Something of a Storm (All in Good Time Book 1) by Brooke St. James Page A
Authors: Brooke St. James
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personality peek through. "Plus, you don't have to fix your hair," she said, running her fingers through her hair as if she was stressed about how it looked.
I had on black pants and a white button-down shirt with my hair in a trusty ponytail. "Your hair looks gorgeous as always," I assured her.
She turned to look at me. "I'm nervous," she said.
"Don't be," I said. I was faking confidence for her sake. I'd never waited tables and was extremely nervous myself. "They're gonna tell us exactly what to do. That's what training is."
Lexi and I got to work fifteen minutes early for our shift, which was scheduled to begin at 4pm. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, but a steady stream of customers started rolling in by 5 o'clock. I was shadowing a girl named Trina. She was an experienced waitress who was thankfully very patient with my inexperience.
Lexi was at the hostess station with two other girls. I had a clear view of that area from my station, and I glanced over there frequently to make sure she was doing all right. It seemed as if she was having a good time, which helped me relax on a night when I could have easily been overwhelmed. There was so much to take in. I never realized how intense waiting tables was—or maybe it just seemed that way because everything was still so new. Either way, I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9pm. It seemed like I'd been there for an eternity.
I glanced at the hostess station to find Lexi standing there by herself. To my horror, there was a guy standing there talking to her. My heart sank as I watched for a few seconds. She smiled and seemed content to stand there and talk to him, but I wasn't at all comfortable with the situation.
Trina and I were just about to wrap up the last two tables in our section, and I hadn't asked for a break all night, so I told her I'd be right back and she easily agreed. I marched over to Lexi as quickly as my little feet could take me. She saw me out of the corner of her eye as I approached and turned to face me. She was smiling when she turned, but it faded when she saw my expression.
"Where are the other girls?" I asked right off the bat.
"Naomi went out for a smoke break and Maddie went to get some napkins for us to fold."
"And they just left you up here by yourself?"
Lexi laughed a little awkwardly as she glanced at the guy who was standing there. "I'm fine," she said. "No one's coming in."
"What about this guy? I asked gesturing to him. I looked at him. "Do you need a table or something?"
"I've already got a table," he said. He flashed me a smile. I could tell he thought he was real charming.
I wasn't charmed. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you standing up here, then?"
He seemed surprised by the question, but he answered, "I just used the restroom."
"So I guess you'll be going back to your table?" I asked.
His eyes widened and so did Lexi's.
"Laney, I'm fine," she said. "Everything's fine here."
"Yeah," he agreed. "She was telling me she just moved here, and I was telling her some things she needed to see in San—"
"She was telling you all that, huh?" I interrupted. I couldn't believe my ears! I glared at that guy. "Do you make a habit of loitering at hostess stations?"
He smiled like he thought I was joking, but I stared at him stone-faced.
"Laney!" Lexi said.
I looked at her. "I can't believe the other hostesses just left you up here."
Lexi looked at the guy with an apologetic expression. "She's my sister," she said. "She gets a little protective."
"Your sister?" he asked. He smiled at me with that smile. I knew he thought he could win me over with it. He was young, sharply dressed and undeniably handsome, but he was not, I repeat, not winning me over. "Let me leave you my phone number and maybe you guys can hook up with me and some of my friends sometime. We can show you around."
"Absolutely not, mister!" I said. I couldn't believe the audacity of this guy.
He flinched
I had on black pants and a white button-down shirt with my hair in a trusty ponytail. "Your hair looks gorgeous as always," I assured her.
She turned to look at me. "I'm nervous," she said.
"Don't be," I said. I was faking confidence for her sake. I'd never waited tables and was extremely nervous myself. "They're gonna tell us exactly what to do. That's what training is."
Lexi and I got to work fifteen minutes early for our shift, which was scheduled to begin at 4pm. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, but a steady stream of customers started rolling in by 5 o'clock. I was shadowing a girl named Trina. She was an experienced waitress who was thankfully very patient with my inexperience.
Lexi was at the hostess station with two other girls. I had a clear view of that area from my station, and I glanced over there frequently to make sure she was doing all right. It seemed as if she was having a good time, which helped me relax on a night when I could have easily been overwhelmed. There was so much to take in. I never realized how intense waiting tables was—or maybe it just seemed that way because everything was still so new. Either way, I couldn't believe it when I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9pm. It seemed like I'd been there for an eternity.
I glanced at the hostess station to find Lexi standing there by herself. To my horror, there was a guy standing there talking to her. My heart sank as I watched for a few seconds. She smiled and seemed content to stand there and talk to him, but I wasn't at all comfortable with the situation.
Trina and I were just about to wrap up the last two tables in our section, and I hadn't asked for a break all night, so I told her I'd be right back and she easily agreed. I marched over to Lexi as quickly as my little feet could take me. She saw me out of the corner of her eye as I approached and turned to face me. She was smiling when she turned, but it faded when she saw my expression.
"Where are the other girls?" I asked right off the bat.
"Naomi went out for a smoke break and Maddie went to get some napkins for us to fold."
"And they just left you up here by yourself?"
Lexi laughed a little awkwardly as she glanced at the guy who was standing there. "I'm fine," she said. "No one's coming in."
"What about this guy? I asked gesturing to him. I looked at him. "Do you need a table or something?"
"I've already got a table," he said. He flashed me a smile. I could tell he thought he was real charming.
I wasn't charmed. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you standing up here, then?"
He seemed surprised by the question, but he answered, "I just used the restroom."
"So I guess you'll be going back to your table?" I asked.
His eyes widened and so did Lexi's.
"Laney, I'm fine," she said. "Everything's fine here."
"Yeah," he agreed. "She was telling me she just moved here, and I was telling her some things she needed to see in San—"
"She was telling you all that, huh?" I interrupted. I couldn't believe my ears! I glared at that guy. "Do you make a habit of loitering at hostess stations?"
He smiled like he thought I was joking, but I stared at him stone-faced.
"Laney!" Lexi said.
I looked at her. "I can't believe the other hostesses just left you up here."
Lexi looked at the guy with an apologetic expression. "She's my sister," she said. "She gets a little protective."
"Your sister?" he asked. He smiled at me with that smile. I knew he thought he could win me over with it. He was young, sharply dressed and undeniably handsome, but he was not, I repeat, not winning me over. "Let me leave you my phone number and maybe you guys can hook up with me and some of my friends sometime. We can show you around."
"Absolutely not, mister!" I said. I couldn't believe the audacity of this guy.
He flinched
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