The Lucky Doberman

Chapter 66: It's Okay To Cry

A month since I'd begun working at the restaurant. It took forever for me to get on my feet to even look for a new job. For about two months, I just laid in bed and used money I was previously gifted and paid with to pay the bills. But now I was a hostess and it was actually a pretty fun job. I got it easily. I'm given a lot of tips, and the uniform is cute.

I met a few new friends. There was Sarah, Ana, Dasia, and Chris.

Sarah is a sweetheart. She gives lollipops to the kids that come to the restaurant and she's always asking us how we're doing. She has purple dyed tips in her hair and the rest is brunette. She's short and she smiles wide.

Ana is funny. But she's funny in a way that she doesn't know she's funny. She doesn't crack jokes on purpose, she just says things and they're funny. She doesn't laugh with us because she doesn't even know she's hilarious. One of the best kinds of people. She gets in fights with rude customers and stands up for her coworkers whenever she can. You'd think by now she'd be fired, but she's never in the wrong, so the manager just lets it slide.

Dasia is quiet, but mostly just to the customers. She has the sweetest voice and one time in the kitchen she sang for us and it was beautiful. We gave her a standing ovation. She's super pretty and her smile is contagious.

Chris is nice too and he's a bit clumsy. His hair is always a bit messy and he's usually chewing gum when he first walks through the door, but sucks his teeth when the manager tells him to spit it out. He cracks corny jokes, but the kind that make you laugh because of how stupid they are. When he's done saying the joke he'll stare at you with a wide grin waiting for you to get it and maybe even nudge your arm with his elbow while saying 'ah?'.

They're very nice people.

There's another guy that works here named Thomas. He's to himself and just walks around getting work done. I've only seen him laugh once or twice and of course it was because of Ana or Chris' stupid joke. He has dimples when he laughs and he reminds me of someone. But me and Thomas have never really spoken unless it was to ask him to hand me a pen or one of us was saying excuse me.

"Goodnight, guys!" I stated as I grabbed my jacket.
"Goodnight!" "Don't let the bed bugs bite!" "See you tomorrow!" They all responded and waved.

I walked outside and slid on my jacket. It was getting colder and colder by the day.

I headed to my car and got in to ride home.

Recently, I've had this strange feeling that I was being followed.

I always checked my backseats before I got in the car and I walked outside always pretending like I was taking a phone call. Nothing's happened, but I can't shake the feeling. It's strange. Who would even want to follow me?

For every night since I got my new job, every time I was on my way home, all four lights I passed have always been green. I haven't stopped at a red light on my way home from work in forever. How lucky of me?

I parked my car in the garage then headed inside.

Nikki was there and sitting on the couch while watching a movie. Which I sometimes find funny because she has a tv in her room. I'm the only one who doesn't because I don't watch very much tv, so it would be pointless.

"Hey," she greeted with eyes still glued to the screen.
"Hey," I snickered. "What're you watching?"
"Some horror movie that was playing when I turned the tv on. I didn't expect to get so invested." she stated.
"Yea, I bet." I scoffed.
"Did you bring any food home?" she asked and finally looked away from the screen.
"No dinner, but I did bring dessert. Two different kinds of cake and a giant pan cookie. Obviously not in the pan because we can't take the dishes home."
"Fine by me. More dishes means more to clean," she stated and got up to walk to me.
"I wish I could gain the energy to cook, but I have been smelling food all day. I just want clean nostrils for ten minutes, that's all."
She laughed at me. "It's fine. I'm not that hungry anyway."
"Still nervous about that vacation?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"The only time you don't eat is when you're anxious or when you're stressed. Which I think are the most times I eat, so...you're kind of a weirdo." I snickered.

"It's just...that's our first vacation together alone and it's in only three months, and it's in another country, and it's for two weeks. What if I haven't prepared enough? What if in that amount of time we realize we don't actually love each other and the sound of the other's voice is like nails on a chalkboard?"

"Nikki, it's officially been 7 years. I think you're past that." I scoffed. "You're being just the slightest bit dramatic to say you're stressing over a vacation that's three months from now. Plus, the only reason you two didn't go on this vacation sooner was money issues or something like work came up. I think you're going to be fine and you are going to have the time of your life. Send pics."
"I hope so. It just feels like a big step. Vacationing alone is like moving in together, trial run."

I snickered.

"But enough about me, how are you doing?" she asked.
"What do you mean? I'm fine."

She just stared at me.

"What?" I laughed.
"Don't lie to me. I know you're just putting on a front." she argued.
"I am not. I'm okay. Sometimes things don't work out and that sucks, but...it's just the way it is, you know?"
"Do you think that if you weren't okay, you'd tell me? Because I don't need you to be strong for me. If you want to cry, I encourage it."
"I don't need to cry. I'm okay." I swore.
"Okay. I haven't really seen him at the casino recently. Maybe he's opening up another. I was told he has like six."
"Yea, maybe."

I told Nikki that she didn't need to quit her job at the casino just because me and Marco didn't work out. It was paying her well and there was no way I'd tell my best friend to stop getting money.

"Anyways, do you wanna finish this movie with me? I don't know how much you'll understand or if you'll even enjoy it with half of the movie being over but the offer is there." she stated.
I laughed at her. "Yea, I'll watch and when it's over we can start something new. I'm gonna take a quick shower first and get out of these clothes. I smell like medium rare steak."
She snickered. "I'll get started on some popcorn."
"Perfect."

I walked into my room and quietly shut the door with my back against it.

I felt the tears break free as I let myself fall to the floor and sit. My knees were brought to my chest as I rested my head on them and just cried quietly.