Midnight Dreams

If Jade Alexander had any guts, she would dump the mug of steaming hot coffee in the jerk's lap, then quit before her boss had a chance to fire her. Nobody--regular customer or not--put a hand on her butt and got away with it. As a waitress, she was used to a degree of sexism, to men losing their manners around an attractive woman. Maybe it was the fantasy of a smiling woman serving them food and drinks with no complaints that made them lose all reason, but that still didn't make it right. There were limits to the abuse she would take, and Mr. Madden had just crossed the line.Glaring at him, she opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his hand. But the words didn't come. The truth was, Jade couldn't afford any guts, much less a roof over her head. She desperately needed this lousy job and the tips she made more than anything else right now. So what if the men who frequented The Red Piano were inconsiderate morons? She'd dealt with them for a year. She could deal with them for another.No pain, no gain, as the saying went.And she'd certainly had her share of pain. If you looked up the word in the dictionary, you'd find a stunned picture of Jade. This past year had been the worst of her life, such an emotional and physical struggle, that she'd more than once contemplated packing it in and moving back to New Orleans to live with her parents. But while she was lacking in guts, she certainly wasn't lacking in pride. There was no way she would ever admit to being a failure. She wasn't a victim, she was a survivor. It was all in how you looked at it.Even if her jerk of an ex-husband had taken her to the cleaners."Huh, Jade? What do you think?"Placing the mug of coffee on the table, she stepped away from him, casting a long look at his offending hand, hoping he'd gotten the picture. "I'm sorry, what did you say?""I asked," he began slowly, "if we could get together sometime. You know, outside of this restaurant. I love seeing you here, but it's not enough, know what I mean? Maybe we can get together for some drinks, a little dancing. Or something." He winked.Jade could only imagine what he meant by or something. And she certainly wasn't interested. "Mr. Madden...""Please, call me Milton.""Milton, I--"Reaching out, he took her hand. Jade lost her thought.Originally she was going to be nice, let him down gently. Now she knew he'd get the picture only if she told it to him straight.Pulling her hand from his, she said, "Mr. Madden, I am as interested in spending time with you as I am in dating a slug."His widened eyes and slackened jaw said he was too stunned to speak, but Jade didn't care. She turned quickly, marching to the kitchen. If her manager got on her case, so be it. Milton Madden could find another woman to harass. She'd had enough.Once in the kitchen, Jade leaned against a tiled wall and closed her eyes. The assorted smells of different foods washed over her, combining in a not-so-appetizing way that made her want to gag. God, she hated this job."Hey, hon. What's the matter?"Opening her eyes, Jade saw Gerald's concerned face. Gerald was a fellow server, and one of the best things about working here. "Oh, Gerald. Thank God you're here. I need you to take a table for me.""That bad?"She nodded. "It's Mister Touchy-Feely Milton Madden.""Uh-oh. And I guess his hands went a-touchin' and afeelin' today.""I don't know where that man learned his manners," Jade said, marveling at Milton's nerve. "I have to wonder if he has a mother.""Well, don't you worry, hon. I'll take the table.""Thanks, Gerald. I served him a cup of coffee, but I didn't ring it in yet.""No problem," Gerald said with a wave of his hand. Winking, he added, "This should be fun."Chuckling, he left the kitchen and went to the dining room. Jade smiled. Gerald would see to it that Milton got a taste of his own medicine--though Milton certainly wouldn'tPerrin, Kayla is the author of 'Midnight Dreams', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373830251 and ISBN 0373830254.