Page 10 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

The rest of the afternoon sped past in a blur of clothing being thrown onto the bed as I debated what to wear for my date. I wanted to look sexy but casual at the same time. However nothing in my meagre clothing options presented that option. I still hadn’t found anything that I wanted to wear when my alarm blared those chirpy bell sounds from my phone, reminding me that I still had to get ready for work.

Crap.I cursed in my mind, looking at the chaos and deciding I could sort it out tomorrow. Stuffing the clothes back inside the small wardrobe without hanging them, I hastily grabbed my black work polo top and a pair of black trousers and yanked them on. Tugging a tight bobble around my hair, securing it into a neat high ponytail, I was ready for my shift in ten minutes flat. Five minutes after that I was in the darkening street, locking the front door and smiling as I turned towards the city centre and the five hour shift that awaited.

Work had sucked balls. From the moment I’d walked in the door a harried waitress had called my name, rushing me to store my things in the small cubby locker that I’d been allocated and almost running back to the main floor still tying my apron strings. From there it had just got worse as the evening went on.

More and more tipsy students entered, the lads with their ridiculous posturing and the girls that mangled the menu’s options to fit whatever fad diet they were on at that moment. For all my running to and fro, my tips sucked and my temper was just beginning to flare as the last table’s food came out from the kitchen and yet another drunk lad thought he had the right to make fun of my damn job. One of these days I’d pluck up the courage to put them in their place, but tonight wasn’t that night.

Suck it up buttercup,I told myself sternly,only another hour till home time.

“Nearly there, Charleene,” Oscar the head chef chuckled, as I grabbed three plates and plastered on my sunniest smile.

“One hour that’ll feel like two,” I joked back, before strutting through the swinging door as he laughed in agreement.

“One Rainbow Bowl?” My customer friendly voice chirped as I stood beside the last table of the night and waited for the blonde to raise her hand before turning to the guy to her right, “One Butterfly Burger and a fully loaded chips,” I continued, placing each dish in front of the right person, “Enjoy your meal,” I finished with a smile and left them to it.

“Tonights been mental,” Emily said when I stepped around the bar area and grabbed a tea towel to help her polish the cutlery so we had anyhope of leaving on time. Other than Lily, Emily was the closest thing I had to a work friend. We’d both started on the same shift and had worked the majority of the same ones since. She was easy to work with; she always had a kind smile or sympathetic whine after a busy shift. She even went as far as to invite me out with her, like Lily did.

“Tell me about it.” I said, giving her a conspiratorial smile, even though my mind had already turned to thoughts of my date tomorrow night.

“What has you smiling like a loon?” Emily’s laughed comment drew my attention back to the present and the fact that I was indeed grinning as my fingers polished another fork.

“Nothing.” I tried brushing it off, with a small glance at her. I’d always been a very private person at work, mainly because unlike the other waitresses I didn’t really have much of a life outside work and uni.

“Come on, I need something to get me through the mountain of cutlery we still have to polish.” She smiled sweetly at me and picked up the last spoon on the tray just as the pot washer placed another full tray down, that had us both groaning.

Glancing over at my last table I took note of the barely eaten food and caved, “ok, I have a date,” I whispered.

“Eeekkk,” she squealed in delight, almost dropping her new batch of knives.

“Sssshhhhh, I don’t want everyone knowing.” I hushed her quickly as the bartender glanced in our direction with a raised eyebrow and we both dissolved into stifled giggles. “I feel so silly and giddy,” I confessed after the fit had subsided.

“That’s completely normal and part of the excitement. So where is the lucky man taking you?” She asked innocently.

“I don’t know where she’s taking me to,” I told her.

“That’s even more exciting,” Emily said, smiling devilishly at me as her eyebrows raised. “So who is she?”

“I met a woman last night,” I confided.

“The dark haired woman from Society?” she asked, nodding.

“Yeah, it’s just a date but…” I trailed off not really knowing how to end that sentence.

“But you're excited about it,” Emily filled in, smiling over at me.

“Charleene, looks like your table wants something.” Derek’s voice interrupted us. Nodding over at him, I left Emily with the cutlery and made my way back over to the table in question.

“Is everything ok?” I asked cheerily, smiling down at the trio.

“Can we have the bill?” The dark haired lad asked politely.

“Certainly,” I answered, reaching for the two empty plates, and hesitating at the salad which had barely been touched, “was everything ok?” I asked the blonde.

“Oh, yes, it was lovely but a little too much,” she responded, flashing me a quick smile, as I piled it on top of the rest.

“Can I get you anything for dessert?” I asked, praying that they’d refuse so we could finish cleaning up.

“No, just the bill please Sweetheart.” The other lad smirked, giving me a wink that made my skin crawl.

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