iss that place. At all.
I cringed a little as I walked in through the front door. The smell of barbecue and beer hit my nose immediately. I spotted the new manager behind the bar and headed for her, hoping to get it over with as quickly as possible. The less time I spent in that dump the better.
“Hi, Allison, here to pick up my last check.” I plopped down on one of the barstools. Allison looked frustrated and judging by the slow service, completely understaffed.
“Look, if you could just get here on time, and dress more appropriate for the wing house, we can talk about you getting your job back,” she started, but I was quick to stop her right there.
“Oh no. I’m only here for my last check, and I’m not about to show half my tits just to get better tips from a bunch of drunken idiots in downtown L.A. Period,” I said. “Sorry, Allison, but there's no way in hell I'd ever work here again. Not a chance. Nothing personal. Just not one for being fondled and borderline molested on the regular.”
Yeah, this outfit really did give me extra confidence for some reason. Allison blinked stupidly at me, then frowned and shook her head like I was giving up such a huge opportunity. A huge opportunity for a sexual harassment lawsuit, maybe. She disappeared into the back and then came out a few minutes later, tossing the envelope onto the bar in front of me.
“There you go. Go on then. Don’t say I didn’t try to be helpful. I made you an offer, and you turned it down, and God knows I'm not the kind of woman who makes such a generous offer twice. Good luck finding another job in this hell hole of an economy and don't come crawling back to me when you're down and out,” she grumbled.
I only grinned. “Thanks! I appreciate that!” My voice was so chipper she looked back up to make sure I had actually said what she’d heard. I smiled at her, turned on my heels, and left. My brother Jackson lived nearby and worked from home, so I decided to go see him and tell him about my possible new job. I knew he’d be thrilled for me, especially since it would be working in the music industry, and he had known since we were kids that it had always been a dream of mine.
I used the doorknocker when I got there, just to annoy him. He hated that thing for some reason. He answered the door in surf shorts and a tank top, frowning with annoyance as he opened the door. However, when he saw it was me, his frown morphed into a smile, and he quickly enveloped me in a huge bear hug before setting me back on my feet.
“Well, hey, sis, great to see you! What brings you this way, Nay?”
“Not too much. I thought maybe we could go grab some lunch so I can tell you about the job interview I just left and the second interview I have lined up for tomorrow!” I beamed at him.
A wide smiled spread across his face and he nodded.
“Man, that's awesome news, it really is! I've been waiting to hear something like this from you since you moved to L.A. You just made my day!”
“So, lunch?” I asked again.
“Yeah. Sure, let's grab a bite to eat, just let me slip on some flip flops or something, and we can head out to that bar and grill I like so much,” Jackson said, gesturing me into the apartment. Like Grace, Jackson had managed to do rather decent for himself out here. He had a nice apartment and worked as a web designer and digital graphics guru. One day, when I made it big, I fully expected him to create my branding logo or album cover—probably both.
He came back to the door in a pair of black flip flops and grabbed his wallet off the table before locking the door behind him and escorting me to his car. I removed my jacket before getting in to not only get a little more comfortable, but to not feel quite as overdressed next to Jackson, who looked as if he'd just stepped off of the beach.
Throughout the whole drive to the restaurant, we chatted, but I told him he had to wait until we had ordered our meals to hear about my interview. I wanted to really be able to gauge his reaction and see what he truly thought about this opportunity that had presented itself to me.
We got there and took a table on the outside patio under a nice shade. When the waitress came over, we both ordered burgers and fries, then Jackson eyed me suspiciously.
“So, you going to spill it or what?” he asked. “You haven't said a word about your news the whole time we've been here. Come on, you trying to keep me in suspense or something? You know how impatient I get about stuff like this!”
I grinned. “All right, all right. Check this out: I just interviewed for a position as touring assistant to Bleeding Heart. And that’s not all; Owen Young invited me to their practice tomorrow to have a second interview with the whole band! If I get the job, I'll be touring with them for three months! Isn’t that amazing?”
I was anticipating some excitement. At least a little. But, judging from my brother’s dour expression, no, it was not amazing. Not even a little. A reaction that I would have to say surprised me a little.
“Nay, I know you want to work in the music industry, but I definitely do not think you should be working with those guys, much less going on tour with them. Sure, their music is really good, but have you read anything about them? Those guys turn and burn women constantly. No way is my little sister about to get involved with them. Nope. Nay, I really think this would be a terrible idea.”
Not expecting that kind of response, I frowned. My demeanor was suddenly angry and defensive. “I’m a grown-ass woman, Jack. I can do what I want. And if I do my job well enough, maybe Owen will help me get my own music out there. It’s not just like he’s only the lead singer, you know? He does also own a thriving record company. I think he could really help me.”
“Yeah, into his bed, maybe,” Jackson added, rolling his eyes.
I glared at him in silence, my anger simmering.
“What? It’s true!” he defended his statement. “The guy’s a dick, and he isn’t going to do anything that doesn’t fit his needs first and foremost.”
“Oh, so you personally know him, do you? Because he didn’t seem like a dick at all when I met him today. Besides, you make it sound like I’m some groupie fan who would just jump into bed because he smiled at me. I see how much faith you have in me,” I spewed before taking a bite of my burger.
I was a little bummed by Jackson’s reaction, but my involvement wasn’t up for discussion. If I got offered the job, I would take it and that would be that. With that in mind, I changed the subject and did my best to cool off a little. “How are things going with Cindi?”
Jackson cringed a bit, taking a bite from his burger. He simply chewed on his food in silence, not bothering to respond.
“That well, huh? I asked.