Disclaimer: I don't own.
:}
Jade was unusually agitated, so much so that Terry was thinking of asking Eric to send Jade home. Jade was more then aware of this, despite having succeeded in not making more then the most cursory friends at Puppies in the four years she'd worked there. In that time, Jade had learned the basic awareness of how she made the others there feel. So the goth kept pushing through her shift, while the blond wondered why she bothered sleeping with the assistant manager.
"Mike's gay." One of the other girls said. At Puppies, the girls didn't just wait tables, they also bused, so that the customers had constant viewing of the girls. Still, Jade knew what they were discussing, even though Mike was the current topic, they were talking about her.
'Small wonder...' Jade started to think, when she felt a hand on her ass. "Please, that's not on the menu." She said through a forced smile. Sh hated the distraction, since she was building a nice, dark thought, and didn't need the interruption. 'Like I ever need being manhandled.' She reminded herself, stepping over the party she had at another table. "How's everything?"
"I'm not sure." The woman who seemed to be in charge said. "I thought this was a family establishment." Her eyes lingered on Jade's outfit, but not in the way most of the customers did. Jade could guess how uncomfortable this woman must feel, having brought her child here.
"Sorry, but the name doesn't indicate young dogs, just old one's who think their gods gift to women." Jade said, smiling a more genuine smile. "Still, we boast some of the best wings available, including boneless mild one's that are perfect for a birthday party." Her eyes beamed sympathy. "Maybe the manager can get you into a private room?"
"Tell me, are those used for lap dances?" The woman asked. It was true that the party, made up of ten year old's and a few parents, felt strangely out of place, even for an afternoon.
"We're not that kind of place." Jade assured her. "So, do you need anything else? We have free refills on soda's, so I can bring you all another round." Jade offered, well aware that this group wouldn't tip like the others, but happy to have such a mild group on this day. 'And they don't make us work naked, just in something that's almost as degrading.'
"Like they need more sugar." The mother complained, but nodded her agreement, while Jade started gathering up the empty glasses to bring refills.
Jade was just finishing placing the glasses in the cleaning rack when she heard Eric complaining. "Who's idea was it to place a kids birthday party here?"
"Mikes." Jade told him, never looking at the man. She started gathering the clean glasses she'd be filling with soda's, checking her notes as to who got what. "We're usually dead on a Thursday afternoon, and he thought, why not. The foods good, and us servers, we're not dressed so sexy that kids would know what the adults were looking at. Heck, we could be in swimwear, and the kids wouldn't realize this was unusual."
"You're staying until that whole group is gone." Eric ordered.
"My shift goes through diner." Jade said. "They'll be long gone by then. Until they do leave, maybe we can be nice, move them into the event room?"
"Got an event there already." The assistant manager assured her. "I'm renting it out for stripper tryouts."
"Don't they usually do those at the strip clubs?" Jade asked. "Offer a prize, get a free evening out of the dancers?"
"Not for hiring." Eric said. "Not when sometimes, the tryout includes a lap dance."
"You disgust me." Jade sneered
"I'll not have that attitude." Eric warned, raising his voice, sounding authoritarian. He was only five eleven, but two hundred and five pounds of muscle and bone. He wasn't used to girls like Jade, who weren't afraid of him when he threatoned. Still, it was the wrong day.
"Eric, please, I don't give a fuck any more." Jade sighed. "Just let me take care of my table, cash me out, and we both go our separate ways."
"Why you leaving anyways?" Terry asked.
Jade had, by then, filled her tray with drinks. "Grab that tray, will ya?" Jade asked, knowing the girl, hoping for an answer, would comply. "Careful, don't drop any of the drinks. Those will be a bitch to clean up."
The drinks were quickly dispersed, and Jade had to deal with another table, one full six of men who where squinting to see if she was wearing a bra under that tight tee shirt. "Welcome to Puppies. My name is Jade, and I'll be your server today."
"How much to get you to take that shirt off?" One of the men, who looked to be the oldest said, all while smirking at his friends.
Jade tried not to roll her eyes. 'Not even drunk yet. How do these guys survive in this world?' She let it go, and replied. "I'm sorry, but the shirts part of the uniform. We have to wear it." Then mentally adding 'Neanderthal.'
"If you take it all off, I'll make it worth your while." The loudmouth promised.
"Sorry, not interested." Jade said. "Can I start you off with some drinks?"
