The day we met

"Two extra-large coffees and two cokes! And please, hurry up! I totally forgot about them!"

"You'll have them in a minute!"

Good God, this day has no end. The cafe is fully packed up and some other people are waiting outside for a table to get freed. Where's this place? Downtown Long Beach, California. Why is it so popular? I have no goddamn idea. Maybe it's because of the perverted idea of my boss to make us wear super short uniforms. Just a tiny tight black dress with the name of the cafe written on its back in gold lettering. '7th Heaven'. Hell of uncomfortable clothing to work into.

People of all ages constantly whistle after you, ask for your number, ask what else do you offer aside from the menu or in the best case- just stare at your butt. But hey, at least the tips are quite good. Even great.

And who am I? Mallory Cox. Finally eighteen, to-be senior year in high school and trying to spare some money during the summer break. Why? So I can escape the grip of my awfully controlling mother. And that's probably why I started working here. A friend of mine was working here and told me the salary is shit, but the tips are "goooood". And here I am.

"Mal? Mal! Mallory!"

"Huh?!" I am drawn back down to Earth from my spacing out.

"Your order!"

"Right, sorry," I put the coffees on my serving tray and sigh.

"Come on, Mal. The coffees are gonna get cold."

"Shut up, Tom. You don't have to face these two Karens."

Tom gives me an empathetic smile. And who's Tom? He's my cute blond coworker of a bartender, who I think is secretly crushing on me. And whoever ends up with him, will be one hell of a lucky person. But not me. Why? Because he's too... cute in my taste. 

"It was about time to bring us our order!" one of the Karens hisses.

"Are all of your coworkers as slow as you?"

In my head, a scenario is already playing. I imagine pouring the Cokes on these two women's heads. And then hit them with a car. A slight smile forms on my lips.

"What's so funny? Come on, tell us. We want to laugh too."

"My serving tray reforming into your face when I hit you," I think to myself and roll my eyes. "No, nothing. It'll be 7,50$."

"Oh, really? Not only that we waited for half an hour, but now we'll have to pay? What happened to the client always being right?" the red-haired bob-cut Karen speaks and I expect the cult phrase 'I want to see your manager' any moment now.

"First of all, you waited for no more than ten minutes and second, if you look around yourselves, you'll see how much work we actually have."

"Do you see us care?" the brunette, high ponytail Karen speaks.

"It'll be 7,50$. Cash or card?" I finish with a smile, deciding to not go any further into this. Apparently, we can continue like this forever.

One of the Karens scoffs and throws a ten-dollar bill on the table.

I get my purse out of the pocket of my short apron and give them back their change. Hopefully, I will never see them again.

I spin on my left foot and look around. No one calls me, neither there are new clients. Great! I can go smoke a cigarette.

As I walk back inside the cafe and to the staff exit, my coworker grabs me by my wrist and pulls me back.

"Jennifer! You almost gave me a heart attack! What do you want?"

"Mal, please! Please go take table ten! Please! Please, please, please!"

"But why?" I arch an eyebrow. Table ten is on her side of the garden.

Okay, here's how things are here. There are three waitresses for the tables in the garden, in front of the cafe and another two waitresses for the tables inside the cafe. Thirty-two tables in total. Twenty are outside and another twelve inside.

The tables in the garden are separated into three parts. Part one is the tables on the left, from the first to the seventh number. Tables eighth to fourteenth are on the middle side of the garden and the rest are on the right side.

As a newbie, I was given the right side, which means one-two tables less to serve. I don't complain though. That's a table or two less with Karens or perverts. But anyway. Table ten is in Jennifer's part and she asks me to take it.

I wait for her explanation of why she just took me away from the opportunity to get a three minutes break, but she just nervously steps from left foot to right and looks outside to that particular table.

"Jennifer!"

"Listen, my ex just sat there and I don't want to face him. Please, please, please! Take it!"

"Ugh, fine! But you owe me big! I was about to go get a cig."

"You're the best!" she shrieks and hugs me so tight, I'm pretty convinced she just broke one of my ribs.

I crawl outside to the table, whimpering and cursing my coworker.

"Good day. What it'll be?" I nonchalantly ask, then freeze.

