Page 96 of Crushing Clover

“No thanks. We have to go.”

I tried on the suit, finding the pants a bit too loose at the waist, and the black dress shirt a perfect fit. He put a belt on me, then rolled up the sleeves, before sorting through a box of accessories. I ended up with a leather bracelet and a stainless necklace that went with my silver collar.

“I like the purple walls.”

He grinned. “My parents let me decorate. I went through a vampire phase I never quite got over.”

A pair of his old wingtip shoes fit well enough.

I tried putting my hair up but made a mess of it.

“Not like that. Like this,” he said, putting it up and turning me to face the mirror. He was right. It was different than the way I’d done it.

He put his face next to mine in the mirror.

“You look sexy.”

“Will I fit in as a server tonight?”

“We’re going to put some black eyeliner on you, too, but it will still depend on Saint.”

After a cursory but affectionate leave-taking from his mother, Lucky tossed me back in his truck and brought me to Cygnet.

I could hear the timbre of Saint’s voice from the kitchen. I expected him to be shouting and swearing at the kitchenstaff, but he and Rush were directing matter-of-factly as they worked. The two of them seemed to have things organized so they weren’t stepping on each other’s toes. The whole place was spotless, and the staff were fast and efficient.

Lucky ran through the list of the specials for tonight.

Saint caught sight of me and paused in his work, taking me in. He hissed and snatched his hand back from a pot that looked hot.

“Are you kidding me?” Saint grumbled, as he stirred the dish he’d momentarily forgotten about. “Is it take your kid to work day?”

“She’s a kid?” One of the other servers looked scandalized.

“No, she’s not a kid. This is Kate,” Lucky said. “We’re short a server, so she’s agreed to fill in for tonight.”

The other servers greeted me with quiet interest.

“If you need back-up, or if you have questions, come to me, or any of the other servers who are in your line of sight. Try not to bellow across the room. It ruins the ambiance.”

One of the servers got a slap on the back and laughed to himself good-naturedly. “I panicked that night, man.”

“Suzanne has a way of making people panic,” one of the others commiserated.

“In a perfect world, we would have you shadow for at least a few days, but with Marty pulling a disappearing act, it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

“Maybe they’ll have mercy on you.”

“Try to flirt a little,” the one called Kaden said on the sly, as he was walking by me. “You’ll get better tips.”

“And no fucking the patrons, or Saint will fire your ass.”

My first table was filled with older ladies who were richly dressed and wore strong perfume. They were the kind of women I’d expect to see at a country club, not here.

“Oh, a new face!” a woman declared as I approached the table, trying not to seem hesitant. I’d only ever served men who wanted alcohol and wings, and I clutched my little notebook, even though I knew none of the others needed one.

“Hello, I’m Kate. I’ll be your server tonight,” I tried to modulate my voice so I sounded calm and aloof, like the other servers, instead of like a nervous wreck. “Can I start you off with drinks?”

“Are you old enough to serve drinks, Kate?” one of the other women demanded, her sharp blue eyes studying me.

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