You know those chain pie places with the orange roofs
just off the highway, where ancient waitresses named
Dot and Gert swish by in nylons, orthopedic shoes
pumping against greasy beige tiles? That’s where
I worked the line, slopping out omelets, hash browns,
partying every night. High tolerance – I was young,
could put away a 12-pack, ingest or inhale various
illegal substances then pull off a shift with ease.
My boss, the manager, did it to other girls, as well:
a prep cook, some younger waitresses. This was before
we knew about each other, before we started blabbing
about Tony. Tony the Tiger, we called him. A harmless
invitation to play cards, have a few drinks, unwind
after the 3 - 11. The look of surprise on his face
when I woke up in his bed. A weak dose.
I came to, and he’d never seen that. Listen,
if you’re going to roofie someone, make sure
they don’t wake up in the middle of the assault,
you cut-rate rapist. My wild-eyed grog, thrashing.
He ushered me into clothes, out the door, and
as I walked the starry road home, stupefied,
my senses came back slowly. The other girls told me
they’d woken up in his house, were served coffee,
affection, as he rubbed their backs, thanked them
for a good time. They couldn’t recall any details,
just this sense something was off. This was before
#MeToo. We realized, plotted in secret knots. Cat claws
by the soda fountain, whispering in the walk-in.
Dot and Gert watched with arched eyebrows, knew.
They’d been compromised in other places, at other times.
We were all awake, and furious. We sharpened, we schemed.
We ran him out of his job and went on collecting our paychecks.
Lauren Tivey
Lauren Tivey is the author of four chapbooks, most recently Moroccan Holiday (winner of The Poetry Box Chapbook Prize, 2019). Her full-length collection is Traveler in the Sunset Clouds (Main Street Rag, 2022), and her hybrid poetry/photography collaboration is Fire Carousel (Main Street Rag, 2023). Her work appears in Split Lip Magazine, Connotation Press, South Florida Poetry Journal, Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, and Grimoire, among other places. She teaches creative writing at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.