"Hi, I'm Kasei and I'll be your server today, it's a bit busy here as you can see, I'll try to get everything ready for you quick though." I chuckle. "But it's my first week so don't expect a miracle."
"This is your third day, right?" The lady at a booth says.
"Yeah, it is. I'm enjoying it so far. Have you decided what you want to drink?" I brush a hair out of my face.
"I'll take a diet Pepsi."
I grin and write it down. "A women after my own heart."
She chuckles and closes the menu. "You're a fan of Pepsi, then?"
"Yes, I am. So glad this isn't a coke place, can't stand the taste." I chuckle.
"Yeah. I'll make things a little easier for you, I know what I want to eat as well."
"Oh, perfect."
"I'll order a bacon cheeseburger on rye and sub the garden salad for a side of applesauce, please." She hands me the menu as I scribble down her order.
"I'm not sure.." I drift off. I can't remember what all the substitutes are.
"You can sub it." She smiles kindly at me. "Just ask the back."
"Sorry, course. I'll be back with your drink in a bit." I walk back to the kitchen, observing how full it is in here, wishing that Dakota wasn't at home feeling sick. Keila should be getting here in about half an hour, but until then it's just me and Erin.
"Jacque! Order for table 6." I grab the plates for table eight, proud of my balancing skills. "Here you go, and here. Refill?" I gesture to the woman's empty coffee cup, and at her nod, fill it up. "More pweese" her little daughter says, holding out her tiny cup.
"Of course sweetheart." I turn to her mom. "Apple juice?" she nods. "Okay, ladies. I'll be back in a minute."
I rush around, refilling cups, serving food, and washing down tables.
"Okay, so sorry it took so long Ma'am, here's your burger." I place her order down on the table.
"Please. None of this Ma'am stuff, I'm hardly that old. Call me Joanie."
I freeze in shock. Could it be THAT Joanie?
"I think you are doing a wonderful job around her. It's too bad Dakota is sick, because we seem to be pretty full today." She continues.
"Wait. Are you THE Joanie?" I ask her.
She bursts out laughing, and I instantly see the similarity between her and Erin. "THE Joanie. You make it sound like some celebrity. Yes, I'm Erin's mom, and also the owner of the restaurant. Without you knowing, I've been keeping tabs on your serving...although today is the only day I've been on the floor, I can say I'm rather impressed." She continues.
"Anyway, table for 8 just came in." Joanie winks.
I turn around. It's the bikers again. "I'll be sure to seat them. Enjoy your food."
"Afternoon boys." I walk over there. I pick up 8 menus. "Right this way." I could deny the fact that I'm swishing my hips a little more than usual, or that I can guarantee when I turn around, they will all be staring at my ass in this short, tight skirt. But Erin was right. Use what you got they'll tip well, so I don't mind them staring. I walk towards Joanie, and she winks and gestures behind me. Knew it.
I can feel Scott walking close behind me. "We want our usual booth." He says in my ear when I slow at an open table.
"Right." I clear my throat, my face getting hot at his close proximity. "Yeah." I slap the menus down on their booth, taking a deep breath and brushing my hair off my head. "Okay, I'm guessing the usual drinks for y'all?"
They all make sounds of agreement, and I nod and head back towards the bar, feeling their eyes on me again. I'm actually surprised that I remember all their orders, but these guys have come in every day I've been working so far, sometimes more than once. Their order is simple. Mikes hard lemonade for 5, the other three ordering a root beer, Pepsi, and sweet tea.
"Okay, I'll be back in a jiffy." I pass Erin on the way to the kitchen, and she raises her eyebrows as she sees where I just came from. "Shut up and let the family from 5 pay." I mutter to her as I notice people standing at the front desk.
I make a quick work gathering other orders from tables, and grab 5 Mikes' from the fridge. I pile them, and the other soft drinks on two trays and as I'm about to make my way back to the big table in the lounge that always holds them, Erin stops me and unbuttons a button. I roll my eyes and continue on my way. "Okay boys, I'm back. Mikes' for John, Carson, Tyler, Dave, and Steel. Root Beer for Seth, Pepsi for Scott, and sweet tea for...aw shit. Don't remind me! Knuckles...knuck- Craig!"
"Right. Not bad for third day on the job. Erin couldn't figure out our names for a few weeks when we first came here." He chuckles.
"It makes it harder when y'all have two each." I chuckle quietly.
"Awe, shit. I remember that, Scar." Dave says to John, whose nickname is Scar. Probably for the many scars he has all over his arms and face. "You were such a pussy back then."