"A round of beers, and wings." A different man, probably the second oldest, and a good ten years older then the remaining four, said. "And you may want to reconsider how you treat us. My friend there is a big shot at Neutronium."
'And Mason hasn't fired you why?' Jade thought, but knew better then to burn bridges for her fiance. "That's nice for him. So, a large plate of wings, and a pitcher of beer? What kind?"
"Whatevers on tap." The man who ordered said. "And we're gonna go for the hot wings. My fiend here," he nodded to the remainder of the group, and one man in particular, "He's from Texas, got us used to the hot stuff."
"Actually, most of us are from Texas." The man nodded to said. "We do real music, Country and Western. Celebrating getting signed."
Jade glanced at the man who'd ordered, while ignoring the executives attempts to get her to remove her clothes. "You the manager?" She asked him.
"Look, I'm sure your very talented, but unlike my friend here, I don't need a girlfriend. My wife's more then enough." The manager, who seemed the most calm, said. "But if your interested, like I said, my friend there is an executive at Neutronium."
"Not interested." Jade echoed. "My girlfriends more then enough for me too. It's just, she has a friend at Neutronium, some guy names Mason, and I was wondering what kind of guy he was." Jade hid her smirk.
The manager almost swallowed some air, while the executive just shrugged. "Why don't you call her up, then you two can come round to my place and discuss it." The executive said. "Let me give you my card."
The band, of course, was oblivious. 'Doesn't he take direct interest in everyone they sign?' Jade wondered, even as she took the mans card. "I'll have your drinks out in a moment." She told them. 'Do I tear it up, to hurt his ego, or give it to Tori, and let my overprotective fiance react? I mean, jealous much? Man, how does someone get like that. Which reminds me, her new roadie was looking at her legs, so I may have to break his...' She headed off to get the drinks, plotting how to best deal with her girlfriend, now that they had added strings to their relationship. 'I'll tear this up later, if they behave, so as not to risk my tip.'
"You have a friend at Neutronium?" Terry asked, suddenly next to her.
"Don't you have tables to tend too?" Jade asked.
"Running an order back right now." The blond said. "So, you were gonna tell me why your not working any more?"
Jade sighed. 'Mike knows, so why the hell not tell her.' Jade decided, almost as a reward for being one of the two people to ask her why she was leaving. "Getting married tomorrow, to a girl I've known for a while now, and we're keeping it low key."
"Oh..." Terry looked confused. "So you work here to ogle the girls?"
"I work here because it was easy to get a serving job here, they trained me in everything I needed to know, and I like Mike." Jade said, not willing to explain how much she'd feared she wouldn't be able to get any kind of job.
"Because he's gay, right?" Terry asked.
'She thinks he's gay, but doesn't know for sure.' Jade realized. 'She's fishing.' Sighing, the pale beauty decided to let the other girl know the truth. "Mikes not gay, just professional as hell. He doesn't date the staff, and that's how people started believing that rumor. Also, he's a sweetheart, just as long as your not making his life harder."
"But you know someone who knows someone at Neuronium." Terry said, seeming to change the subject out of the blue. "Why not work there? Maybe meet a star, and who knows..." She smiled, thinking of whatever fantasy of marrying a successful musician she had in her head.
"Because women tend to want someone near or above where they are in life, so even if I met a pop princess who thought I was hot, I'd be whatever, while they'd be a pop princess." Jade explained.
"You're probably right." Terry said. "Me, I'm gonna be an actress. All I need is a break. I even auditioned for some show on the Spanish Language channel, but they refused me because I didn't speak Spanish."
"What was the roll?" Jade asked, more curious about the roll then the girls life.
"I was gonna play a piece of meat, who gets chanced and tormented by a couple of children dressed as ants." The girl explained. "There were like a good thirty of us trying out for that part."
"And now I owe Trina an apology." Jade sighed.
"What? Trina? Is that your girlfriend?" Terry asked.
"No, I went to school at the same place as Trina Vega." Jade said, moving to her next table. "She played lady Cheese Boobs on a Spanish Language show. I thought it was lame."
"Trina Vega? As in Tori, or Alexa?" Terry asked.
"There are more Vega's then that." Jade snapped. "She doesn't have to be related to either of them."
"And you're still friends with her?" Terry asked.
"We sometimes are in the same circles." Jade acknowledged. "But we're not really friends. I just, I had no idea how hard it was for her to get that part."
"Oh yea, it's a good part." Terry affirmed. "So, who you marrying?"
"I'm leaving so I don't have to talk about that shit." Jade said, enjoying not telling anyone.
