Rock my world - By Cindi Myers Page 0,47
close to the stage and helped Ray unload his tray. With shaking hands, the waiter placed the shrimp cocktail in front of Bonnie. “Is the shrimp fresh?” she asked, eyeing the dish suspiciously.
“I—I believe the shrimp were frozen. But I saw the cook boil them just for you.”
“Frozen shrimp aren’t fresh.” She shoved the cocktail away. “Bring me some fresh ones.”
Ray glanced at Adam and Erica, then looked back at Bonnie. “I don’t think we have any fresh shrimp. Everything is frozen.”
“Did I ask you to argue with me? Go get my order.”
“Bonnie, stop it.” Adam’s voice cut through the tension. “The man can’t serve you something that isn’t on the menu.”
“Is there a problem here?” Outback Charlie hurried to their table. “Is there something I can get you, Bonnie?”
“This waiter screwed up my order.”
“He did not.” Adam turned to Charlie. “Bonnie didn’t know the shrimp were previously frozen.”
“I asked for fresh. He told me it was fresh. He lied.”
Ray opened his mouth to defend himself, but Charlie cut him off. “I warned you. One screwup and you were out the door. Now, go.”
Adam stood abruptly. “He didn’t do anything wrong.” He glared at Bonnie. “Bonnie enjoys causing trouble.”
“If he upset the lady, that’s enough reason for me to let him go.”
“Don’t.” Adam softened his voice, though his knuckles whitened around the fork he still held. “Give the guy a break. I can vouch for him.”
Charlie looked surprised. “You know him?”
Adam nodded. “We’ve known each other for a few years.” He glanced at Ray, whose expression had changed to wariness. “He’s a good guy. You won’t regret keeping him on.”
“I don’t know about that.” He frowned at Ray. “I wanted to help a guy out, you know. But you worry with a guy like that. What if he starts stealing or something.”
“I don’t steal,” Ray said. “I never stole.”
Erica looked from one man to another. Something else was going on here, something more than Adam defending a waiter from Bonnie’s wrath. What did Charlie mean a guy like that? Ray looked ordinary enough to her.
“Just because somebody has a record doesn’t mean they’ll steal or do anything else to jeopardize their job.” The lines around Adam’s mouth tightened. “Believe me, most people don’t want to go back to jail.”
“How do you know?” Charlie countered. “How many ex-cons who went straight do you know?”
“A few.” He glanced at Ray again. The waiter was staring at him, eyes dark with hurt and anger. Adam looked at Charlie again. “Me, for instance. I was in prison with Ray, and I don’t ever intend to go back. He doesn’t, either, that’s how I know you can trust him.”
Erica stared at him, until the edges of her vision went gray. As if from a very long way away, she heard Bonnie gasp. “You’re a con, too?” Charlie asked.
“An ex-con. I did my time and I’ve gone straight. Like Ray here.”
Charlie shook his head. “Who’d’ve thought?” He gave Adam a hard look. “I never heard you say anything about that on the radio.”
“It’s not the kind of thing that comes up much in casual conversation.”
Charlie looked at Ray again. “Okay. One more chance. Don’t blow it.”
“Thanks.” He spoke through clenched teeth. Erica wondered how much pride he swallowed to say it. With a stiff nod, he left their table.
Adam sat back down and picked up his burger. No one else moved.
He put the burger back down. “What?”
“You were in prison?” Bonnie was clearly horrified. “You never told me.”
“It was none of your business.” He glanced at Erica, then back at Bonnie. “It was in California, before I came here. It’s over.”
“Oh God.” She sprang from the table and fled.
Charlie stood. “I’ll go see if she’s all right.”
When the two of them were alone, Erica tried to eat, but she couldn’t get the haunted look in Ray’s eyes out of her head. Had Adam ever looked like that? She pushed her plate aside. “That was really something,” she said. “You sticking up for Ray that way.”
He popped a French fry into his mouth and chewed, a closed expression on his face. “Go ahead and ask.”
“Ask what?” She flushed.
“The six million dollar question. What was I in for?”
“Okay. What were you in for?”
“Drugs. Coke. Blow. I had a big habit back then. Dealt some on the side. It was a big mistake.”
“That was what you were talking about, when you said you got in big trouble at your last job?”
He nodded. “Nobody wanted me to work for them