Page 55 of Another Last Call
“Did you do last call?”
“Uh, wow, is it that time already?” He glanced at the clock on the till. “Yeah, sorry ladies. This is last call. We’re closing up soon.”
They acted as if we’d told them they needed to stop what they were doing and join a convent.
By the time the girls were finished and their bills sorted, I had refilled the cutlery stand, swept the entire room, and finished every closing task besides the deposit and whatever needed to be done behind the bar. Then, as he stood around and bid the girls farewell, I started cleaning up the mess they’d left, trying my hardest not to scowl.
“Thanks, Caleb,” the girls were saying as I attempted to wipe up the trails of glitter on the bar stools.
“This place is so amazing.”
“You were so much fun. We love you!”
“Best bachelorette ever!”
“Bye, sexy!”
Bridesmaid One lingered as her friends left.
“So, do you live nearby?” I heard her ask.
And that was all I could handle.
I tossed the rag onto the top of the bar, grabbed a stack of glassware, and stormed into the kitchen. The glasses rattled against the counter as I slammed them down before going into the office. But of course, even that wasn’t an escape; I couldn’t hear what Caleb’s response was, but the security cameras were up on the computer screen and I saw her hand him a piece of paper.
Her number, I thought. Of course.
When he swaggered into the office a few minutes later—and he did, he fuckingswaggeredlike he was hot shit or something—he grinned as he put the till from the bar on the desk in front of me.
“Well, I was right,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
He rapped his hands on the desk. “Putting that ad up on Main Street. Isaidthose large groups would see it there and what d’ya know,firstweekend, it pays off.”
I grunted, pulling the till tray towards me so I could start counting out the deposit.
“They might have been loud, but they dropped money like it was nothing,” he continued. “Like, frig. I don’t think I’ve ever pulled that much in at the bar. Not even at our grand opening.”
“Is that before or after you count the phone number?” I muttered.
He was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, all the smile had gone from his voice.
“What, am I not allowed to get a girl’s number?”
I grunted again, teeth clenched. I tried my hardest not to react, but I could feel my face starting to turn red.
“Well?” he pressed. “Am I?”
“I didn’t say you weren’t,” I said steadily.
He sighed. “What are you getting on my case for this time, Mags?”
Anger flared through me. “Really? It’s ‘getting on your case’ to be frustrated that I had to run around dealing with everything by myself all night whileyousat around the bar flirting and laughing and undressing that goddamn bridesmaid with your eyes?”
“Her name is Tina.”
I scoffed. “Like I care.”