Jade soon was back to working, checking in on the kids party. "So, how's the birthday boy doing?"
"Should have just gone for pizza." The mother said, looking around at the way the various men were looking at the waitstaff.
"It's okay." Jade said, trying to sooth the woman. "Sorry the event room was being used. But, today guys have been real gentlemen. Well, mostly" Jade was right, most of the customers were more interested in lunch with a view then harassing the girls. There was the usual level of groping and the like, but it wasn't that heavy during the after lunch crowed on a Thursday. "Um any of you into country music?"
"Not really." The woman said.
"I was just wondering, cause I have a just signed band at another table, and I can ask them to come over, wish the birthday boy a happy one." Jade offered.
"Sorry, not that interested." The woman said. "But thanks anyways. It's a nice thought. No, we're doing better then we should have, considering what this place is."
"Well, I still wish the little man a happy birthday." Jade said, channeling Tori and managing to really mean that.
Jade reluctantly returned to her worst table, the one full of the band, the manager, and the executive who thought being semi-rich, or having connections, meant every pretty girl would want to jump into bed with her. "How's everything?" She asked. 'Not that you've been the worst in terms of touching, cause guys can be such perverts. No, I don't like the way some of the guys are looking at me.'
"Ma'am, I'm sorry if the boys want a good look, but I assure you, men from Texas are gentlemen, and while we'll look, we know how to take no for an answer." The band spokesman said. "Thanks for giving us such good service, and especially not spitting in our drinks. Then again, I'm not sure any of us would have noticed if you had."
Jade smiled. "Need anything, anything at all, that's normally available here, and I'll be more then happy to get it for you." Jade told them.
"No ma'am, I believe we're done here." The manager said, trying to stay civil like his clients. "However, if you could bring over another seat, we've just been told we're gonna have us a V.I.P. showing up."
"Sure thing." Jade said, heading off to check on her other tables, fending off one or two stray hands, and retrieving the chair asked for.
A few minutes later, just as Jade was bringing the chair, she stopped to make sure each of her tables was well taken care of. "Ma'am, I hate to push, but our diner crowd is coming in, so if your party's done, you might want to get out of here, while the people are on their best behaviors." She told the birthday party.
"Thanks." The woman said. "We were just… No one wants their kids back yet."
Jade gave a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, stay as long as you want..."
"No, you're right, we need to get going." The woman said. "Just, give me the bill..."
"Sure." Jade dug out the check, handing it over to the mother, hoping she might get a decent tip.
"Wow, this is more then I'd expected." The woman said, and Jade's hope for a tip vanished.
"You're already a lot less then most similar sized groups." Jade said.
"Excuse me!" A member of the country band called out to Jade. She knew they'd need things, but also she'd have to deal with their desires, sooner or later.
"A minute please, I'm helping this woman." Jade said, turning back to smile at the woman again.
"It's just, we'd like to pay her check." The man's voice was clear, even as he smirked at the Neutronium representative.
"Really?" The executive asked.
"You said the company would treat us, whatever we wanted." The man said, smiling. Jade noted he had a nice voice and was probably the singer. "I overheard that this was a kids birthday, and they'd mistakenly thought this was a family restaurant, just like you thought it was a strip club. So, we're putting the entire party on your tab. You know, as a way to say happy birthday to the birthday boy." He stood up and walked over to the other table. "You the birthday boy?"
The boys mother was slipping closer, to protect her son. "Yea." The boy said, totally oblivious to what was going on.
"I want to wish you a happy birthday. You mom can spend what she saves from this party on a present for you, from me and my band, Texas CR." He announced, smiling. "And you, little filly, thanks for working so hared to make this birthday as normal as possible."
The mother handed the check to the singer, and then started packing the kids up to head out.
Jade smiled at the man. "That was a nice gesture." She escorted him back to his table. "But I'm still not showing my tits."
"That's all right, don't need to see em." The singer said. "Just, when you talk to your friend, who knows someone at Neutronium, let her know Texas CR is the kind of band that likes to sometimes just do whats right, cause, you know, from Texas."
"I've known guys from Texas before." Jade said, smiling a semi-forced smile. 'Don't blame him, he's trying to be nice.' She reminded herself.
"Then on behalf of my state, I'd like to apologize." The singer added. "We try to raise em with manors, but sometimes, far too often, it just don't stick."
The spokesman for the bend, who Jade now knew wasn't the singer, added "And sometimes, we get the guy who just wants to be the knight in shining armor."
