Damsel In Distress (Arcana Famiglia FF)

Chapter 6: Cecilly

Pace sighs as he walked through town. It was about time for lunch. But he will be eating alone today, since his usual lunch mates are having theirs in some other place. He was walking to eat lunch at his new favorite restaurant, which opened two months ago, Deli Cielo (Deli Heaven). His hand pushes the door inward and is quickly greeted by the waitresses who considered him as their favorite, regular customer since he goes there frequently. He quickly takes a table nearby and was quickly attended by a waitress of pink hair with either side of her head having braids intertwined with red ribbons matching her scarlet red eyes. Her braids only reaching to her neck because they become tied into two pigtails reaching below her butt with her messy bangs framing her face.

"Good morning, sir!" She cheerfully greets him, "May I take your order?" She continues with a cute smile.

"I'll have my usual, Cecilly." He answers in a monotone manner. His chin rests on his knuckles with his elbow on the table. He apparently was glum. She just nods without saying anything. She goes back to the counter wondering what was bugging him. He wasn't usually like that. More like never. . . he always goes there with a cheerful attitude.

"Lasagna for Table Seven, please." She says. She glances back at Pace. He seemed as glum as ever. He evidently was having a hard time hiding it. Well, he could never hide his feelings, actually. She turns back to the counter wondering if she should ask what was wrong and cheer him up.

She attends to the other customers as Pace's order was being prepared. It wasn't long until it was finally finished and she hurried to deliver Pace's lasagna before any other waitress does. Eager to find out what was weighing on his shoulders. His heart somewhat lifted at the sight of the lasagna and he quickly starts gobbling it up. She looked at him with a concerned face as she watched him eat.

"What's wrong, Cecilly?" he asks, noticing her serious expression while he swallows a spoonful of lasagna. She sighs before answering him.

"No," she replies, "it's just that--I was wondering what was bugging you," she quickly says shutting her eyes at the moment.  He looks at her with a surprised expression, "You don't usually come here glum." She continues.

He sighs, "Sorry. It's just that we had this new member. . ." Cecilly becomes surprised that Pace didn't actually hesitate to give light on the reasons of him being glum.

"So, you don't want a new FEMALE member??" she suddenly replies angrily. "How selfish could he be?? Women could do it, too! Not to mention that there's that red-headed girl there!"

"No, no!" Retorts Pace, realizing that she got the wrong idea, "I mean that--sorry I said the wrong words. I mean I--we had a terrible first impression." He replies, partially covering his face in embarrassment.

"Ah," she replies becoming the 'cute' girl again, "Then make up with her. Apologize to her and start over."

"I--I dunno. She's kinda scary, especially with her mood swings. Yet she has this alluring aura around her every time she smiles," he replies, "Come to think of it. . . she doesn't seem to fly away from my mind."

The waitress chuckles at his statement, "What? What's so funny?" He says.

She shakes her head, "No, it's nothing. . . Isn't it obvious?" He looks at her with a blank look, "Don't you get it? Sheesh, men are oblivious about everything!" She continues, followed by a chuckle, "Don't you feel sort of fluttery or your heart races every time you see her?" He looks down realizing that his heart does race when he sees her. 

"Am I that obvious? "

"Yeah," she says, chuckling in between, "I could tell by just looking at you." Replies the waitress with an amused tone.