Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
He sighed and gave me one last look before he left me to deal with the customers we already had. I finished refilling two of their drinks and was about to go get a case of beer when Virginia walked in from the back office. I wanted to groan in frustration. She always sent me home when there were two of us on a night like this. Which sucked because I needed the money.
Her husband, Tom Abernathy—whose father had opened the bar fifty years ago—would not send me home. If he were here and anyone was leaving, it would be Shawn. I was the harder worker. But Virginia liked Shawn’s looks even though she was thirty years older than he was.
“Liberty, you can go. Tonight is going to be slow.”
I started to beg her to let me stay, but her eyes dropped to my chest, and I changed my mind. I didn’t want her asking questions about my overflowing cleavage. The last thing I needed was for her to know I was pregnant. I knew they couldn’t legally fire me for being pregnant, but I had worked here long enough to know Virginia could find loopholes when she wanted something. She could cut my hours drastically or put me in the back, doing something that I didn’t get tips from. They liked their servers and bartenders to be young and attractive. She would have my pay cut until I had to quit.
“Okay,” I replied, quickly turning away from her and handling the customers I had left before going to get my purse.
Two of our regulars closed their tabs and tipped me. I wiped down the area and went to let Shawn know I was being sent home. He groaned and bitched about him not getting to leave. I thought about asking him to tell Virginia he wanted to switch, but then I thought about my boobs and changed my mind.
She was busy talking to one of the servers when I went and grabbed my purse and headed for the door.
It was already dark on my walk to the bus stop. The two-mile trek wasn’t convenient, but for now, it was all I had. Spending money on an Uber every time I went to and from work would eat into my savings. After one week at Sissy’s, I knew I had to save quickly and get out fast. If she let me stay a month it would be a miracle. It was clear she was already changing her mind.
The bus ride took thirty minutes when a car ride would have been more like ten. My eyes felt heavy by the time it stopped and I got out. Thankfully, the walk to her house was just under a mile. I made my way down the sidewalk and fought against the sudden fatigue. I’d been dealing with that lately too. Exhaustion coming out of nowhere.
Tonight, I would google pregnancy on my phone and read about other things I should be expecting. What else was going to change on me soon?
There was a classic Dodge Charger in the driveway when I finally made it to Sissy’s house. I knew she was dating some guy because she’d mentioned it the first night I got here. But there had been no signs of him.
This must be the guy. Nice wheels. That one had to be early to mid-seventies but looked like it had just been driven off the lot it was in such good condition. Dad had loved classic cars. He would have been our here drooling over that one. I doubted my sister even knew that about him.
Sissy was as gorgeous now as she had been when we were younger. She was also a successful pediatrician and had wealth to go with her looks. I was surprised she wasn’t already married.
The door was unlocked, so I didn’t have to dig out the key she’d given me. I stepped inside, quietly listening for any sounds. If she was going at it somewhere, I did not want to walk in on that. I moved toward the stairs but there were no moans or headboard banging coming from her bedroom.
I wanted a bottle of water, but I wasn’t sure if she had some romantic dinner planned.
I made my way down the hallway toward the kitchen, and I heard Sissy’s laughter. It was further down, near the great room. Sighing in relief, I went into the kitchen and grabbed a water. There was something in the oven that smelled fantastic, but I knew I wasn’t going to be offered any of it. My stomach growled, so I went to the pantry to get a protein bar from the box I’d bought on Monday before heading back to the staircase.
I heard the deep timbre of a man’s voice but couldn’t make out what he was saying as I went back to the foyer.