𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 • 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜

03 • Dogfight

"So," Marco starts as he pushes some chairs into place. "When did you move to Brooklyn?"

"Last week," Mildred stood next to her podium, polishing silverware. "But settling in fast."

Marco nodded, spitting out his toothpick into a napkin. "You like it?"

"I do, but it's definitely different."

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"I mean, it's a big city. I'm from upstate originally, so it's just a big change." Mildred began to wrap the freshly polished silverware in napkins, handing them to Marco to set the table with.

"Do you miss it? Upstate, I mean."

Mildred took a deep breath in, thinking hard about her answer. "I'm not sure yet."

The two of them continued to set the dining area up and before Mildred realised it, tables were already being filled with occupants, and she was actually doing an okay job.

Sure, she wasn't super well versed with the reservations book yet, or good at writing orders down for take away as quickly as she should, but people were understanding when she told them it was her first day on the job.

Marco came by to collect a few order dockets from her station and gave her a reassuring smile. "You're doing good, uncle Jimmy is real happy with ya!" He exclaimed to her, referencing Mister Bianchi.

"Oh thank goodness!" Mildred let out a breath. "I was worried. To tell you the truth, I don't even know why he hired me."

Marco shrugged, organising the dockets in his hand, readying them for the chefs. "Probably to help bring in more customers." He said as if it were no big deal, but Mildred gave him a perplexed look.

He laughed slightly at her ignorance. "You're a young girl, he probably thought you'd bring in some of the working men." Mildred's jaw dropped slightly at the out of the blue comment by her co worker. She'd never considered herself something that would actually entice men, not with how they've previously treated her.

"And looks like he was right..." Marco quickly eyed the entrance before leaving for the kitchen, and a bunch of young construction workers were making their way in.

"Uh...welcome." Mildred suddenly felt incredibly shy and small in the presence of the muscular men. "What can we do for you guys tonight?"

The men all agree on take away and start listing their order of various pasta and other foods to Mildred. When the final boy, a familiar looking ginger haired fellow, made his way up to her hostess pillar, he shot her a smile.

Mildred cleared her throat, trying not to obviously stare at the man. "...and for you?" She questioned, readying her pen, still trying to figure out why he appeared so familiar to her.

"A date." The man said boldly, looking Mildred right in the eye.

"A...what?" Mildred stares in disbelief, grateful that all the other men were deep in conversation and didn't seem to pay her any mind.

"A date. I'd like to take a pretty girl, like yourself, out to a party tonight." And it was in this moment that Mildred finally recognised the man standing opposite of her.