Chapter Two
Riley
I had lots of ambitions growing up. I wanted to be a singer once. Of course, when I realized I couldn’t sing to save my life, I moved on to more realistic desires. I moved between wanting to be a writer and wanting to be an illustrator. Sometimes I combined those dreams together. I walked into bookstores, trailing my hands over the spines of the books, wondering if I would one day see my own name appear. Would it say Riley Yelling or my surname have changed by then?
I barely thought about those dreams anymore. First, the only thing I worried about was paying my rent. Second, I still hadn’t found a man that made me want to take his last name. It felt like all I did at the moment was worry about making it from payday to payday. It wasn’t even like I was staying in a big apartment. I had chosen a place close to work, but the landlord had called a few months ago to say that he’d be increasing the rent. It wasn’t even by the regular ten percent that I was used to. He’d added on far more than I could cope with. Someone told me that I could probably sue him, or at least dispute it, but I wasn’t sure I wanted the effort. It wasn’t like I had any intention of staying there longer. I would simply have to find a new place.
The phone rang just as I was about to leave for work. I frowned when I saw my landlord’s number appear on the screen. This was a very strange time for him to call me.
“Sorry to bother you, Riley,” he said as soon as I answered.
“No bother. Is everything okay?”
“I know rent is due in a week, but I’m going to have to get it from you a little sooner. Tomorrow if possible.”
“You want the rent tomorrow.”
“Yes, if you can. Thanks, Riley. I appreciate it. I better get going. I have a dinner appointment to get to. But thanks for understanding.”
I stared at the phone once he had put it down. He wanted me to pay rent early, and with less than a day’s notice? And he had the nerve to say that he was off to a dinner appointment. I felt angry. I thought he had raised the rent because he was battling with money, but now I was starting to wonder if perhaps he was just enjoying the sense of superiority he had over me. Like he owned me. And how was I supposed to pay him so soon?
I made my way to work feeling annoyed. The moment I arrived at the bar, I took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. I was not going to get tips if I was growling all night, and I needed those tips now more than anything else. I needed this job more than anything else, and that thought filled me with a deep sense of frustration. I hated that I was so reliant on a job I didn’t even enjoy.
As I walked into the bar, I saw Paisley and went over to say hello. The only nice part about work was that I got to do it with my best friend. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do it without her. Paisley and I were very different people on paper, but in real life, we were very similar. She had been raised with a lot of money, something that I hadn’t, but she was a very down-to-earth person despite this. She was a lot of fun, and a good person, and by far the easiest person to talk to. Unlike me, she actually enjoyed working at the bar. And unlike me, she was good at it. Although she said I was good at it too, but I didn’t see that. I was always waiting for the night to end.
“Hey, you. What’s wrong? Something happen? You’re scowling.”
“I am? Damn, I’m far too transparent. I was trying to smile so that nobody would see.”
She chuckled. “Don’t worry, most people wouldn’t pick it up. It’s only because I know you so well. So, what’s going on?”
I sighed. “My rent is due tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Isn’t that a bit early?”
“Yep. And I don’t think I have enough.”
“Screw that, Riley. You’re not his puppy dog. You don’t have to come running when he says. Surely your contract tells you when you have to pay rent?”
“That’s the thing. I actually looked through the contract the other day. He’s also written in there that he can change his mind about rent and days when he wants to. Obviously, he’s worded it a lot better, but it’s there in black and white, and I’m not sure I have a say in the matter.”
“What a bastard. Although, I’m still sure you can do something about it if you wanted to. You sure you don’t want to take it further? I can organize you a lawyer if you want. My family knows plenty of lawyers.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m sure. I’m going to start looking for something cheaper, even if it means having to move a bit further out of the city.”
“Why don’t I pay your rent this month? It will give you a chance to sort out your finances. Come on, we’re best friends, and you know I don’t mind.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks, Paisley. But you know I would never say yes to something like that. I’ll be fine. I’m going to try and make as many tips as possible tonight, and hopefully all will be okay. And I’ll start looking for a new place immediately. I’ve got this.”
