Worth Saving(71)

Layla

“Medium rare, please. Oh, and I’ll also have a house salad with ranch dressing, please. Thank you.”

“So, how you been holding up, hon?”

I hand the waiter my menu and wait until he saunters away before I answer Marlene’s question. She and Amanda are basically on the edges of their seats waiting to hear how things have gone since Austin found out where I worked.

“I’m okay. I mean, I’m busy, so that’s helping me keep my mind off things,” I reply.

“Yeah, knocking out those online classes?” Amanda asks, her short blonde hair glows from the sunlight beaming through the open blinds next to us.

“Yeah, well, slowly but surely,” I answer with a shrug. “It should only be a couple of days until I get the GED part done. That’s the easy part, from the looks of it. This online college stuff is going to be a mess, I can already tell.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be worth in the end,” Amanda assures me. “Like I told you before, once you get that stuff started, I can put in a good word for you at my school and see if we can bring you in as an assistant or an aide. I spoke with my principal yesterday, and she said she’ll see what she can do once you complete some classes.”

“That’s great. Thanks so much, Amanda. You have no idea how much it means to me that you’re trying to help me out.”

“It’s my pleasure,” she says with a bright smile. There’s something about Amanda’s pale face and calm demeanor that’s comforting. She’s been doing her best to hook me up, even before I quit Red Pony. She and Marlene are the best friends I could ask for.

“I’m really proud of you, Layla,” Marlene chimes in. “It’s good to see you getting on your feet and doing something like this, getting your education completed. That’s great. I still can’t believe you stood up to Damien the way you did.”

“Well, I had to. I couldn’t take his shit anymore.”

“I know. You put up with a lot since you started there.”

“For sure,” I say before I sip my lemonade. “What’s it been like there since I quit? Is he taking it out on the other girls?”

“He tried at first,” Marlene says, raising her eyebrows. “But he stopped. Three girls have quit since you left. I guess after the third one quit, David told him to calm down with all the crazy, violent shit. He’s been a good boy ever since. It’s like you started a revolution. He doesn’t know what to do now that girls are brave enough to walk out of there.”

A smile grabs ahold of my face and doesn’t let go.

“Good. Serves him right,” I reply proudly. “I wish I would’ve left sooner, though.”

Marlene’s face shifts. I think she can sense what I’m talking about, and she knows how I feel about it. About him.

“I’m sorry it turned out the way it did,” she says. “I wish I would’ve known it was him and his friends I was serving at the bar that night. I had no idea, or I would’ve at least warned you.”

“It’s not your fault, sweetie. I should’ve told him in the beginning. Who knows how things would’ve turned out between us, but at least I wouldn’t be sitting here feeling like this.”

“Have you tried to call him since then?” Amanda asks.

“Yeah. I went over to his house and talked to him, but he was still too upset to really wanna talk to me. He said some hurtful stuff, but he was right. I should’ve quit a long time ago. I’ve hated doing that shit since the first day Damien forced me into it. I was just too scared of what Damien might do, and I was too afraid of losing the money.”

“I understand that,” Amanda says, while Marlene nods her head in agreement.

“I know it’s a shitty thing to have to do,” Marlene adds, “but you can’t beat the money. Those girls make a lot of money down there, especially when you add in tips.”

“Yeah, but you lose a lot more. I never really understood it until recently, but there’s nothing worth losing your dignity over. I know I’m not making a dime right now, and I’m spending money to pay for these classes, but I’ve never felt better about myself. At least I have my dignity and self-respect.”

“Well, you learned a lot working at Red Pony, and at least you were able to save up a ton of money in the meantime. In a weird, twisted way, Red Pony is paying for you to go to school now. How about that? I bet Damien would love to hear about that,” Marlene jokes.

“So, are you giving up on the whole Austin thing?” Amanda asks, just as the lanky waiter brings the food to our table. “I only ask because I remember how you were glowing back when you guys were still talking. I’ve never seen you smile so much.”

I think about what it was like hanging out with Austin all those times. We really had some great times together with the basketball, and the painting, and the park, and even the walks we took together. Austin knew how to make any situation a pleasant one. As I think about him, an involuntary smile takes over my mouth.

“Yeah,” I answer, still grinning. “Austin was great. I was always smiling because he always knew how to make me laugh. Some of the stuff he’d say was goofy as hell, but the way he’d say it would be hilarious. I can’t lie, ladies, I miss him.”