Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Julian grew silent again and went back to searching through the drawer as Levi reached for the money. “We have a salon that works with us. A spa in San Diego. This first time, we’ll cover that cost. Remember the receipts.” Julian paused and smiled. “I always forget that part.” He found a business card and wrote a name on the back. “Call her first thing in the morning; tell her I asked to get you in. Let’s say day after tomorrow, be here for training and I’ll get you on the schedule.”
“Thank you,” Levi said, lifting from the chair enough to tuck the money and the card in his front pocket. This had been tough on him for many different reasons. He knew he carried the poor-kid chip on his shoulders and had more hang-ups about that than most. Swallowing that lump of emotion that always came from situations where people tried to help him, Levi looked Julian straight in the eyes and said it again, “Truly, thank you for staying on me.”
“No thanks needed. I’m not sure I’d be standing here today if you hadn’t stepped in and pushed me in the right direction. If this works out, then I can call it even,” Julian said as his cell phone started to ring. He looked down then over to him. “Levi, I need to take this. Do you remember your way out?”
“Yeah, I do.” He lifted his hand as he rose, then grabbed the information packet before heading to the door. Julian answered, but held off speaking until he closed the door behind him. With a deep calming breath, Levi shoved down his nerves, trying to retain some of the peace he’d just held in taking such a job.
Chapter 6
Two days later, Levi balanced the tray on his palm as he carefully placed a martini then a cocktail glass on the high-top table. When he accomplished both without spilling, Julian, who stood a couple of feet away, started clapping his hands. The guy could be such a smartass at times. Levi resisted the urge to shoot the finger at his new boss and decided to take pride in his accomplishment, no matter how badly Julian teased him.
This was his first table as a trainee, and apparently the whole tray/drinks balancing thing didn’t come naturally to Levi. He’d lost two separate orders to gravity combined with clumsiness. One round when he’d stumbled over his own feet trying to walk too carefully to the table, and the other when he lifted one glass off the off-center tray, sending the remaining drinks tumbling to the ground. He’d become the spectacle of the night.
But not anymore. He’d finally channeled his inner waiter, and amazingly, the swell of pride for such a feat just about rivaled his five-fifteen score on the MCAT. With a bit of attitude, Levi tucked the tray under his arm and asked the customers, “Anything else?”
“This is enough for now,” one of the guys said.
When he started to turn away, he felt a firm pat on his ass and his happy turned to shock as he flipped around. The older gentlemen sat grinning from ear to ear as he winked Levi’s way then hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward Julian. “He told me to.”
Levi must have looked as outraged as he felt because both Julian and his trainer, Quinn, were doubled over laughing at him. Regretfully, he didn’t know either well enough to crack the tray over their heads like he wanted to.
“You did it!” Quinn started but couldn’t get a hold of his laughter which sent Julian into another fit of giggles.
“Shut up.” Levi pointed a finger at Julian. “I told you this wasn’t gonna be easy for me.”
“And who would have thought that meant more than just the come-ons,” Julian teased. Quinn jumped off the barstool he’d been perched on, still grinning as he took hold of Levi’s bicep and led him toward the bar. “You’re gonna do just fine. You come off as charming as opposed to inept. Just keep that can-do attitude until you get some experience. It’ll come together for you.”
“Sure,” Levi mumbled.
Quinn took him through a curtain to a small alcove. This area was for the waitstaff. The lighting was dim, but not dark enough that he couldn’t see the stacks of handheld trays, and a row of slim pouches that he’d seen on the waiters.
“The way we operate is kind of like you’re a subcontractor. Drink prices are set. You pay the bar for your order then the customer pays you. You also need to tip out the bar back at the end of your shift. You got it?” he asked, taking one of the pouches off the hook.
“What if they want to start a tab?” Levi tried to step back as Quinn leaned toward him.