Delivery Girl Blues (Ruby)

eing the only one in the Diner with a driver's license was not exactly a boon to her at this moment. Well a couple of the cooks could drive but they couldn't really be spared to leave the Diner. A lowly waitress on the other hand....

At least they told her that the tip should be good. It was still strange. why was a diner providing delivery?, she had wondered but soon enough she heard enough from the others why. That was the benefit of being a quiet person. You heard a lot. No one paid much attention to you either so they never really bothered to hold their tongues around you. The people they were sending the food out to were connected to the City's movers and shakers. Something about a big family that owned half of what was worth owning in this town and whispers about Mafias and whatnot. She didn't really want to hear any more about that. The last thing she needed was to be mixed up in some kind of criminal element. She would just drive the Di er's van to the place, deliver the food and be done with it.

She wasn't looking forward to being out on the streets but at least she'd be in a locked van being out at night instead of on foot. The only reason she agreed to work the night shift because they promised her a double. It would ensure that she wouldn't have to leave to walk home until the sun had risen again.

With a couple of the men from the kitchen loading the van she looked at the map she kept in her purse of the city to see where she was going, memorizing the one way streets and such. What she found on arrival was nothing what she was expecting. Dressed in the 1950's throwback Diner waitress uniform she stood out like a sore thumb among the ladies dressed in swank and barely there dresses that sparkled rivaling the fine jewels they wore. The music was so loud she didn't understand how anyone heard anything let alone how they knew to answer the door as she stood there with the two large bags of sandwiches and platters from the Diner.

She had to blink as she stepped in, the strobing lights and the haze of God only knew what kind of smoke greeted her. The man at the door had roving eyes and took in the sight of the her like a lion might watch a gazelle. It was entirely disconcerting. "I....I'm from Chubby's.. the Diner?", she meekly stuttered out and nodded to the two large bags in her arms. There were more bags in the van but she could only carry them two at a time. She expected the man to take the bags from her but instead he put his hand to the small of her back and lead her into the room, through the throngs of people that nearly had her shrinking within herself to try to keep from brushing against them. It was nearly impossible.

The tiny blonde was lead back to an alcove where several men were lounged around a large round table in a semi-circular booth that seemed plush and lavish. She didn't even want to know what the pile of white powder on the table was. She was pretty sure she already knew but she simply kept her eyes down and sat one bag on the table, trying to set the other down as well. "There's more bags outside. I'll just be a minute...." But as she tried to step away her path was blocked by a large man in an expensive suit.

Panicked and not sure what to do she fidgeted her hands in her uniform's apron edges and glancing toward the door she must have looked even more out of place than ever. "If..if any of you would like to help.. I....I..well there's several more bags and I really do need to get back to the Diner and finish my shift."

The large man blocking her path grinned and there were snickers from the others at the table as he moved in a little closer, placing a hand on the wall beside her, blocking her in with his body as he leaned in closer and lifted a hand to her hair, dragging a long lock of it through his fingers and over his knuckles. "Where you goin so fast little dove? The party's just started.", he said as he leaned in close to her, his hand brushing along her figure as he let the blonde lock of hair slide free.

Her heart beat a million miles a minute and she felt a full blown panic attack coming on. It was ridiculous, she would scold herself later, to be so offset by what is likely a common occurrence to most women. Heck most of the women here were laughing and draping themselves on the men at the party. But this was why she didn't participate in this kind of life. She wasn't equipped to handle it. "Back to the Diner.... like I said." Her awkward squirming must have been amusing or perhaps the words that followed as the table erupted in more laughter but it drew a frown from the big man that loomed over her. She didn't understand any of it and shrank back against the wall, yelping as a hand from one of the men at the table swatted her butt.