“Seriously. Benny’s a twit! He won’t pay me for last week, Benny won’t pay me for the four days I worked this week, Benny’s refusing to give me my wages. Benny owes at least five weeks where I’ve stayed behind and worked, and he hasn’t paid me. Add to that, any tips we make he takes half, I make fifty bucks in tips Benny takes twenty-five. Idiot’s robbing us blind.
I earn three bucks an hour there, Benny pays less than minimum wage, his excuse is that we get tips, but he steals those tips! We’re only allowed one half an hour break on twelve-hour shifts, and we work six days a week. He doesn’t even pay us for that half an hour, nor do we get free drinks or meals! Benny makes us stay behind if his two favourite waitresses are late and we don’t get paid! Does Benny take their tips? Oh no, not theirs, just the rest of us.
I needed last week’s and this week’s wages, I was saving to get out of the dump I’m living in. Tommy ground his chicken dick against me this morning, grabbed my ass and put his face in mine. Randy Ron keeps knocking on my door in y-fronts. I dare not mention the health hazard from the needles the drug users leave on the ground. Benny didn’t pay much, but it was my lifeline.” I ran to a halt and was surprised to find six men now surrounding me, each looking angry. Where did they come from?
“You earn sixty bucks a day with tips? On a twelve-hour shift?” one rumbled, looking pissed.
“Eleven and a half, Benny docks our break,” I muttered sullenly.
“A man grabbed you? Molested you?” Chance spat, and I bit my lip.
“Yes,” I said, and my voice broke on the word. I wasn’t safe, and I was positive about that.
“Babe…” Chance said, but I broke away from him and tried to walk around the enormous hulks of men.
“I need to go, got to pound the streets and finding another job.” I squeaked, as suddenly, I was thrown over a shoulder, and with quick strides, Chance began marching down the street.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked as the other five men followed. The guy who’d initially been with Chance gave me a shit-eating grin. I narrowed my eyes at him and pounded (not too hard) on Chance’s back.
“Goin’ to sort shit. Benny don’t take advantage like the bastard is, I’ll get your money, and then gonna deal with this Tommy and Randy Ron.”
“Put me down!” I yelled, my tears drying up.
“Chance, she’s lookin’ green brother,” the grinning man called out. Chance stopped and placed me gently on my feet. He cupped my face in gentle hands and checked me over carefully.
“Come on, sweetness,” Chance said and wound an arm around my waist and began marching forward.
“Where are we going?” I asked, bemused by the expression on Chance’s face and the gentle tone he’d used. The sweetness didn’t hurt either.
“Told ya, to get your money. Hate women bein’ took advantage of, hate Benny with a passion, man’s gonna pay your wages.”
“Okay, I had a breakdown, a weak moment, I don’t want trouble. I’ll work stuff out, just let me go so I can go job hunting.” I dug my heels in, and Chance stopped moving.
“You stood at my walls for six months watchin’? You ain’t gonna get trouble,” Chance rumbled loudly, and I glanced behind to see the men stood in a semi-circle grinning.
“Shhh,” I hushed Chance, blushing again. Chance grinned, and I blinked at him. Holy hotness!
“Sweetness, we all saw ya, nothin’ to be ashamed of, bikes and cars are sexy,” Chance winked, and my mouth dropped open. What was this man doing to me? Somehow sensing my capitulation, Chance began marching again. My heart sank into my stomach when I saw the diner come into view. Chance didn’t seem fazed.
“Stop, let me try to get the money. Stay here, please, I don’t want trouble,” I begged, and Chance’s gaze dropped to my face.
“Not gonna cause trouble, babe.”
“Let me try,” I asked, placing my hand on a muscled chest and it was seriously muscled. Chance’s eyes dropped to my hand and then returned to my face.
“Two minutes then we come in,” Chance warned and let go of my waist. I patted his chest, and Chance grabbed my hand.
“Name?” Chance rumbled.
“Chance.”
“Your name, babe.”
“Oh,” I blushed again. Why did these things keep happening to me? Chance must think I’m a total idiot.
“Clio.”
“Clio, you’ve two minutes, and then we come in,” Chance warned and gave me a gentle push towards the diner. I looked back over my shoulder as I walked up to the doors and saw the seven men stood there, Chance in the middle with his arms crossed.