Page 47 of In For a Penny
“I thought you were working on a paper?” he said.
“Finished and turned in. I thought I would come to see if you need a hand. Looking around, I’d say you need me.”
“Always.” Reaching under the bar, he handed her a tray. “Andrea just gave me an order for number two. You want to take it for her?”
“Absolutely,” she answered, watching him grab bottles to begin mixing drinks. He placed the drinks on the tray and she headed toward the back of the room.
Parker always loaded the trays in order. It made it easy to look professional. She checked on several tables on the way back to the front. She was almost to the bar when she heard the three old regulars greet her.
She put on her best smile. She liked the old guys. They were always up for a little harmless flirting. Astrid walked toward them. The flirting she intended never made it past her lips. Instead, she froze when her eyes met the man at the end of the bar.
“Hello, Astrid,” he mouthed. She couldn’t quite hear him over the din. She felt all of the air leave her lungs as her tray tipped. The empty glasses she had collected crashed to the floor.
“Jesus, Astrid. Are you okay?” Parker said, reaching her quickly. “Andrea, can you bring me the broom? Is everyone okay, no cuts?” he asked the tables closest.
Taking the tray from her hands, he tossed it onto the bar. “Baby, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said, bending down to look into her eyes.
She squatted down and began gathering the bigger pieces of glass in her hands. Parker stooped down to stop her. Taking the broom from Andrea, he started sweeping the pieces into the dustpan.
“Hey,” he said, catching her hands. “You’re shaking. Are you sure you didn’t get cut?”
They were both still crouched on the floor. Thankfully the room seemed to return to normal, except for Parker. He looked at her like any moment he would sweep her up and rush her to the hospital. She shook her head. “Then what’s going on?”
“That’s my dad,” Astrid finally whispered.
“What? Who?” She would have shocked him less if she had said the king of England had just bellied up to the bar.
“The man in the dress shirt at the end of the bar sitting by Mr. Blake?” Parker looked up.
“Yeah?”
“That’s my dad.”
“No. no, no,” Parker was going to freak out, squatting on the floor in the middle of the room.
“I think I know my dad.”
“You don’t understand. He’s been here all evening talking to them.” His face had turned a sickly color somewhere between green and white.
Astrid let out an uncontrolled giggle, wondering if her dad would notice if they just stayed on the floor.
“He knows you moved in upstairs,” he continued. “Hell, they basically told him that I like to spank your ass and take you from behind.”
“Parker, please tell me you didn’t tell him that.”
“Why in the fuck would I tell him that? I said they did.”
“Right. Sorry.”
“What the fuck do we do?”
“Stop cussing for one,” she answered.
“Sorry. I cuss more when I’m freaked the fuck out.”
“Then you must be in a perpetual state of freaked out,” she said. “We should probably stand up first. I don’t know after that.” Parker pulled her off the floor with him.
“Daddy? What are you doing here?” she called out, walking toward him. It was the Oscar-winning performance of her life. She was still a little worried that Parker might lose his lunch at any minute. At least he was following with the broom and trash can.
