The Charity Ball

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" said Hank with hostility. The waitress turned with a jolt.

Hank expected waitresses at his bar to be constantly walking around the floor, so that customers could get a good look at them. He didn't hire waitresses because of their brains. They were meant as eye-candy for the local residents of their town.

"Umm.. I'm so sorry I just needed a smoke, I've been on my feet all day... I'm sorry I'll go right back" said Sandra frantically and apologetically.

"You think this is a fucking joke?!" said Hank without abaiting his hostility "I don't give a shit if you're tired, you go out there and be a good little bitch, if I catch you smoking again I'll put out the cigarrete on your fucking forehead"

"Okay, I'm sorry... I'll go back, but there's no reason to use that tone..." she said.

"Are you giving me lip? Huh?" said Hank, his eyes open wide, unflinchingly looking into her eyes. She had to look down, Hank's eye contact was too intense.

"No ... I just" she with a quavering voice.

"You're talking back to me?" said Hank, raising his voice even louder.

"What? Why are you..." she mustered.

"That's it, you're fired! You bitch think you can take advantage of me and give me lip?!" said Hank "get the fuck out of my bar before I smack your face"

"I... what? Are you serious? You're going to fire me... after what I..." she started to plead.

Hank's expression became full of rage. His menacing gaze became unbearable. She looked down and walked away from Hank. She went into the staff room and snatched her things in a hurry. She didn't bother getting changed, she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible to ease her embarrassment. She darted for the door.

"Eyyy!" shouted Hank just as Sandra was about to leave "that T-shirt is company property"

She gave him an angry look. She paused for a second, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. She realized he was not joking, he wanted the T-shirt back. She hesitated because Hank required all waitresses to work withut a bra, to be more appealing to patrons.

After thinking for a few seconds, Sandra realized she didn't want to argue, she was too afraid and embarrassed. She just wanted to get out.

All of the patrons at the bar looked at her as she took off her T-shirt with the bar's logo on it. Sandra crumpled up the T-shirt and threw it on the ground.

As she raised her shirt, her naked breasts fell out for everyone to see. The bar was split between customers who pretended not to notice the scene, and those who shamelessly gawked at the young woman's full breasts fall out of her tight T-shirt.

She quickly searched inside her bag and pulled out a bra. She put it on before going out into the street.

"Asshole" she muttered under her breath. She flung the door open and went out in just her bra.

The atmosphere in the bar was tense and awkward. No one knew quite what to say or how to resume their conversations.

"Hey, what are you doing just standing there?" said Hank, he was speaking to Jim, who worked behind the bar "pick it up! Do I have tell you to do everything?"

Without a word, Jim put down the pintglasses he was drying up and slowly waked around the bar to pick up the crumpled up T-shirt.

Jim wasn't afraid of getting fired. He'd seen plenty of waitresses come and go, fired for petty reasons like he'd just witnessed. But he knew that wouldn't happen to him. Whereas the waitresses were hired to look pretty, he knew how to run the bar. He was only 19 but he had worked behind a bar during school holidays and was now working full time as he decided to wait before going to university.

Hank needed Jim to run the bar, and Jim new that. Jim knew how to serve multiple clients at once, he knew the right time to change the barrels, he knew which tasks to prioritize when the bar got busy...

However, Jim thought it best not to argue with Hank. Jim knew he couldn't reason with Hank. He just did as he was told, collected his paycheck and went home. He hated Hank. He'd gladly take a job at another bar, but he worked here now and he had to make the best of the situation.

Without needing to be told, Jim hung a "waitress wanted" sign on the window.