This bar restaurant was the most lively place in this town other than the beachside with Lake Michigan. The Swift Shack.
The counselors at the women’s shelter put it on the list of places that are always hiring. They were looking for experienced servers, and I’ve never had a job in my life. Not even in high school.
I wasn’t exactly sure how this was going to go, but I had to at least try, right?
When I walked in, I couldn’t help admiring the great layout. When you enter it’s the bar area with booths, then it’s the dance floor/stage where there is a live band performing, and at the very end are the bigger tables.
I can see mostly families sitting in that area. There are kids laughing and crying.
After taking everything in, I went straight up to the bar. There was an older guy making a drink, and he looked up at me and smiled. He must’ve been at least in his late thirties.
“How can I help you?” he asks as he tops off his two drinks. I watch him place them in front of the two customers just a few seats away.
“Hi, do you think I can talk to a manager?”
“Well, you’re talking to him. My name is Alex. What can I do for you?” He leans over the counter and has his dark eyes on me.
It took everything inside of me not to flinch. I had to remember that not every guy was out to hurt me.
“I wanted to apply for the server position you have available.” I point to the ad in the newspaper I grabbed from the women’s shelter.
“Do you have any experience?” Of course he had to ask. That’s what they wanted at this restaurant. An experienced server, which I was most definitely not.
My goal was to get him to hire me even though I had zero experience.
“No, but I’m a fast learner.” His face has rejection written all over it. He isn’t going to give me the job unless I make a case for myself.
“Look, you look like a nice girl, but we’re already short-staffed, and it takes a month to train someone who has never served because you have to shadow and pass a menu test.
“I wish I could hire you, but with tourist season right around the corner, it’s just not possible right now.”
He leans back. I wasn’t going to take no as an answer. I was taking control here, which was a little terrifying, I had to admit.
“I’m not lying when I say that I’m a fast learner. Look, I know you don’t owe me anything, but give me a week to prove myself.
“I will have the menu memorized and I will pick up serving so well that I will have you thinking that I have been serving for years.”
Alex just stares at me, then he gives me a nod of approval. I guess he liked what I had to say.
“Okay, what’s your availability?” I smile.
“I can work anytime.”
“Okay, but what days?”
“All of them.” I was desperate for money. I needed to get out of the shelter and into an apartment. I just needed enough money for a down payment and possibly first month’s rent.
I had some money from what I had pawned before I got here, but I didn’t want to use it until I had more money. I’ve only really used it to buy some makeup to cover up the bruises on my face.
“How about right now? If you’re serious, I will start you off shadowing one of our best servers and in between you can start studying the menu, but you won’t get off until probably midnight tonight.”
“Okay, I’m down.”
“Also, paychecks are paid in cash, and it’s five dollars an hour plus your tips you get every night. What is your name, sweetheart?” Alex shakes my hand and I can’t help but smile.
“Willow Adams.” It’s the fake name I came up with; I didn’t want John finding me with my real name. This name had no connection to my old life.
“All right, Willow, let’s get you in the system and you’ll start.” I was so happy that I could cry. But I wouldn’t. I’d just do my best and do everything to learn everything as quickly as possible.
Hunter was the server helping me learn how to serve. He was a tall guy, lanky, twenty-two, and he said he just finished his junior year of college.
He had this blond hair, it was pushed back, and a nice face with light amber eyes. He reminded me of a boy I was friends with in high school.
If I was in any other situation, I would have found him cute and would have asked him out. But I’m not looking for a relationship, not now, and not for a very long time.
At least until I know John has moved on.
“What are the customers like?” I ask him when we’re both on a break. He got us food from the kitchen; it was two grilled cheeses, one for each of us.
He told me that we get one meal for every six hours, which I know will help me save some money in the long run.
“Between May and September we mostly get out-of-towners, usually a young crowd. That’s usually during the day, but at night we get a lot of locals.
“Everyone here tips very well, especially because we’re on the wealthy side of town, near the beach. If we were any more north it would not be a good place to serve.”
Hunter has been working here every summer since he started college, so he knew a lot about the environment here. I trusted his input and opinions.
