Page 5 of Marked By Feral Monsters
Eli gives me a long look. One I know he doesn't have time for, but he leans his elbows down and rests his chin in his hands. "As efficient as you are at serving, I know it's not why you're here."
"Trust me, I'd rather do this than have sex with complete strangers."
He gives me another long, suffering look like he knows I'm lying. "Listen, I like having you help me. If this is what you'd rather do, I can ask Mara if we can hire you for the back of the house. You'll get a higher hourly pay, but you won't be able to sleep with customers."
"Maybe that's for the best," I mutter.
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
I force false enthusiasm into my voice. "Yeah, of course. I'm obviously not cut out for this."
I wave behind me at all the debauchery. I've gotten used to people having sex and getting off while I'm delivering drinks.It's amazing, actually, how quickly I adapted. My first night here was trial by fire. I dropped drinks off while a minotaur exploded in someone's mouth from the lower deck. He slammed his fist down on the table, thanked me for the beer, handed me cash, then turned back to his friends. That's just how this job goes.
"Maybe you should try out the lower deck first, before you decide."
"You trying to get rid of me?"
"Not even a little. I want you to stick around. Which is why I don't want you to regret the decision. You can try out the lower deck—only if you want to—and then, if you don't like it, you'll know for sure it's not for you. If you do like it, then I still get to keep you as a server, but we'll arrange a schedule so you're with me part time. I'll take you on the busy nights," he winks.
I laugh, because every night is busy.
"I just want you to be comfortable here," he adds kindly. That I don't always seem comfortable goes unspoken.
I spin on my stool and look around the room. When I first started here, the idea of doing what Keely and Braden do… what they all do… itdidmake me uncomfortable. Now that I've been here a while… I try to ignore the feelings stirring inside me.
The lower deck is a better option for me. No chance of getting turned down. And I could do this. Take the leap. Touch a monster's cock.
God, Iwantto touch a monster's cock. But the rejection is still raw. From Danny. From all the monsters here, every single night.
Eli turns back to his customers and starts refilling drinks. I think about his offer, even hours later when I'm in the staff room on my break, shoving cheesy crackers into my mouth.
Keely enters with Braden on her heels.
"You know, all the monsters can smell that nasty cheese breath."
"It doesn't really matter, does it?" I snort self-deprecatingly and shove more crackers in.
"Of course it matters. Even serving drinks, they smell that shit on you. They're not gonna want you hanging around."
"They don't now, anyway," I shrug defiantly. Maybe that's exactly what I want. An actual reason they don't want me. Something tangible, like cheese breath.
Braden flicks my hair and crawls onto the couch beside me, sprawling out. "Eli told us about his job offer."
"I'm going to take it."
"I want to ask if you're sure, but you sound sure. But he also said…"
"What?" I turn to face him, and he wrinkles his nose. I finish chewing and swallow down half a bottle of water.
"He thinks—"
"Wethink," Keely interrupts. "That it's time you check out the lower deck. The private rooms are obviously not for you, or at least not yet. You need to be more flirtatious, and clearly that's above your paygrade."
"Is that why they don't want me? Because I suck at flirting?"
"Braden and I have discussed this, and we think it's because they can tell you're still nervous."
Keely and Braden, and a lot of the other employees, can walk right up to a monster and prop themselves in their lap. A few whispers and within moments, they are up out of their seats and following them down the hall to a private room in the back. I haven't seen those, even after hours, but I'm pretty sure they aren't much more than a bed, or, for the half-kraken, mer-people and other water-folk, a little pool.
