I wiped down the bar counter, the slightly damp rag dragging across sticky pools of spilled drink. The bar was alive with laughter and the low drone of conversation, but all I cared about was the battered clock by the entrance.
11:50 PM.
Ten more minutes, and I'd be free to crawl into bed and sleep until the world stopped spinning. That was practically the only thought that gave me solace while I was at work. It made me feel lighter and happier.
I'd taken on extra shifts, heck, extra extra shifts, because my rent was due, and my landlady was the kind of bitter that seeped into your bones. She'd made it very clear: one more late payment and I was out. No exceptions. Just the thought of it and how stern she looked made me shiver.
11:51 PM.
"Hello?" a voice slurred by the other side of the counter, dragging me away from my very sad thoughts. "Can I get a glass of gin and tonic?"
I looked up to see her. The bride. She and her bridal party had stumbled in a couple of hours ago, already tipsy, already loud. Bachelorette parties were a common sight here, one last hurrah before trading freedom for forever. If I had to guess, she wanted to pre-game at the bar before hitting the strip club. Typical of brides around here.
I gave her my best professional bartender smile. "Coming right up."
She blinked at me, swaying slightly on her heels. "Ou, I loveeee your hair. It's so fiery and red, like fire."
I chuckled. Compliments on my hair were as common as drink orders. Half the time, I made better tips because of it; something about it being an unnatural attraction in a place like this. Not that I was complaining. Attention meant tips. Tips meant rent. Rent meant I wouldn't sleep outside in the cold with nowhere to live.
I took a glass from the array of glasses lined up, filled it with ice, and poured a generous splash of gin over it. She watched me with dazed fascination as I topped it with tonic, dropped in a lime wedge and a cucumber slice, and slid it across the counter.
Her eyes went wide as she took a sip, rolling her head back like she'd just tasted the nectar of the gods. "Oh my god. That was the fastest I've ever seen anyone make a drink. And it's amazing."
11:55 PM.
I lifted a hand, feigning modesty. "I do my best."
She giggled, then pulled out a wad of cash, peeling off a bill and sliding it across the counter before sauntering off.
I counted it.
My breath hitched. A hundred bucks as a tip? Whoa, no one had ever given me this much before. Before I could even look around and push the cash into my pocket, I heard a voice.
"You know the rules."
I stiffened at the voice behind me.
Bill.
Somehow, my boss had an almost supernatural ability to appear whenever money was involved, like a vulture circling a fresh kill.
I clutched the bill. "Come on, Bill, I got this fair and square."
He raised a thick brow, unimpressed.
"Please," I lowered my voice, desperation creeping in. "I need to pay my rent."
He didn't look at me. Instead, he motioned to the tip jar. "I can't break the rules for you, Flora."
I cursed under my breath and dropped the dollar bill into the tip jar. Bill had a silly rule where the tips given would be split amongst everyone working that shift, including him. It did not matter who got the tip; it had to be shared.
It made no sense to me because I got more tips out of everyone who worked in the bar, and then I got to share it with them after my shift. And I couldn't just slide the bill into my apron because Bill had caught Yvonne doing that last month and fired her. I needed this job to stay alive practically, and I couldn't afford for anything to go wrong with it.
11:58 pm.
I tapped my feet impatiently on the floor. I couldn't wait for my shift to end so I could get out of here. I needed sleep, and I needed to really think about my life. Also, I will be getting a response from the publication where I submitted my manuscript today. Getting a book deal would be simply life-changing.
No more living paycheck after paycheck; I would be able to pay my rent on time or even move to a bigger apartment in the city.
Ugh, I would be able to afford all those super-expensive cereals that tasted like cardboard. That was the life I wanted to have.
"Here!" Bill's voice pulled me back to reality.
I looked down at the money in his hand, took it, and counted it, and it was barely even enough to get by.
"Bill, please. If you could just reconsider the last tip. I don't mind not getting paid tonight. Can I just get the tip I was given?"
He scoffed at me and tore his gaze away. "That's not how things work around here, Flora. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, he walked away.
12:00 am.
I took off my apron, grabbed my coat hanging by the side, and made my way out of the bar and into the freezing cold.
There's no way what Bill was doing was legal, and there's also no way I would be the one to report him to the authorities. The last thing I wanted was to end up like Yvonne. I just needed to keep searching for a better job that actually lets employees keep their tips. But I was pretty certain one of my books would get published, and I wouldn't have to worry about any of this.
As I walked down the dark alley toward my studio apartment, I felt eyes watching me. I looked around a couple of times, but I couldn't see anyone.
The city was barely awake, shadows stretching long and ominous under the glow of streetlights. Still, the prickling sensation at the back of my neck refused to fade.
This was not what I needed right now. What I needed was to hear news about my manuscript being accepted, take a nice hot shower, and go to bed very happy. I increased my pace until I came to the front of my apartment building. My trembling fingers fumbled with the mailbox, the cool metal biting against my skin.
I first saw my usual stack of credit card bills and other payments that were way overdue before my eyes met an envelope that stood out. I sucked in breath as I pulled it out of the bunch. It had a distinct logo of the publishing company I'd submitted my manuscript to weeks ago, and I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe.
I clutched the envelope tightly, my heartbeat thunderous in my ears. I needed this. Desperately. Rent was due, my fridge was practically empty, and my last paycheck barely kept me afloat. Plus, Bill was doing all he could to keep me in poverty forever.
With trembling hand, I tore open the envelope and unfolded the carefully folded letter. My eyes scanned the words until they landed on that one word that told me that my manuscript just wasn't good enough. The rejection felt like a punch to my gut.
'We regret to inform you that your manuscript has been rejected. While it is well-written, we found the content too deep for our audience.'