Waves Of Passion

Chapter 4

Juggling two jobs was actually harder than Eliza thought it was going to be but when she thought of her bills, nothing mattered more. But the fact that there was a slight chance that Allan could show up at any corner made her more tired than she could ever think. She may not have been physically exhausted but the thoughts of her controlling bossy ex in the same state, the same neighborhood as she was in was cause for her to lose sleep. And it showed as she tried to keep up at the Hump Bar, something that Celia noticed.

It was on a Thursday evening when Celia decided to finally speak up about the whole thing. But the fact that they were friends was proving hard for her to bring it up. She looked at her as she finished up mopping the floor and cleared her throat loudly.

“Sweetie, I don’t know how you are going to manage this two job thing,” Celia said as she looked at Eliza. “I mean, these are two jobs, both demanding…I mean you have to be on your feet for almost fourteen hours a day.”

Eliza looked up as she wheeled the bucket to the counter.

“For starters, when I am out there being a lifeguard, I am almost never on my feet. If anything, what I really need is a break from my eyes and maybe a lifetime supply of sunscreen.” She rinsed her hands in the sink and grabbed a dry dish cloth.

“Well, you look exhausted,” Celia pointed out. “Like you really need a break.”

“I am fine. I used to work three jobs a day back home after high school and I managed just fine,” she said matter of factly. “I just need a break from that bas*ard Allan showing up all the freaking time,” she added with a sigh.

Celia raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home a little early tonight? I mean, I don’t mind closing.”

Eliza shook her head.

“We’re almost done. The tables are done. The floor is mopped and the only thing we are yet to do is take care of the glasses…which is probably a half hour’s job.” She turned to look at her friend. “Don’t worry too much.”

“Well, clearly I have to.”

Eliza laughed.

“If you worried anymore you’d be worse than my grandmother and she calls me twice a day every day.”

“What? Someone has to,” Celia said in a soft voice. “It’s not like you are in any hurry to get this Allan situation handled.”

“I have yet to find a reliable hitman and even then I don’t think I have enough funds to front the deposit.”

Celia looked at her for a moment before they laughed in unison.

“You know, I happen to know a few guys who might be willing to take you up on the offer.”

Eliza raised an eyebrow over the other. “What?” she asked.

“You know, I know quite a few of our regulars who would go to the ends of the earth for you,” Celia said in a soft voice, almost as if she was trying to whisper. To hide what she really meant by masking her message in her voice.

“Stop it or I may just take you seriously.”

“Maybe I am serious,” Celia said, shrugging and Eliza smiled.

“Yeah, I’ll just get the mop and bucket out of your way,” she said as she rolled the bucket out of the bar towards the bathroom. Even though she and Celia were always the ones cleaning up before they closed for the day, the one thing she was thankful for was the fact that neither of them ever really had to clean the bathrooms. That was the one line she was never willing to cross. She had just walked back into the bar when her heart skipped a beat.

“Eliza Warren, you sneaky tweet, you didn’t tell me that you were all buddy-buddy with Justin Frank,” Celia said as she looked at Eliza who was more stunned than she had ever been. She was not sure if she was excited or nervous as she walked towards the counter where Justin was.

“We’re closed,” was all Eliza could manage to say.

“The door sure isn’t,” Justin said.

“Yeah, Eliza. We really should be more careful,” Celia pointed out as Eliza began walking towards the counter. “I think you really need that time off,” she added but Eliza was not listening. She was a little dumbfounded as she looked at Justin in his cargo shorts and t-shirt. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing the sexiest smile she had ever seen. Her heart seemed to be racing as she looked at him.

“Pardon my friend. She can be a little…anti-social. I’m Celia, I work with her here at the bar when she is not out saving lives.”

“Justin. I like to watch her saving lives,” he said, looking at a still frozen Eliza who by now had rosy cheeks – a clear sign that she was blushing.

“Well, come on,” Celia said as she walked over to Eliza and pulled her by the arm so that she could join them. “Don’t just stand there. Join us and by the way,” she got even closer to her. “I will never forgive you for not telling me that you had such a long conversation with him, enough to actually get to mention that you worked a second job here,” she whispered.

Even though there was a threatening tone in her whisper, Eliza was still not reacting. All she could do was stand there.

Looking at him.

Celia looked at her and then at him before she shrugged.

“I’ll just leave you guys to talk,” she said before she walked out leaving the two there.

“Hi,” Justin said in a soft voice as he looked at her. And she bit her lower lip.

“Hi,” she said after a long silence. “What…what are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to check up on you. I mean, I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you since…that night.”

She slowly walked over to where he was and rinsed her hands once more. She took off her apron and shrugged.

“I have been settling in…you know how it goes with a new job,” she said but immediately regretted saying that. Of course he didn’t know what that was like. His hobby was his job. But he nodded.

“I do,” he said, looking right into her eyes.

“I was just about to leave,” she said and he nodded.

“That’s alright. I’ll drive you.”

She shook her head.

“You don’t have to,” she pointed out.

“It’s almost midnight, Eliza. There is no way I’m letting you go out there alone,” Justin said as Celia walked back into the room.