Anyone but Me

Josephine Tippett stood behind the bar, tiredly scrubbing the counter clean. It was 11 am and they were dead, as they usually were around this time, and she was really regretting agreeing to work Adeline’s day shift. She could barely keep her eyes open and she was still here until 12 am at the earliest.

The loud ding rang throughout the bar and she looked up, sighing when she saw her mother. She’d forgotten that she promised to have lunch with her and Anne. She threw the rag in the bin under the bar and walked to the back office, knocking before walking in. “I’m taking my break,” she told Dan.

Dan looked up from his desk, his eyebrows raising and disappearing underneath his blonde wavy hair. “You can’t go on a break. You’re the only one working,” he pointed out. “Somebody needs to stay behind the bar.”

“Fuck off, it’s dead,” she snapped at her boss. “Besides, I’m only eating lunch here with my mum and a friend, so if there’s a customer and you’re so busy you can’t handle it, I’ll take care of it.”

“Do you forget that I’m your boss? And I can fire you at any second?” Dan asked, glaring at the blonde girl.

Josie only laughed. “Go ahead, fire me,” she dared him before shutting the door and walking out to the table her mom sat at. He wasn’t going to fire her because, besides Adeline, she was the best. “Hello, mum,” she greeted, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before taking the seat across from her.

“How are you, dear? You aren’t looking well,” Andrea asked, eyeing her daughter’s appearance.

“I’m fine, just tired,” Josie waved off. “What time is Anne getting here?”

“She should be here any minute,” she replied distractedly. “Maybe you should find a real job; one that doesn’t make you tired all the time or at least is worth its pay.”

Josie threw her hair up in a messy bun, already of the conversation. “It’s worth its pay and it isn’t the job that’s making me tired, I just couldn’t sleep last night,” she lied.

“Yes but surely working at a bar can’t be what you want to do with your life,” she insisted.

Josie sighed, picking up the menu and blankly looking at the options. “I enjoy my job, mum,” she responded shortly. She knew her mum hated her working here; not only did she think the late hours were ridiculous and she was worried about the men that came in, she also thought Josie could be doing so much more with her life.

Andrea opened her mouth to reply when the door dinged again and their heads turned to look. Anne walked in, Josie smiling in greeting, followed by Harry. Josie was a little thrown off – it was only supposed to be Anne coming – but she plastered a smile on her face before anyone could notice. He looked great in a big black sweater and black skinny jeans, his curls pushed back by a black bandana. All the black made Josie shift in her seat but it went unnoticed.

“Hi!” Anne greeted, holding her arms out to Josie. She stood up and wrapped her arms around her. “How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been good,” she replied with a smile as she pulled away. She’s always loved Anne’s company. “I’ve been busy though, working, which is why I haven’t been around to yours lately.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Anne waved off. “I convinced Harry to come along so you wouldn’t have to deal with us old ladies by yourself,” she joked with a wink before walking to greet Andrea.

Josie watched as Harry finished talking with her mum before walking over to Josie, his dimple prominent due to the grin. “Hey there,” he greeted, pulling her into a hug.

Josie hugged him back tightly, inhaling his familiar scent. “Hi, how’ve you been?” she asked him before pulling away. She took her seat at the round table, next to her mum and Harry sat on her other side.

“Good, I’ve been good,” he replied, nodding. “I’m glad to be home for a bit and see everyone I’ve been missing. Still tired from the early flight in yesterday but other than that, it’s good.”

The very first encounter after each time they’re together was always awkward for the first few minutes. Neither of them ever brought it up afterward – they just carried on being the longtime friends they were. Both of them were itching to say something – anything about how they always ended up having sex – but neither of them wanted to say it. They didn’t want to risk their friendship because they can’t control their hormones. So instead, they keep quiet.

“Jet lag must suck, huh?” Josie asked with a laugh.

“It does, it does,” he confirmed, nodding. “What have you been up to?”

She shrugged. “Working, really,” she answered. “Addy’s had to take off a lot of time with her dad being in the hospital so I’ve been covering for her so she doesn’t lose her job.”

He nodded before looking around. “This place, huh?” he asked, a smile growing on his face. “You couldn’t find a better place than this?”

Josie laughed. She knew he didn’t mean anything offensive by it; he just didn’t like that it was slightly hidden in an alley and he knew there had to be plenty of pushy men that hit on her. “It isn’t as bad as you and my mum think, I promise,” she told him. “The worst is Dan and he knows not to go too far or he’ll lose me and Addy.”

“Yeah, but the creep lurking in the dark don’t care about you keeping your job,” Harry pointed out.

She shook her head. “I’m fine, Harry,” she promised before turning to Anne and her mum. “What do you all want? I’ll go get it.”

“Aren’t you on break?” Anne asked, confused.

Josie scoffed. “Yeah, I don’t always like my job,” she answered. “I’m the only one working until about 5 o’clock so I’m also going to be your waitress.” She pulled out the little notebook from her back pocket and wrote down what all of them wanted before going behind the bar and placing the order. She began making all of them cups of iced tea.

“Need help?” Harry asked, leaning against the counter.

“That would be great,” she replied honestly. “If you could just take these to the table that would be great. The food shouldn’t be much longer and I’ll be right over.”

Harry grabbed all but Josie’s drink, easily holding them in both of his hands. “I’ll be back to help you with the food,” he promised before walking over to the table.

She pushed her drink to the other side of the bar before walking over and taking a seat in the stool, pulling out her phone to text Addy and ask how things are. She had just put her phone back in her pocket when Dan emerged from the back. “Enjoying slacking on the job?” he asked, resting his elbows on the bar top as he leaned toward Josie, who leaned away.

Dan was physically attractive; he had dirty blonde hair that was wavy and long, clear blue eyes and tanned skin. When she first began working at the bar, she enjoyed his attention because he was cute. It didn’t take long for his personality to totally ruin his looks. “I’m entitled to breaks, Dan,” she retorted.

“Of course, of course,” he said before nodding toward her mum’s table. “When are they leaving?”

“I don’t know, after we eat,” she guessed. “Why?”

“We’ll be alone for a while then…” Dan trailed suggestively.

Josie laughed. “In your dreams, Danny boy,” she replied.

“Hey, how’s it going, mate?” Harry appeared, standing beside Josie. His arm brushed her upper arm when he gave Dan a handshake.

“Good and you?” Dan asked, a smile ghosting on his lips.

“Great,” he replied, sitting on the stool next to Josie and moving closer to her. “Food ready?”

Dan went to tell him no when the bell from the kitchen rang, signaling it was ready. “Sure it is,” he answered, grabbing the plates of food and setting it in front of Harry and Josie.

“Thanks, man,” Harry nodded curtly, grabbing two of the plates and taking them to the table.

Josie stood, grabbing the other two. “So that’s why you ignore all of my offers to dinner and hanging out?” Dan asked.

“What are you talking about now?” she asked, sighing.

“You never said you had a boyfriend,” he said. “Not that it would’ve mattered anyway but it explains a lot.”

“Oh, you mean Harry?” she asked. “He’s not my boyfriend. We’ve been friends since we were kids.”

“Well he was definitely trying to give off the boyfriend vibe just then,” Dan pointed out.

“Or maybe you’re just that obvious of a creep, yeah?” Josie retorted, grabbing the remaining two plates and bringing them to the table.