’t be pissed at her for too long. She loves you. We all love you.” He smiled back.
“That was good. Thanks, Jordie.” Carlos rubbed his belly.
The phone rang and Mike got up to answer it. “The Post.” He paused for a moment and grinned. “Sure thing, short-stuff. Hang on, I’ll get her for you.” He put the phone down on the bar and nodded at me. “It’s Emma.”
I picked up. “Hey, baby, everything okay?”
“Yes, Mom,” she exaggerated. “Aunt Kelly wants to talk to you. I just wanted to say hi and tell you that I got new boots today at the mall.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Emma, that money was for clothes.”
“Don’t go Britney on me, Mom. I got clothes, too, and the boots were on sale.”
I sighed. “Okay, I can’t argue with a sale.” I smiled, wary of my lip again.
“Here’s Aunt Kell. I.L.Y.”
There was some rustling and then my sister’s voice came through the line. “Hey.”
“Hi, Kell. What’s up?”
“I’ll have Emmy home around five tomorrow.” She insisted on calling Emma Emmy, and it drove me batshit crazy. “John has a game at one, pizza after it, and then I’ll head into the city.”
I tapped my foot as I stared at the ceiling because I knew I wouldn’t win even if I argued with her. “That’s fine.” I conceded.
“Love ya.” Her tone reeked of ‘Ha ha, I won again’.
“Love ya more.”
“Doubt it. Bye!” We both blurted it out at the same time and hung up.
At eight thirty p.m. the bar was packed and alive. I stood on my tippy toes and stretched my neck to see over the crowd.
“Why are you stalking the door?” Rachel popped off the top of a beer and placed it on the bar.
“What? I’m not.” My answer flew out of my mouth too quickly. She’d know I was lying.
“Okay. Whatever, Jordie.” She laughed, put money in the register, and handed the guy his change back.
She had been right, though. I was stalking the door. I’d spent more time watching that door tonight than I had in the seven years I’d owned the joint.
It was definitely a Saturday night. Rachel was bitching about her usual issues—that guy was an asshole and that chick was a raging bitch who wore too much makeup. My only salvation was the loud music that drowned her out. The DJ was a local radio personality who always got the crowd going. Rachel and I carried on the busy pace