Page 2 of Dwayne
He scratches his chin and looks me up and down. The feel of his eyes on my body has my lady parts tingling. This man is a god.
“Okay,” he says, finally, “seeing as how you’re new. I’ll give you one more chance. But don’t mess it up.”
“I won’t,” I say.
“You like working here, Rhonda?”
“Yes, chef. I like working here a lot.”
“Good.” He turns and starts walking back into the kitchen. As he reaches the door, he stops and looks at me over his shoulder, “now get your ass back in there and don’t make me have this conversation again.”
I hang up the phone and hurry back into the kitchen.
The delicious smell of freshly cooked food hits my nose and brings a smile to my face. The clanging of dishes. The calling out of orders. The swing-bang of the door to the restaurant opening and closing as a waiter comes in to collect an order.
I feel more at home here than I do in my actual house.
I love my dad. But I’ve had enough.
This job is my chance at a fresh start. The first step towards me building the kind of life I’ve always dreamed of.
The pay is good. The experience is priceless. I’m going to do everything I can to make things work. With or without him.
And if he can’t handle it, then it’s his problem… not mine.
2
Dwayne
“Hey,boss. I’m off home now. Have a good night.”
It’s Eddie, the manager. He’s been a good friend to me for as long as I can remember.
I’m sitting at the desk in my office. My feet are on the table. I just finished reading a message from my ex-wife. She doesn’t want me to see our daughter anymore. She says she’s going to take me to family court if I don’t agree.
The last thing I want is a long, drawn-out court battle. But there’s no way in hell I’m going to sit back and let her take my daughter away from me.
“Night, Eddie,” I mumble, still staring at the screen in shock.
He goes to leave, but stops just as he gets to the door.
“Everything alright?” he asks.
I look up. There are tears in my eyes, but I don’t want to wipe them away in front of him. I was raised not to show weakness. Not even to my closest friends.
“Yeah,” I say, “just a little bit tired. That’s all.”
“Alright,” he says. The look on his face says he doesn’t believe me. But he knows not to push it. “Well, if there is ever anything you want to talk about, you know I’m here for you. If you want to grab a beer. Maybe just sit around and watch a game. I worry about you sometimes. You’re so… independent. It’s not healthy.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I’ve heard this all before. But tonight it hits a little too close home. “Thanks, Dr. Phil.”
“I mean it, Dwayne. You need a woman in your life. Something other than this restaurant. The number of hours you work. The amount of stress you have to deal with. When was the last time you did something just for you?”
“I said I’m fine, Eddie.”
The words come out a little more aggressive than I planned.
“Fine! Be that way. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
