Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299: Table Six

"Sally! Table six needs you. Now."

Jessica did not roll her eyes, which she felt deserved some sort of award. It was the thousandth time, give or take, that Tina had called her by the wrong name.

She turned around with the sweetest smile she could manage. "Right away, Tina."

Her hands were already full. Anyone with eyes could see that. But Tina Marlowe, the owner of The Copper Lantern and the shrewdest woman in Orange Grove, was already walking away, purposely ignoring the fact that Jessica’s hands were filled.

Jessica dropped off her drinks, and loaded up a fresh tray for table six.

The men at table six were the usual sort who came in after work—broad shoulders, loud laughs, and the kind of stares that made Jessica’s skin itch. One of them looked her up and down as she set the drinks down, his eyes lingering far too long on places that had nothing to do with her serving skills.

"Four bottles," she said brightly. "Anything else?"

"Depends what’s on the menu, love," one of them said.

His friends laughed like this was the finest joke ever constructed by human beings.

Jessica kept smiling. She had a very good smile for these moments. It was the smile of a woman calculating exactly how many hours of her wages were currently sitting at this table and how quickly Tina would throw her out of the flat above the bar if she lost them.

She set the bottles down one by one.

"Bit slim, isn’t she," another one said, not quietly. "Reckon there’s something under all that apron though."

"Give us a twirl, sweetheart."

She did not give them a twirl. She gave them a lovely, professional nod, gathered her empty tray to her chest like a shield, and turned to leave.

That was when a large hand landed on her backside with a solid smack.

The sting shot straight through her. For a second the whole bar seemed to go quiet inside her head. Then the anger arrived, hot and fast. Jessica spun around and slapped the man across the face before her brain could remind her that this was a terrible idea.

The crack of her palm against his cheek was loud enough to turn a few heads.

The man’s expression cycled through shock, pain, and then a very dangerous kind of fury, all in the space of about three seconds. He shoved back his chair and stood.

"You little—" He was red now, redder than a tomato.

"Did you just hit me?"

"Did you just touch me?" Jessica shot back, her heart hammering so hard she could feel it in her teeth. "Because I’d hate for either of us to be confused about the order of events."

"Tina!" the man roared. "TINA!"

Tina appeared like a storm cloud, face tight with pure fury.

"What in God’s name is happening here?"

"Your girl slapped me!"

"Sadie," she said, in that low, tight voice she used when she was about to be very reasonable and very cruel at the same time. "What have I told you about the customers? These men spend good money in my bar. You do not put your hands on a paying customer, do you hear me?"

Jessica’s hands curled into fists at her sides. The tears were already pushing up behind her eyes, and that made her angrier than anything else.

"You do not hit customers! You apologise right now!"

Jessica stared at her. "He grabbed me, Tina."

"I don’t care what he did! You do not react like that in my establishment!" Tina jabbed a finger toward the door. "One more stunt like this and you are out on the street, do you hear me, Sammy? Out. On. The street."

"My name is Sidonie," she said, voice shaking but clear. "Not Sally, Sadie, Sandra or Sammy!"

She did not wait for Tina’s answer. She stormed past the counter, blinking hard so the tears would not fall in front of everyone. Behind her she could hear Tina trying to calm the furious men, promising free drinks, apologising as if Jessica had been the one in the wrong.

Odelia, her colleague was already waiting behind the counter, eyes full of worry. She reached out and caught Jessica’s arm the moment she came close.

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