Customer Satisfaction [COMPLETE]

Getting The Point Across

Jess spilled into the kitchen, breathless with excitement, "I'm kidding, don't make it spicy." Kate reiterated in a mumble.

"Whoa, whoa!" Jess caught Kate's shoulders, "Look who the cat just dragged in! The hot hotel dude."

"I saw." Kate said, amused despite herself.

"And was he just protecting your virtue?" Jess squealed, pulling her to the side. Her eyes were starry, "That's so hot, Kate!"

"It was from a kid." Kate laughed in disgust, "Let's not blow things out of proportion."

Jess hurried to the till, grabbing Kate's last order and studying it. "This is his?" she asked. Kate nodded, "Make this the most delicious meal ever." Jess ordered before flouncing back to Kate, who was shaking her head.

"He likes you Kate, I can tell."

Kate sighed. She couldn't explain to Jess that Luke liked her because she was a girl he knew from childhood. There couldn't be a more unromantic reason, but to Jess his 'brotherly' concern probably seemed like love at first sight.

"If you say so." she said, grabbing another tray full of food.

"I'm serious." Jess said earnestly, "He looks at you like..." she let out a dreamy sigh, "like you're special. Oh, one could swoon..."

Kate's eyes widened, "Jess, you've been reading one too many novels."

They continued to serve food, dodge customers, and get tips. Kate tried not to look at Luke when she was pressed tips in uncomfortable places. She knew he was watching, even when she glanced at him to find him typing away in his laptop, a scowl on his face. Her whole body felt hyper aware due to his presence.

Once his food was delivered and he was midway through his meal, she went up to him, pasting a bright smile on her face. "How is your food?" she asked mechanically.

"Spicy."

"Can I help you with anything..." she trailed off, "Spicy? The normal kind of spicy?"

He shot her a dark look. She felt a guilty blush coming up. Appalled, she whispered, "But I told the cook I was kidding!"

Likely the aging chef hadn't heard her correction. She sidled up to Luke, grabbing a fork and stabbing it into a piece of chicken, and brought it to her mouth.

She choked. "How are you eating this?" she gasped.

"Very...slowly." he mumbled.

She sampled some more of his food, then choked a little more. A wry smile curved up his lips, and they shared a laugh, that died down on her lips when she looked up and realized she was still working and this was no way to act. Snapping straight, she pulled out her notebook. "I'll get this replaced as soon as possible!"

"Don't bother." Luke said, grabbing a glass of water, "I've already burned too large a hole in my stomach to eat anything else."

"I'll get you ice cream, then." she said, chagrined and feeling infinitely guilty.

"That would be nice. Oh, and Kate..." he mumbled when she turned to leave. He looked at her pleasantly, reaching forward to pull out a tip from her bodice she hadn't even realized was there. He held it up to her, saying as she snapped it in mortification, "If any of these spoiled kids make another lurid remark about you or try to grab your ass, I won't be responsible for the resulting brawl."

Flushing, she pulled away, slightly alarmed and thrilled at the same time.

Fifteen minutes left to her shift, they waved good bye to the rowdy birthday party and sent up a collective prayer of relief. Kate grabbed a rag to clean the tables and put them to rights. Luke closed his laptop and leaned back to watch her with a thoughtful look on his face, and she pretended like she wasn't extra conscious of how she made every move just because he was looking.