A pair of narrowed green eyes look back at me as the guy takes off his sunglasses. He is ... handsome at least. Damn it, Jen has good taste. He is tall, maybe at least a head over me. Three-day beard is finishing his chiselled jaw and a black tattoo is popping up from under his vest, finishing just under his Adam's apple, forming a polo's collar around his neck. He is sexy, there's no denying it. But he gives me some bad vibes.

"Hello to you too. I would like to get an espresso and an orange fresh," he speaks in a low sultry voice. Hell...

"O-okay. And--" 

"Hey, dude! Did you order something for me?"

My stuttering gets interrupted by a man sliding in the chair in front of this guy. Damn it, once my eyes fall on him, they stay there, fully focused on him. To tell he's hot will be a misunderstanding. 

Curly raven-black hair is to start from. One of the curls is carelessly falling on his forehead and I'm trying to fight the temptation to swirl it around my finger and put it back to the slicked-back hair.

He looks at me and two pitch-black eyes stare directly into my soul. Or at least it feels like that. 

He's well built. Toned biceps flex as he's moving and the tight black T-shirt he's wearing can't hide the ripped body under it. He's definitely older than me. Even than Jen's ex. He's maybe twenty-four? Even twenty-six? I don't know. But he's hot. Sinisterly hot.

"Hey? You still here?" He opens his mouth and a rough voice follows, sending a shiver down my spine. Then he gifts me with a smirk.

"Yeah, um, hey. I-I'm sorry. What can I bring you?"

"I'll get a double espresso and a strawberry smoothie."

"Okay, be right back."

I swirl on my heels and almost run back to the bar. I feel my cheeks are burning and suddenly I'm hot. No, considering it's fucking thirty-five degrees early June day, I'm boiling. There's something so intimidating in these men...

"Are you okay, Mal?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I- I'm fine."

I give my order to Tom and a few minutes later it's done. I get the drinks on my serving tray and as I make a few steps, my hand start to shake.

"No, no, no. I can't do it." I slide the tray back on the bar, almost spilling the orange fresh.

"Hey? What's wrong?" Tom's concerned voice and big palm on my shoulder startle me, as I'm holding my head with both hands and facing the floor. I feel like I'll throw up.

"Wait, no. I'm- I'm good. I just need a glass of water."

I hear the water runs and a minute later Tom shoves a cold glass in my hand, "Here."

I drink it in one breath and then take a deep sigh. 

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, thank you."

"Let me make you another two coffees. These are cold already." Tom takes the coffee mugs and makes another two of the drinks. In the meantime, I face right and see Alex, my other coworker running towards me.

"Mal! Mal! The people on tables 16 and 18 want to pay."

"Sure, thanks, Al."

"Mal, your coffees are ready," Tom notifies me that I have to face those two Gods of seduction once more.

I take the tray in hand again and shove the bills in the little pocket of my apron, then I walk outside to bring those men their order. And I hope I won't make a fool of myself, because I'm still shaking.

                                ***

"Aaand here's your order." I quickly slide the drinks on the glass table in front of these men and hurry to leave, but then the black-eyed guy stops me.

"Hey, I forgot to ask if you can possibly bring a cup of water for my dog?"

And that's when I notice the small Yorkie lying in his lap.

"Heeey, little cutie," I stretch my hand to boop its little nose.

"Go on, it doesn't bite," he laughs.

"I'm not afraid anyway." I pet the doggie and it waves its tail.

"I didn't mean the dog."

Now both men laugh at this... joke? that only they're able to understand. I lift my head and realise I'm too close to this man's face. For a moment our eyes meet and he smiles at me.

I quickly step back and stutter some excuse about having other work and run to the other tables to give them their bills.

After a few minutes, I walk back, passing by table number 10 and curse Jennifer for making me take it.

"You won't forget the water, right?" the man shouts after me. I only face him and nod. And truth be told, I did forget the water already.

                                 ***

 It's been maybe an hour since I served table 10. The guys are chattering about something and spreading some documents here and there. I brought water to the dog and now I finally smoked a cigarette, I'm calmer. 

I do my job and try to avoid that cursed table, but then Alex runs to me again to tell me they want to pay. Ah well, at least they're leaving.

I bring them the bill and nervously wait for them to pay and in the meantime I just stare at the dog, trying to not make eye contact with the guys. They pay me, leaving me one quite satisfying tip, then leave. Finally.