The other boys laugh. "Yeah. And you had a thing for Erin but was too scared to tell her." Carson adds.
"Dude. She was fucking like, 16 years old." He grumbles defensively.
"Yeah, but you were 21. Not legal, but not weird." Scott snorts.
"Oh shit! Remember her boyfriend? He dumped her then stalked her down and tried to kill her." Seth reminds. "Weren't you the one that offed him, Scar?"
"I wish. Naw, I approached him and told him to leave her the fuck alone, then when he refused, beat the shit outta him." Scar rubs his forehead. "Yeah, sure he went to the hospital, but he got out fine, and then threatened her again."
"Yeah. Then he died. Remember?" Dave pipes up. "Didn't he have a mysterious heart attack or somethin?"
"Yeah. I fucking rode to his house to have a talk with him, and as soon as I got off my bike and took off my helmet he fucking collapsed. Didn't even get to do it. Some heart defect, I think."
Alright. interesting things I'm learning from these guys. "That sucks." I cringe.
Steel, the closest one to me looks startled, as if he forgot I was still here. "Yeah, I remember that. Gut, you were a big pussy too. You only had, like 2 tats." He says to Dave.
"Right!" Craig perks up. "Then there's Thorn, who still only has a few."
The boys all laugh, and Tyler-Thorn- flushes. "Whatever guys. JT only has, like, 6." He adds.
"Yeah. But JT is the boss, so we can't bug him the same." Steel says.
"Don't worry Tyler. They just pick on you because they know that you're way sexier, and could take any of em' any day." It's totally true. He's so muscular that it's almost excessive, and has dark brown eyes, dark hair, and lightly tanned skin that I'm sure means he's part latino or something.
A chorus of 'oohhh's' go around.
"Damn, Thorn. Hit that!" Steel chants.
I swat him over the head as the boys laugh again. "You gotta find yourself a lady, Steel. Maybe then you'll learn something 'bout respect."
"That'll be the day. Steel's gunna be the last of us pussy-whipped." Scott chuckles. He turns to me. "Just your basic 8 Cheeseburgers and fries should be good, thanks."
I roll my eyes at them, still laughing and goading one another. "Your food will be about 20minutes."
Surprisingly, it took less time than that, and I gather Erin to help me carry all the food to their table. I put down a few of them, and notice we are missing two people. Scott and Tyler.
I put down all the food and ask where they went. "Thorn left to have a 'smoke' break." Dave answers, using quotations.
"Why the air quotes?" I chuckle.
"I don't think I've ever seen that dude finish a cig." He snorts.
"I'm pretty sure it's pussy lungs, ey Gut?" Steel elbows Dave/Gut. seriously though, its hard to keep track of the nicknames versus real names...
"You guys are so mean." I laugh.
"We just tease him because he's an OG Hawks member." Scar adds, with a full mouth.
"He and JT are tight." Gut nods as he digs into his burger. "And Scott is being true to his Slip name and disappeared with a blonde from the bar."
"Hah. Typical Scott." Steel laughs, elbowing Gut.
'Typical Scott?'
"Oh."
I turn on my heel and head outside. Sure enough, Tyler is leaning up against a wall, with a cigarette between his lips, staring off into the distance.
"Hey." I lightly punch his shoulder. "What's up?"
"Nothing much. Just smoking..." He greets me with a smile.
I raise my brows, not believing his story. "It's not lit."
"Oh. Right." He takes a lighter out of his pocket, and lights it.
"Your food's ready, just in case you were wondering, but I don't really have any tables to wait...I think the lunch rush is over, and Keila's coming to work soon, so...?" I trail off and shrug.
"Nice. You liking it here so far?"
"Yeah. It's a nice joint. Except for about a dozen rowdy noise makers that always sit in the lounge."
He chuckles, and offers the cigarette to me.
I crinkle my nose and take it. "I have no idea how you can stand these things." 'I say to him, taking a puff and coughing at the disgusting bitter taste.
"I can't really. I just do. I don't usually breathe in, either. It kills your lungs, I just sit here with the possibility and occasionally flick the burnt tip off." He admits.
"Kinda like 'The Fault in Our Stars'...?"
Tyler shoots me a blank look.
"It's a book, never mind." I chuckle, looking out onto the road. "So...what do you do for a living?"
He turns and studies me. "I'm part of the Hawks Motorcycle Club. A friend and I make custom bikes...well, actually he kind of manages the whole place and shit too, but yeah."
