Worth Saving(25)

“Well, technically, you didn’t really tell me about yours either. All you said was that you went to work. I mean, I could’ve guessed that. So, I think you have to answer me first, then I’ll tell you about my awesome, excitement-filled day.”

“Your day was full of excitement?”

“Oh hell yeah it was!” he exclaims. “It was unbelievable, so you better hurry up and tell me about your day before I forget what happened in mine and you’re left all disappointed.”

“Okay,” I giggle, but I have to pause for a minute, because I’m not sure how to describe my day without getting into the details of what I do. “Umm, my day was quiet. There was almost no business in the club, so it was pretty boring.”

“You seem to enjoy it when it’s quiet at work. It’s written all over your face when you say it. I’m guessing you don’t like having a packed house in the nightclub you work at, huh?”

“You’re right about that,” I say honestly. “I like it better when it’s quiet and I don’t have to deal with a lot of people.”

“Then why do you even keep doing your job? Why not quit and do something else? Something you enjoy.”

“To be honest, I’ve never even thought about it before. I’ve been doing it for a few years now, and I’ve never been to college, so I don’t even know what else I’d want to do. I don’t know what I’d be able to do.”

“Well, you won’t know until you actually look into it. It beats doing something you hate every day of your life.”

“You’ve got a point,” I admit.

I’ve never thought about quitting Red Pony. There are honestly a lot of reasons why, but Damien is probably the biggest one. In the years I’ve been working there, I’ve never seen any of the girls quit. I’ve seen them be beaten up and fired, but they never quit. That’s just not something you try to do when you work for Damien.

“So, now tell me about your fun-filled, awesome day,” I continue.

“Oh, okay,” Austin says, rubbing his hands together like he really has something juicy to tell me. I find myself perking up to hear what he’s about to say. “Well, first I woke up and talked to my mother on the phone. Boom. How’s that for a hot start? Then, I talked to one of my closest friends from back in Seattle who’s gonna be coming here for a work in a couple of days. After that thrill ride, I ended up taking a nap because I couldn’t fall asleep last night either, and my sleepiness carried over into the daytime. Then, I ordered Pizza Hut and watched three whole seasons of Friends on Netflix. Now, I know what you’re thinking; how could I possibly handle any more excitement? Well, it’s tough, but my night was totally capped off when you called and told me you wanted me to come walk with you. Now, here I am, my nerves wrecked from all the fun. I’m barely able to stand now, but it was totally worth it. Now, how’s that for an exciting day?”

I can’t even respond to Austin’s craziness. I don’t know where a person could possibly find the energy to make up that amount of enthusiasm at four-thirty in the morning, but when it’s all said and done, I have no choice but to laugh. I actually have to stop walking so I can laugh. I laugh so hard it hurts my stomach where I was punched just over an hour ago. When I clutch my stomach, Austin straightens up and gets serious.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, bending over so that our eyes are level.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answer quickly so he doesn’t press the issue. “I just can’t believe you came up with all that off the top of your head like that.”

“Well, I didn’t really. I actually did all that stuff today. Is that not exciting to you?”

I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing again. “It is, it is. Yeah, that sounds like a blast. I’m jealous.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he jokes again. Then, his smile fades and he asks me a serious question. “Nah, but for real, if you weren’t bartending, what other job would you like to have?”

“Oh, a serious question now, huh?” I joke. “Okay, well, I haven’t given this much thought, to be honest. I like kids, and I’ve always wanted to be a teacher of some sort. Even a teacher’s aide would be nice. I don’t know. What about you, Mr. Air Force Pilot? Do you love what you do?”

He hesitates for a second, then clears his throat and answers. “I’m still fairly new to the Air Force, but I like it so far. I can’t complain. It brought me here, and I love Vegas. So, it has its perks.”

“I bet.”

We make our way around the corner, finally completing our circle around my large block, and I see my parking lot up ahead. I’m almost disappointed when I see my apartment complex staring back at me from down the street, so I slow my pace just to prolong the experience, which makes me confused. But slowing down doesn’t keep us from getting there, and the next thing I know, we’re standing in front of Austin’s car again.

“Well, I really appreciate you coming out and talking to me, Austin,” I say as he pushes a button on his key that starts the car without him having to get in.

“It’s always my pleasure, Layla. Thanks for the invite. It was a pleasant surprise.”

“Well, I have to admit you’re pretty easy to talk to. You don’t get on my nerves, and I can’t say that about very many people, especially men.”