Sweet Rush

Seven

Just ten minutes into my shift Crystal approaches me, her face red and full of annoyance. Before she can tell me what's on her mind I already figure that she had to cover my shift while I was an hour late.

"Calm your tits Crystal. I'll pay you."

"I missed my smoke break and you know how I get when I don't get my high." She sighs angrily. I understand where she's coming from and all but bringing up her smoke break sounds like a neglect of self care.

"Sorry Crystal." That's all I manage to say as she storms off to finally (I'm assuming) take her smoke break.

My mind takes me back to Jane and I feel myself wanting to see him again. To look at him just to soothe my eyes. He's probably off doing something that matters. Hopefully not subtracting three quarters of my pay check because then we'll have a real problem. Heck I can sue him for underpaying me. Just as if he's reading my mind he comes into my vision, standing on the opposite side of the bar facing me.

"What would you like? A shot of Clorox or ethanol?" I say hoping it'll stir something in him just so he can stay a minute more. I'll admit I do enjoy it when we banter.

"That's funny Malia but I'd actually like to borrow you for just a minute." He states ignoring my advances to joke with him. He leaves right after before I can even ask why. I guess my tactic didn't work but he wants to see me anyway. So a win is a win.

I hesitantly follow behind him or follow the path I assumed he took, thereof, as he had already sauntered off before I can leave the bar.
I enter the office to the sight of no one and immediately feel like I'm intruding in a space I'm not supposed to be alone in. Crazy things happen when employees enter their boss's office unsupervised. All of the sudden cash is missing, an expensive ornament is gone, and a whole lot of bullshit that can get you fired. In most cases the employees aren't even the one that's doing the damage but they get the blame just because they're helpless. I keep close to the door, waiting to see if Jane will come and let me know the reason of this meeting.
I hear the rattling of a door knob and out comes Crystal and Jane from a second door in the office. There's a smug look plastered on her face when she catches my eyes and the cold feeling of jealousy ices up in me. I take a moment to understand why I'm feeling this way. The little crush that I have going can't certainly validate the reason I'm getting jealous. Especially over someone who I'm not even friends with. Clearly whatever they are doing or have done is quite frankly none of my business.

"Why am I here?" I ask when Crystal rids herself from the room. Jane glances my way and leaves for the room him and Crystal exited out of. The door is left open and I invite myself into the room that I have now discovered is a lounge. It looks exactly like the office but with more room and furniture. I find trouble in deciding where to sit when there is an intensity present in the atmosphere. The propaganda of being snarky and sarcastic diminishes and I prepare myself for what Jane has to say. He seems upset about something, and I silently rack my brain for anything that I've done today that could have been inappropriate while Jane was looking. There's nothing that alarming to me when I skim through the events of my day inside my head. I've done nothing to provoke him other than the comment I made at the bar earlier but even before that he had come with an intention. I stay silent waiting for him to speak.

"Have a seat Malia, you're going to want to have a seat for this one." I manage to shuffle over to one of the seats, not sinking too far into the snug feeling and remaining professional.

"I'm seated." I let out once I'm done situating myself. I rarely ever experience nervousness but the anticipation of what he's going to say gets the best of me. My palms turn into wet towels, and the lack of windows in this room becomes way too noticeable. Too anxious to do anything I keep my leather jacket on.
I can't expect a promotion because there's nothing to be promoted to. It's either a bartender or a bottle girl. Being a bottle girl is a glamorous perspective but it's not so glamorous when you realize you're not getting payed enough to be a sex symbol. Some girls enjoy the attention of the close to nothing shiny pieces, I definitely won't. I attempt to keep the telltale signs of my nerves at bay so Jane won't notice.

"There's money missing Malia. Over a grand and I know it's you because I've talked to everyone here, and quite frankly the only person with a motive to take that money is you." My mind runs through a million things to say however none of them could pass my lips and into the conversation. I keep my eyes on Jane not certain on what I should say in this situation. I've never been accused of doing anything I didn't do and being in it isn't a wonderful experience. I can tell you that.  "Now you know maybe this is my fault, maybe I shouldn't have fucked with you the way that I did and take your money but that's not an excuse to steal from the establishment my grandfather worked so hard on." His harsh tone throws me for a loop. Here standing is a man accusing me of stealing money which never happened and speaking to me as if I'm a child. The assurance in his voice as if he knows for a fact I stole from the company is what tips me over the edge. Immediately I have words for him.

"First of all don't ever fucking accuse me like that. Yeah I was upset about the money you took from me but never once did I take anything from this company and if this is how your immature ass is going to deal with this then maybe you should just quit while you're at it." I snap struggling to keep my voice low. It's always beneficial to remain professional and I keep that in the back of my head because I know this confrontation is far from over.

"I don't want to believe you took that money Malia but I don't know you at all and given our past interactions involving money it makes sense." Jane concludes, keeping his expression neutral at this point, staring deep into my soul with those enchanting brown eyes. Those enchanting brown eyes are void of anything. He clearly doesn't mean what he says, he absolutely thinks I took that money.  Using that 'I don't want to believe' bullshit to get me to say something that's not true. That's all rich, spoilt kids do. They think everyone is out to get what's theirs and those 'everyone' just so happen to be the people who are at their mercy.

"I don't know what thing you're doing here but keep me out. I didn't take anything and I don't intend to, now if you would excuse me I have a shift to finish." I storm out of the lounge, slamming the door behind me as I leave.

There's a slow build up of wrath as I make my way down the hall. I don't plan on quitting this job anytime soon but with what I just witnessed I just might. Jane is nothing but a snake in butterfly form, I roll my eyes at his stupid voice in my head. There's nothing that can bring him back from this. He didn't even ask if I had anything to do with any missing cash, all he did was shove it down my throat that I might be a kleptomaniac. Almost like second nature I pull my phone from my pocket, unfollowing the bastard immediately when I open my instagram app.

The petty crush I admitted that I had on Jane has vanished and is completely replaced with loathe. He still looks good, he just doesn't have a personality to match. This is officially the second time Jane has pulled some bullshit in his time of managing the bar. Consider Jane Pritchard my fucking enemy.