Can't Save Me

Madeline

"How was your date?" my mom asked, grinning behind her snowman shaped coffee mug. This woman would decorate for the holidays in July if I'd let her.

"It was fine," I answered, pouring my portion of the pot in an oversized travel mug. I had to go to the club to talk to Copper about the fiasco the night I ran out and this gallon of coffee probably wasn't even going to cut it.

"Just fine? That's all you're going to give me?"

I laughed and shook my head. "It was fine, Mom. It was..." I sighed and turned around, leaning against the counter. "It was perfect... until the end."

My mom's curious eyes widened in abject horror. "What happened at the end?"

I gulped and ran my index finger around the rim of my cup. "His sister and brother-in-law showed up... who recently got married because the night we met was the bachelor party."

"Oh no."

"Yeah," I nodded with a sad smile. "Needless to say, I don't think his sister approves."

"Oh honey," my mom cooed.

I shook my head. "Its fine. Kinda comes with the territory."

"Its just a job. Its not like it's something you plan on doing for the rest of your life. She has to know that."

"I know that. Grant knows that, but... people make assumptions, and his sister won't be the only one to make some shitty comment about my job or my age or..."

"And you're going to let that stop you?"

"I never said that."

My mom gave me an unbelieving frown. "Maddie, I'm your mother. I know how you operate."

I just rolled my eyes and sighed, turning around in search of the lid for my cup so I could hightail it out of dodge. "I have to go. Copper wants to talk."

"About what?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "The... bullshit at the club the other night."

"Is he mad?"

"He's not happy," I answered, "but he rarely is. Not too worried."

"Good. Any other... plans for the day?"

"I'm supposed to go fill out paperwork at the restaurant, but I don't know if..."

"Madeline, don't you dare."

"Gotta go, Mom."

"Maddie."

"Bye, Mom! Love you!" I grabbed my keys from the hook by the door and headed out. I needed some windows down, music blaring time and luckily for me the club was thirty minutes away.

"Copper, you can't do this!"

"I'm not firing you," the overweight, red-headed owner of Garnet Lounge mumbled at me. "It's just a... vacation."

"I can't afford a fucking vacation, Cop!" I exclaimed. "I need this fucking job!"

"And you'll have it when things die down," Copper retorted. "I can't have shit like what happened the other night happening all the time, Maddie. It's not a good look."

"It won't happen again, Cop, I promise!"

"Maddie, it's gotten worse. They used to just show up to talk to you. The entire place was scared out of their wits' end the other night. I don't want to lose customers."

I folded my arms over my chest and sank back in my chair with a huff. "I can't believe you're doing this to me."

"Just a couple of weeks, kid. Let shit die down a bit."