“Do you live in the area?” I ask him as I take a bite of the most delicious grilled cheese I’ve ever had. There was bacon in this. Oh God. I was eating this every day this week.
“In the college town next to Newland Beach; it’s where I go to college and where I have my apartment.”
“Oh nice.” I take another bite.
“When did you move here?” Hunter asks me.
“A couple weeks ago,” I say while taking a sip of my water. I’ve never been much of a soda drinker, so water was always my go-to. When I did drink soda it was only Dr. Pepper.
“Where’d you move from?” I knew Hunter had good intentions, but I didn’t want to share any details about the life I left behind.
“From the South.” A half-truth. It was vague, but it indicated the region I was from. Not necessarily the state.
“That makes sense.” I was confused by his words.
“What makes sense?”
“We are experiencing the hottest days we’ve had in years during May and you’ve barely broken a sweat. Only Southerners can withstand this heat and not complain about it.”
It was only about ninety degrees, nothing too crazy. Ninety degrees in Arizona was cool weather in the summer.
I chuckle. “Well, you’re right.” This guy was so light-hearted. He was already winning me over to be his friend. I wasn’t mad at it.
We were in Ace’s home studio listening to some of the stuff we recorded today.
We were just doing demos currently until Eric could come and actually record his vocals. He would be coming by in a few days.
Right now we were just playing around with sounds and lyrics. We were honestly just goofing around, and it reminded me of when the band was just formed.
I was a late addition, but I still had been in the studio with them when they recorded the first album. I just remember watching my brother and all my cousins in awe.
I was eleven, I think. They brought me along to everything, and I absolutely loved it. But I did love being in the band more.
“I really like what you’ve written, Kieran. It’s really good.” He’s been writing the music for the band since day one.
Yeah, there were times we collaborated with each other or other producers, but it was mainly Kieran coming up with our hit singles and leading the writing sessions.
He has been in the studio all day. Even before the rest of us woke up, he was already down here working on his stuff.
“Thanks.” It wasn’t often that I had moments like these with Kieran. Yes, we were brothers, only three years apart, but it often felt like there was something keeping us from connecting.
Kieran sat up and adjusted himself.
“I can’t wait till you guys hear what I want our first single to be. The arrangement isn’t done, but I would say that we’re almost there, wouldn’t you say, Kieran?” Ace says. He seemed the most excited.
Kieran smiles for the first time since I’ve woken up. He gets so stressed out about the sounds and the lyrics just having to be perfect.
And he hates when we don’t take it seriously, which we really haven’t all day.
“We still have a lot of work, but it is good.” I chuckle.
“An award-winning single?” I ask. Kieran nods.
“I even have a music video idea for it already. We will be winning all those damn awards, and wiping the floor with the competition.”
That makes me laugh even harder. Kieran has a knack for knowing when his stuff will do well, and I’m sure we will be winning some big awards if he thinks so.
“Your confidence always astounds me,” Miller says. He’s our keyboardist, and a damn good one.
“I know what I’m good at, Miller. You know when I say it’ll be a hit that it’s going to be a hit.” I smile.
“Let’s talk about something else other than this album. We still have this whole month to record it, so we’ll have plenty of time to talk about it later.”
Miller keeps checking his phone; his wife, Wendy, is in Nashville with their kids. Miller left her with some help, but I know he’s still worried.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he left early this month just to go back. Their twins are three and a handful. I couldn’t even imagine having one kid, let alone two.
“What do you want to talk about?” I ask him.
Miller looks at me. “I’m starving. I was promised good food if I came to record.” He looks at Ace.
“Laney and I don’t have anyone that can watch the kids. I can give you the address to this really good bar restaurant, and you guys can go without us.”
His kids were sick, so they couldn’t currently leave the house, so I completely understood why he wasn’t coming.
“You had me at bar,” Kieran says.
“I’ll have Lincoln drive us,” I say.
Lincoln has been my security guard for the last year and a half, and he was a good one. I pretty much almost never went anywhere without him. I learned early on that it was just better if he was near.
“We’ll bring you guys back food,” Miller says to Ace. We all get up and head out. I was starving.
