tw // sexual harassment i pinky promise it's part of the plot and not some mindless scene with no purpose. if you wanna skip the chapter i totally totally understand, i'm not trying to glorify this type of situation, i promise it has a reason eeeeek. if you do skip, you can either private message me for the basic premise or just comment at the end! p.s. i love you, ur doing great <3
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if i check the time and it's not even 9:30, i'm gonna pass out. with that, iris checked the time on her phone, and saw that it was 9:28. lord have mercy i'm going to throw myself into the oven.
she picked up a bunch of plates, blowing some loose strands of hair out of her face, and started to head towards the lobby. her pony tail had become loose but she had already picked up the plates—now it was just time to pray that she looked composed enough and not like she was worried her customers would find hair in their food.
the problem: the universe deemed that she wasn't suffering enough. on her way back to the kitchen, rowan caught her arm. "iris, can we talk?"
she frowned at him. "right now?"
"after work." his dark hair was unbrushed and messy, brown eyes nearly black. to be honest, he looked like shit. "let me drive you home."
she pushed the kitchen door open with her hip, ignoring his attempt to help her. "fine," she muttered. "my shift gets off at ten o'clock, so you'll have to wait a little bit."
"that's fine." he hung back so she could set the men's plates on their table. plastering a smile on her face, she sweetly announced, "here you go! double deluxe burger for you.... gin and tonic for you....."
"thanks, sweetness," one of them said. he had to have been forty or fifty, maybe much older. he had graying hair, horribly wrinkly, dry skin. "quick question: i was wondering if you're of age."
she glanced at him, the question completely taking her off guard while she set his water down. his friends chortled around her, all giving her glances that made her want to run away immediately. "why do you ask?" she tried to keep her voice steady.
"because that ass looks so fuckin' tight, i bet we all could show you a good time when your shift's over."
please, god, do not let them wait until my shift is over. i'd like to go home in one piece. her stomach roiled in disgust, but she reminded herself: tips. flirt for tips. but no matter how many creepy men she'd encountered, it had never been a group. she could hardly bring herself to fake a laugh.
iris forced a laugh, causing the men around her to laugh along with her. "i'm afraid i'll have to pass."
"why?" a different one chimed in. "you a virgin?"
she was going to puke. preferably all over them. she likely would have, if rowan hadn't slid a hand across her shoulders. "need any help, babe?" he asked, fingers digging into her shoulders as a warning. "guys—you have everything you need?"