"Wait, like its a gang?"
He looks at the ground, then me again. "Yeah. In case you haven't guessed, all the guys in there are part of it. That's what's up with the nicknames." He clarifies.
"Oh. Is it really dangerous?"
Tyler laughs. "No. After JT's dad took over the place, there's no longer illegal shit going on. It's funny. Most of the ol' ladies ask that question."
"Are you assuming my age?" I fake-scowl.
He booms with laughter again and I punch him in the abs. ow. "No. Ol' Lady is a term of respect in the club. It's basically like someone's girl, or fiancée, or wife. They are called ol' ladies, and they wear their man's cut, kinda like saying: she's mine. Fuck with her, I'll fuck you up." He shrugs. "I dunno. I've never really had to explain it before."
I chuckle. "Okay."
"Yeah...So what do you do? Other than work here?"
"I'm a ballerina." I chuckle and do a pirouette.
"Cool, man. So basically you twirl around on your toes?"
I shoot him a look. "No. That's not just it. I don't wanna explain, but it gets really stressful. My mother's Katherine Ashugh." I announce, lowering my voice.
"Interesting?" he loudly whispers back. "Why are we whispering?"
I roll my eyes. "You have no idea who she is do you?"
"Um, your mom?"
"She's a famous dancer." I roll my eyes.
"Okay..?"
"Yeah. Like really famous. Like Kim Kardashian."
"Who?"
"Do you seriously not know who Kim Kardashian is?!? What about Kanye West?"
"Oh. I know him. Wait. Is Kim the one with the giant ass?"
I roll my eyes as I bike drives in and Tyler lights another cigarette. "You boys are all the same." He doesn't respond, just stands there with his eyes glued to the biker, and the cigarette between his lips.
It's clearly a female, with long brown hair, and a tight leather jumpsuit. She takes off her helmet and flips her hair, attempting to straighten out the windblown damage.
"Dio, lei é cosi sexy." He mutters to himself. Ah, Italian. Not Mexican giving him the tan. Similar languages, but not the same. Luckily I grew up around Italian speakers so I can understand a bit. 'God, she is so sexy.'
I answer back in Italian. "Si, amico. Perche non glielo dici?" roughly translates to ' yeah dude why don't you tell her?'
He looks startled. "You speak Italian?"
"A little bit. I learnt from my Nanny."
He raddles off a sentence in Italian, that I only understand bits and pieces of.
"Non capisco all of that." I bite my lip. "I think?"
He laughs "So don't talk very fast Italian, eh?"
"Yeah." I chuckle.
"She's my boss' sister. I cannot go for her."
Well, that's complicated.
"How many times do I gotta tell you to get a new habit, Thorn?" The biker comes up to us.
"I know, Keila." He grins and turns red. Awe.
"Hey, I'm Kasei, new waitress. Not sure if we ever really got introduced." I say to her, realizing that THIS is Keila.
"Hey, a newbie."
"Three days' the charm. I'm no longer a newbie."
She laughs. "Cute." She looks me up and down, fiddling with her eyebrow piercing for a second. "You smoke?"
I turn red. "No."
She nods and takes a puff. "Go get me a drink."
"Um, okay what do you want?"
She clicks her tongue. "I like the other one."
"What? Dakota?"
"Sure, yeah. She refused to get me a drink."
I chuckle. "Well she's a moody bitch sometimes."
"Mhm. Me too." The dark haired woman chuckles.
"I'm.." I drift off, frowning at Tyler in confusion.
"Keila is a moody bitch 9 times out of 10 but it's somehow endearing." He laughs.
"Thanks friend." She hooks an arm around his, lightly shoving him into the wall with a wide smile.
"Okay, well Dakota wasn't feeling great this morning, so she called in sick." I shrug. "And I think Joanie's is filled up in the moody category." I laugh.
She looks me up and down for a minute before turning back to Tyler, who takes a puff, she takes a puff, then they both spit, and she crushes the cig under her heeled riding boots.
"Anyway, uh I gotta get going...I'll talk to ya later, Tyler. Dillo a lei." I wave, and chuckle when I hear:
"Not gonna happen, chica." From behind me.
I turn on my heel and walk back into the restaurant. There's something there and I'm positive I'll find a solution, I'll find a way for them to go out.
___________________________________________________
Love you all so much!
Thanks a million for reading!
Cassi
*images at the top are from pinterest, depict an image in my head while I wrote, are not 100% accurate to the story*