                       ***

The rest of my shift passes by quite slow. I'm totally worn out, my feet hurt like hell and I'm preparing to leave.

"Hey, Mal. Do you want me to give you a ride?" Tom offers to drive me home and as pleasing his offer sounds, I must deny it. If my mother sees me in a car with a boy, it'll start raining fire. 

She says I must not have any interactions with men until I marry, but the irony is I can't meet a man to potentially marry since you know. No interactions.

I have no power left to listen to another moral speech of hers so I just decline Tom's offer, then take a deep breath and try to mentally prepare for half an hour walk to my house.

                       ***

"Mallory Aubrie Cox! It was about time for you to come back home!"

I crawl through the hall and to my room under the annoying murmuring of my mother. I throw myself on the bed and imagine I'm somewhere far, far away. Hopefully on a yacht and with a cocktail in hand.

"Mallory!" my mother kicks the door, almost breaking a hole through it.

"What, mother?!"

"Where have you been?!"

"At work?"

"Don't talk back to me! Your shift ends at 4 PM and now it's almost 5 PM!"

"I walked to home, mother."

"Or you were with someone? And what's this short dress you're wearing?!" she crosses her arms in front of her and throws me an inquisitive look. 

"Yeah, I'm all tired and sweaty and went to hook up with someone. And this is my uniform. Go away, mother. I want to rest."

She scoffs, then storms out of the room. Gladly. I peel off the dress and throw it on the floor, then grab a towel and hurry to the bathroom, still dreaming about being on a yacht. Maybe one day I'll manage to buy one.

"You wish." Even my inner voice laughs at me. Oh well.

                   ***

Ping. Ping. Ping.

"Mallory! Turn that damned phone off!"

I get startled by my mother shouting at me, standing at my door. I guess I had fallen asleep, I'm still in a towel only.

I grab my phone from the drawer and check the time, a little after 10 PM. I yawn and unlock it so I can see the reason of my mother's screams. And then my jaw drops to the floor. Notifications from Facelook. 

"Four new messages from Viktor Russo." the notification reads.

"Hello, Mallory! ;)

 Do you remember me?

 I'm the guy with the Yorkie from earlier today!

It was a little hard to find you, but I did!"

I check his profile in disbelief. I rub my eyes, hoping I'm still asleep and dreaming. But no, I'm not dreaming and he's really messaging me!

"Um... hello?" I answer and hurry to lock my phone again. Paranoia gets over me as I think my mother will enter my room any moment now, screaming at me for texting this guy. Viktor. 

Ping.

My heart skips a beat as my phone vibrates from the new notification.

I unlock it again...

"Oh, you answered me. :)"

"Why wouldn't I? And how the hell did you find me?!"

And almost immediately, he answers!

"Hmm, I just had a feeling you wouldn't. Good thing I'm not a psychic, right? :D" 

A shy giggle escapes my mouth. Still, I wonder what he wants from me. And how the fuck did he find me?!

"You didn't answer my question!"

"Ohh, thaaat... I know your boss and asked him about you."

"No way!" 

"Yes way, baby ;)"

I don't answer. What do you answer to a person who basically stalked you on social media? Well, nowadays it's actually how it happens, but how do you answer to such a man?! A man who looks like he came straight from an erotic book? A man, looking so hot it makes you wonder how it's possible? How do you answer? 

"Hey, when can I see you?"

I stare at the screen in pure denial. While I'm thinking of what to text him, or more likely, if I should text him, he strikes a question. I cannot believe this. I cannot believe how direct and unbothered he is.

"Umm... what?" I keep staring at the screen dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I want to see you again."

"You can come to get a coffee..?"

"No, no. I mean outside work. ;)"

"I- I don't know." A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of seeing this man again. Seeing him once was more than enough to start cold-sweating when even remember his face.

"How about next Tuesday? I need to fly to Delaware tomorrow, but I'll be back next Monday."

"Mmm, I need to check my work schedule." I try to escape the situation so I don't have to see him again.

"Oh come on, I'm changing my plans for you. You'll find an hour or two for me. ;)"

"Em... okay." I close my phone and toss it on the bed. I think I just agreed to a date. But he's joking, right? And he'll probably forget about me in two days.

Right?