“You’re so stubborn. But if you’re short you’ll let me know?”
I nodded. “I’ll let you know. Thanks. Okay, we better get to work. The boss is giving us funny looks.”
We worked in one of the busiest bars in the area, and despite it being a Wednesday night, I knew that tonight was not going to be any different. It was right in the heart of the city, and the bar had a solid reputation for people with money. I watched as people in suits came filtering through the doors after a long day at the office. Within no time, their ties were loose and their jackets were off, and they were ordering drink after drink after drink. I man with his tie now tied around his head smiled at me.
“Nice headband,” I said and chuckled.
He grinned at me and looked at me up and down without any shame. It was the one thing I hated most about the bar. The men always felt like we were their property and that they could do whatever they wanted with us. They loved nothing more than flirting with us and trying to get us to break our professionalism. It was like a challenge to them. I had complained about it once to my boss, but he’d just laughed and said that I should just flirt back. He told me that the more I flirted, the more money I would make. It sickened me, but right now I needed the money.
“You’re a pretty little thing, you know that?” he said. He was much older than me, but he seemed to like that. That was often the case at the bar. I generally seemed to get hit on by the older men.
I smiled politely. If there was one thing I had mastered over the years, it was how to remain polite even when I didn’t want to be. I’d only lost my cool once, and I had regretted it. I had almost lost my job over it. Now I just smiled no matter what anyone said to me. “Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. Can I get you a drink?”
“You can get both of us a drink.”
“Both of us?”
“Come on, why don’t you join me?”
“I wish I could, but I’m not allowed to drink on the job.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And do you always do what you’re told?”
“I do when it comes to my job.”
He smiled and practically licked his lips. I tried not to show him my revulsion and continued smiling at him. I was sure that he thought the smiling was a sign of flirting.
“Oh yeah? I like a girl that does what she is told. But I also like a girl that likes to break the rules. I’ll have you know that I happen to know your boss really well and I’m sure he won’t have any problem with you sitting with me for a while. Go on, get us each a drink.”
I walked over to the bar with gritted teeth and ignored the frustration that was welling up inside me. I spotted Paisley speaking to a group of guys, flirting lightly with each one of them while they practically threw their money at her. I had no idea how she managed to do it so well. She seemed genuinely interested in all of them. I got the man in a drink and walked back to hand it to him.
“Just one? What about one for yourself?”
I smiled politely. “I really wish I could, but I have to do my job. Oh, here’s your change,” I said and handed over his money.
He chuckled. “I’ll get you one day. I like myself a bit of a challenge. Keep the change.”
I didn’t argue. I needed the money, and I was just glad he hadn’t pushed for more. The rest of the night was mostly the same, with me serving drinks while desperately trying to dodge the flirtations from all the men. The later it got, the more the men hit on me, and the drunker they got, the more they pushed to get something out of me. By the end of the night, I was exhausted.
I sat in the back room with Paisley and sighed.
“Tonight seemed worse than usual. What’s wrong with these men? Do they really have to flirt like that? I bet you they all have wives back home.”
Paisley laughed. “You’re just in a bad mood because of your rent. You should look at it differently. I mean, if you just flirted a little bit back with them you might actually make more money. And isn’t that what you’re looking for right now?”
I looked over at her stash of money and sighed. She had made more than double what I had made that night. No wonder the boss liked her so much more than me.
“They’re only after one thing. I just can’t flirt the way you do.”
“More flirting, more money,” she said as she started counting the bills in front of her.
I shook my head and went through my own, smaller pile of money.
“How’d you do?” Riley asked.
“Not as well as you apparently, but I did okay. It was a busy night, and people were in a generous mood. I have just enough to pay rent at least, so that’s a relief.”
“You sure you don’t need my help, Riley?”
“I’m sure.”
It wasn’t entirely true. Having enough money to pay rent was just one thing of the many things I had to pay to get by each month. I was sick and tired of spending my time looking at my account and wondering if I had enough to get by. I needed to find a better job, one that I enjoyed and one that paid me enough each month. But right now, the only thing that I could think about was how much I couldn’t wait to get home and sleep.