Two
E
"The company provided a car and phone." The girl sniffs. "I forgot my purse this morning, so I don't have any cash for a cab." She pulls a packet of Kleenex out of the box and blows her nose.
I'm about to take pity on her and hand her a twenty to get the fuck out of here when she turns to me with a heartbroken expression on her otherwise pretty face.
"Have you ever given your entire life up for something and had it blow up in your face?" she asks.
"A marriage that was pretty much doomed from the start."
"I moved here for work. I gave up everything, and I got canned because the boss's son doesn't understand the concept of the word 'no'." More tears pour down her porcelain cheeks.
"Well, you have two options." I stand up and dust off my pants. "You can sit out here and mope about things beyond your control, or you can suck it up. Come inside and get hammered in celebration of your newfound freedom."
"I told you I don't have any money."
"I've got a couple gentlemen sitting at my bar who would skin me alive if I made a pretty little thing as you pay for drinks." I hold out my hand in offering. "Come on."
She's hesitant, glancing from my hand to the black door leading into the unknown.
Mother Nature makes the decision for her, and she stands on wobbly legs, still clutching the box against her front. We make it through the door before it really starts to pour.
I lead her straight to my office, ignoring the whispers and stares from my patrons.
"You can set your shit on the desk, if you want," I tell her, digging through the filing cabinet until I come across a clean shirt left by a supplier. "I've got to go check on my customers, but you can put this on if you want. You'll fit in a little better if you don't look so stuck up."
She's still clutching the box against her chest, so I set the shirt on the back of my chair and move to leave her be.
"I'll make you a Cosmo."
"Actually, I'll take whatever you have on tap."