He placed his hand over his heart. “I would, but I don’t think you’re ready to handle the Filipino version of Justin Timberlake.” Then he proceeded to warble a few lines from one of the singer’s popular songs.
Despite being a few inches shorter than Graciela, Jessie had more bravado than most men Avery knew. That also meant that he didn’t keep a steady relationship.
“I would love to do karaoke tonight.” Avery didn’t have to think about it.
“I hear a but.” Bruno shifted his weight to one side.
“I have a quiz tomorrow.” With Avery’s professor’s warning, she didn’t want to mess up her chances of doing well.
“So no staying late and definitely no club tonight.” Bruno wagged his finger at her.
“And if you were my father, I would agree with you.” Avery winked at the surly cook.
“Hell, even if Bruno was your daddy, you still wouldn’t listen.” Graciela bumped her hip against Avery’s. “I can come pick you up since your piece-of-shit ride is on its last leg.”
“All of you will be on your last legs and out of here if you don’t get to work.” Pig pointed to Mona. “Open the front door.” Then he pointed to Avery. “I want you working the back tables.”
Avery huffed and shook her head. Those tables equated to low if any tips. “Can I get the bar for part of the day at least?”
“Sorry. Mona’s spot. Senior waitress gets first preference.” Pig snorted.
Mona shrugged. “Sorry, dear.” She pointed to herself. “Ten years over your year.”
Avery couldn’t wait to graduate and, hopefully, get a better job. “Fine. I’ll smile my ass off.” She started with one big enough that it hurt her cheeks.
“Good girl.” Pig capped the statement with a pat on her backside.
Yep, he definitely earned his nickname.
“I told you about doing that.” Avery faced the big man.
“Come on, honey.” Graciela pulled Avery out to the dining room area. “You know he doesn’t mean it.”
“That doesn’t make it okay. I’m not a piece of meat.” She turned to Mona. “Or his woman.”
Mona unlocked the door before she sashayed over to Avery. “Don’t get sensitive about it. He does it to everyone.”
“Yeah? Does he do the butt pat to Bruno and Jessie, too?” Avery crossed her arms. “You need to keep your man in check.”
Mona’s full lips pressed together so hard that it formed a thin line. “Don’t get cute unless you want to have even more time on your hands to study.”
Avery cocked her head and glared at the woman in front of her wearing an outfit suitable to work around a stripper pole. “Are you threatening me?”
Customers started filing into the restaurant just as Mona answered.
“Absolutely.” She moved in closer to Avery. “Trust me. He doesn’t want you. Be flattered and move on.”
Avery shook her head. No way could this woman think Uncle Pig’s behavior constituted as something normal or acceptable. Avery needed to get out of this hellhole, and soon. Until she could do that, she would have to put up with her boss’s mess.
Graciela sauntered by Avery.
Avery captured her arm and pulled her back. “Pick me up at seven.”
Graciela’s eyes widened. “Drinks and singing?”
Avery nodded. “A whole lot of singing. Just don’t say anything to anyone else. I know Jessie wants to go, but I don’t need to hear a lecture from Bruno. I need to do this for me.”
She did just that as soon as she got off work, took a couple of bites of leftover Chinese takeout she had in a carton in her refrigerator, and studied for an hour. Avery stopped thinking about school as soon as Graciela arrived.
Avery needed to release some pent-up energy. Nothing did that more than singing her heart out with an emotional song.
“You really shouldn’t get so worked up by Pig.” Graciela pulled into Songbirds’ parking lot. “You know he doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“I don’t care what he means. I know what it feels like to me and what it looks like to others.” Avery shook her head. “It’s disrespectful. If I didn’t need the money, I would be gone.”
“Don’t let Uncle Pig hear that. He’ll cut you quick.” Graciela swiped her hand over her throat to illustrate her point.
“I’m sure I can get another waitressing job.” A new job that would work with her schedule, especially mid-semester, would be challenging.
If pressed, Avery would go. Her dignity meant more. If her parents caught wind of her boss’s impropriety, she would never hear the end of it.
Avery and Graciela strolled through the door of the bar/restaurant and got hit with a bad rendition of “Proud Mary.” God bless the man who warbled the tune and included Tina Turner’s hip shaking and frantic dance moves, but he definitely butchered the song. Good thing these places existed for people to have fun, not start a career.
“Hey, ladies.” One of the regular waiters strolled over to Avery and her coworker. “Thank God you’re here.” He nodded toward Avery. “The talent is low tonight.”
“Come on. The guy has a smile on his face. Must mean he’s having fun.” Avery went over to a table positioned to the side of the small stage area.
“At least he’s having fun.” The young man stood by Avery’s table until Graciela sat down. “You are performing tonight, right? Don’t tease me.”
“Of course she is.” Graciela winked.
“Damn. What are you, my manager?” Avery picked up the laminated menu that remained at the table.
Going from diner food to dive food didn’t suit her, but she needed something to settle her stomach.
“Yeah. And if you don’t start dating pretty soon, I’ll be your pimp, too.” Graciela laughed before she ordered her drink.
As usual, Avery stuck with water. “Loaded nachos for me.”
“You got it.” The waiter nodded.
“You think it’ll get here before I go up?” Avery didn’t need to look through the establishment’s song book.
She knew which song she wanted to do. After the day she had, the song rolled around in her head all day.
“Oh, you are going to close this place down if I have anything to do with it. We definitely need someone strong to end the night.” He gave her a wink.
Before Avery could argue that she needed to get home at a decent time, the waiter left to fill their orders.
“I can’t stay late.” Avery shook her head. “I have to go to class in the morning, and I have a quiz.”
She had studied, but she could use a bit more time to go over the material before the morning.
“You will be fine.” Graciela patted Avery’s hand. “You’re young, and things work out for you.”
If only that had been true. Life had been a struggle for Avery, and getting harder daily.
“Don’t forget. I have to go to work tonight, too. Since it’s with my dad, I can’t be late.” It would be bad enough if she went to work smelling like cigarette smoke.
No one smoked inside Songbirds, but as soon as she hit the door to leave, all the