Old Coworkers

"Milo? Is that you?" The table I was waiting on now had three men there; all of whom I knew from my father's company. Milo was the former head of sales, Derrick was formerly in charge of marketing, and Louis was our best accountant. I used to like chatting with them from time to time even though my father used to work them hard.

"Well I'll be! That really is Jack!" Louis pointed.

"How the mighty have fallen." Derrick crossed his arms.

I stood frozen not knowing what to say or do. Last time I saw these guys, I was technically their boss wearing an expensive suit and my dad ran them through the coals for a simple mistake. Now, I was a waiter at their table wearing a sexy bunny outfit.

This was totally humiliating.

Milo stood up with a laugh and patted my shoulder, "Jack! Good buddy, how've ya been? Love the new outfit by the way. You fill it out nicely."

My face burned red as I laughed nervously, "Eh he he, yeah...this wasn't my first choice of wardrobe for a reunion but...this is my new uniform."

"You actually work here?"

"I take it your dad's new 'start up' isn't taking off?" Milo used air quotes with the word 'start-up'.

"Well...no...that's part of the reason why I'm working here."

Milo nodded, "We know what it feels like having to start anew Jacky boy. Trust us." That's true. Once my father's company went under, they had to look for new work as well. How did I never think about how my father's decisions effected other people as it did me and him?

I lowered my head, "I'm so sorry guys...this is all my fault."

Louis shook his head, "That was all in the past Jack. More importantly, that was your old man's fault, not yours. You just...did nothing at all."

I lowered my head. I don't think Louis meant that offensively but the fact that I did nothing...the fact that I couldn't do anything at all was one of the greatest regrets of my life. When everything came crashing down, all I could do was let it sink. I didn't know how I could help. I didn't know how to do anything.

"Yeah, he was in charge, you were just...doing what you were told." Derrick agreed. Though I imagine that was his nice way of telling me I was powerless in my own father's company.

"We're doing alright now. We got new jobs. We're actually in the same positions we were before and we are making more money and our new boss treats us a lot better."

That's good to hear, "Really? That's great! Who are you working for now?"

All three men shared a knowing smile. Or did I imagine that? "Well, you remember Zachary Ziv yeah?"

I had to double-take a moment. Of course I remembered Zachary Ziv. He was a nice guy but I remember him arguing with my father constantly. As my dad's CFO, he was the one who always told my dad when he was doing something wrong with the company's finances. My dad never listened to him, and that cost him dearly. Eventually my dad fired him for insubordination and at the time I thought that was inevitable. Turns out Zach was actually right...about everything! My father made some bad investments, trusted the wrong people, and ultimately made some decisions that were just plain bad for business. Once my father's business went under, Zach sued him for wrongful termination and got enough money out of it to start his own company. I did hear that it's doing better than my dad's company ever did. I'm sure it's doing a lot of people some good but still...I kept praying for my father's success. Was I wrong to do so?

"Yes, I remember Mr. Ziv. He was my dad's best financial advisor."

"Your dad sure as Hell didn't know it then. Certainly didn't treat him like it. Fired the man just for telling your pops the truth." Derrick shook his head.

"Well karma is a bitch that way. Once we were out of the job, Mr. Ziv scooped us up and gave us the lives we deserved."

I had to admit this was a bittersweet feeling. On one hand, I'm glad these guys landed on their feet. On another hand, this was another reminder that no one had my dad's back once the company ran into the ground.

"Hey Jack, I gotta say, I'm real proud of you." Milo patted me on the back.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I would have thought you would have ended up on the streets by now once you left Daddy's nest. But look at you," Milo gestured at me up and down "you're working hard at a job that suits you better than the one you had before."

"You mean it?" I was actually happy at this statement. I didn't know whether or not Milo meant it as a compliment or an insult but I did know that I wanted the job Zayne gave me and I wanted to do it well.

"Absolutely," Louis chimed in "You always had the body for hard labor and now...everyone can see it." He winked.

I blushed as I was once again reminded at how little I was wearing before my fully dressed customers. I lowered my notepad pretending it was giving my almost naked body some kind of extra covering.

"Ain't no shame in some honest back-breaking work Jack." Derrick added.

"So uh...can I get you guys some drinks?" I was **** to steer the conversation away from my attire.

"Ah, sure, a round of beers for me and my boys. Have at it Jacky bunny!" Milo smacked me on the ass and I scurried off to collect their drinks. I couldn't tell if Milo and the guys liked or disliked me but for now I was determined to do my job. They did have one thing right, this uniform might be embarrassing but I was doing honest work and that filled me with a sense of pride.

After I delivered my former coworkers their beers, they told me they needed a minute to order their food so I bussed some other tables. My cheeks warmed up again as I was beginning to notice all the stares I was getting as I crossed back and forth through the restaurant. I still couldn't believe a bunch of guys I used to know saw me in this embarrassing uniform. Hopefully my next table will be less awkward.