-The Corner of 4th and National-

"Sweetie, I'm not sure you should take the job at the Four Roses." Candice told me quietly. She fished in her purse for her pack of cigarettes and slid a slender stick out of the package with her lips. She lit up.

"Says the woman walking the street corner for a living," I replied with a laugh. I loved Candice and I wasn't judging. I'd done it once or twice before when I'd been desperate and strapped for cash.

"Look," she said, blowing out a puff of smoke to the wind, "I go in, do my job, and get out. I don't see nothing, I don't hear nothing," she said. She took another drag, "But that Four Roses…" she continued. Her voice got quieter, as if she was going to tell me a secret. I glanced around, but no one was around, other than the occasional passerby on foot or in a car. "…you can get yourself into deep shit…what you could hear or see…could get you into trouble…" she took another drag.

"Look- I haven't heard of any waitress from the Four Roses disappearing lately," I laughed. There's no way Candice could be serious right now. Candice got into strange cars and went to God knows where to do God knows what with them.

All I wanted to do was waitress. Serve some beers, clean some tables. An honest days work.

Candice blew out another stream of smoke, "Look, honey, just be careful, huh? And if you feel like you're in too deep, get the hell out of there? I don't want to see your pretty face in the newspaper," she leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "But look, I gotta go. If you need me, call me…"

"I will," I smiled at her, giving one more laugh at Candice's concern. However, Candice did not seem amused, so my smile faded, "I will, Candice."

"Good, I'll see you later baby," and with that, Candice walked off. That left me to walk in the other direction, to head to my second shift ever at the Four Roses.

And now for the first time ever, I was nervous about it.

Thanks, Candice.

-The Four Roses-

I stood behind the counter, staring down the tap. You son of a bitch. I told it in my head. I had the mug in front of me, that waited to be filled with the alcohol. Alright…here we go… I raised the glass- pulled the tap and it beer flowed to the glass, but also sprayed me in the face. "Awesome…" I muttered, "Benny!" I called, for the second time. He was back in the kitchen, seeing to something…but I needed him now….because patrons needed their beer.

"You're new here."

Statement. Not a question.

After the rag moved from my face, after wiping the beer from my eyes, I was suddenly staring into two blue eyes that cut straight into my soul.

I was taken aback by the lack of casual friendliness that normally accompanied a voice when asking a waitress, or anyone for that matter, if they were new.

Or maybe I was just a little freaked to see Billy Darley sitting on the bar stool across from me, staring me down.

"Yeah," I finally spit out, throwing the rag aside. "Which I would have been able to hide much easier if Benny would get this goddamn spout working," I replied.

He relaxed a bit. He leaned back a little on the stool. And his eyes now looked me up and down. And then something passed through his infamous blue eyes that I hope I identified as approval.

"Benny 'll never fix it." He spoke again. He reached over the counter and hit the hinge of the spout with brute strength, "Try it now."

I did as he told me.

And it worked.

"Thanks," I said, relieved I could serve beer again. I placed the full glass on the counter and slid it across to Billy- even though I'd originally been filling it for a man at table four.

He nodded before taking a big swig of the crisp beer.

My attention turned to the man from table four who was suddenly standing in front of me. "How long does it fucking take you to pour a beer?" he glanced from the mug in Billy's hand back to me. "Or do you just take your own fucking time?" he demanded, his voice raising with each breath.

"I'm sorry. The spout wasn't working…" I explained, pulling out another mug. I saw Billy tense, and watch table four carefully.

"Sure it wasn't….fucking excuses…that's all you bitches ever…" but the man couldn't finish because Billy picked up the empty mug and smashed it into table four's face. The man fell to the ground with a yell, gripping his face where glass was now imbedded and blood trickled down his face.

I stood, momentarily rooted. Billy Darley just smashed a glass mug into some guys face. Either because the guy invaded his personal space…or it was in my defense.

Wow.

"Get the fuck out of here," Billy said. It was calm and collected, deep but something in his voice was final. And table four understood this too. He stumbled up and out of the four roses. Once the door swung shut, and the sunlight wasn't visible anymore. The background bar noise picked up again like nothing had happened.

"Thanks…" I said. Not that I could think of anything that I could deem appropriate in a moment like this.

Billy nodded, "You get off at two?"

"Yeah…" I said. I watched him on baited breath. Why did he want to know when I got off.

"I'll be outside."

Billy Darley then sauntered off, back to his table where he took a seat at the head of the table and got down to business.

I was now going home with Billy Darley.

Statement. Not a question.