"I just hope this doesn't cost us our contract." Their manager said.
"You just hope what doesn't cost you your recording contract?" A British accented voice asked. Jade stiffened, knowing exactly who that was, and so did the manager of the band. Even the loudmouth executive who'd propositioned her earlier knew that voice. Only the band members, who knew who was in charge, but hardly dealt with him, were thinking of who that could be.
"Um, they took advantage of your generosity, you know, telling them they could have anything they anted, to add some kids birthday party to our check." The executive said. "I tried to stop them, but it happened so fast..."
"Is that what happened, miss West" Mason asked Jade.
"Yea, exactly." Jade replied. 'Lucky me, he remembers.' The sarcasm was as dark as anything the goth told herself.
"You know her?" The executive asked.
"Miss West was the runner up for the Platinum Music Awards opening act contest, six years ago." Mason informed the group. "We had a disagreement, and there were other good reasons not to sign her at the time. Mostly the fact that her real talent is in writing and making films." The head of Neutronium explained, turning to smile at jade. "I understand your almost finished with your degree. In fact, Tori's been pushing for me to invest in your first film."
"T-Tori?" The loudmouth executive asked, and Jade realized how boned she was. Terry, and half the other waitresses, had drifted closer to experience whatever drama was about to unfold, and heard everything. Begging with her eyes, Jade racked her brain for something, anything, she could say to stop this man.
"They don't need to hear about my more famous classmates." She tried.
"Not even the one your marrying, tomorrow, in the middle of the day?" Mason asked. "I mean, I agreed to attend, but it's inconvenient. Still, for an act like Tori, one makes adjustments."
"WHY?!" Jade yelled, not caring about the optics any more.
"One doesn't forget when their so called opening act changes the schedule, sends someone else out to have her moment, and embarrasses me." Mason was smiling, a dark, evil smile that Jade once admired.
"But you signed Tori almost as soon as she got off the stage." Jade protested.
"First off, we just started the project then. Sighing her took a couple of weeks." Mason said. "And second, that doesn't change that you defied me, in a way no one else could have. I admire your brass, and am well aware that it will help you become a great film maker. But I also like to get my revenge. Now then, you can get me a tea, and a camera man. Yes, we'll cover the check. I just wish there was some way to get credit for the good deed we'd done here. Publicity like that isn't easy to get."
"Got you covered." Perez Hilton called from his own business lunch not to far away. Terry was supposed to be covering his table. "What? I came over when I saw the commotion, and you, Mason darling."
"Thanks." The chief executive said, smiling. "Now then, Texas CR is going to be big, and we just got a little bit of good press, so that's a plus. As for you, Jade, good luck working the rest of the day now that everyone knows your marrying Tori Vega tomorow." he gave that a moment to sink in. And Jade, I had a hand in your prenuptial agreement, so don't even try to back out of it."
Jade staggered back from the growing press based love fest, when Eric showed up behind her. "Jade, a moment of your time."
"What?" Jade asked, feeling like she no longer had anything to lose.
"I was thinking, this new revelation, it's going to make it impossible for you to keep working here." Eric said. "I've called both Mike and corporate, and we've agreed to let you have the rest of the day off." His hand went up. "Don't worry, you'll get paid, plus your share of the tip from this shift. Just, it's gonna be too hot for you, at least for the next few days. So, while Terry here takes care of their bill, why don't you get ready to head home. Half a shift isn't bad. And this way, you have more time to prepare for your wedding."
'I don't need time to prepare, I'm getting married at city hall.' Jade thought really hard at Eric. But the press was there, gathering to see Mason Thornsmith pay the bill for both the newest band they'd hired, and a kids birthday party. "FINE!"
Jade gathered her things, waiting just long enough to split her tips, and get the eighteen percent that Mason and company tipped (Since this establishment didn't have a minimum tip for large groups, supposedly to encourage better serves) before heading out to her car. "Jade, wait."
Jade froze. "What do you want, Mason?"
"I just wanted to remind you, Tori didn't do this. I did." He said, and she could hear him smiling. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yea, you do that." Jade finished her march to her car, and then drove home, not happy. 'Tori, please don't be home, cause I'm not fun to be around right now. I love you, but right now, even the angry sex would cause bodily harm...'
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Man, this thing keeps growing. Don't ask where this came from, cause it's hard to explain. But hay, third chapter for a one shot, a personal record? No, cause I've done this before.
Review, or not.
