It’s hard to put into words how annoying a bra is to get on for the first time. Mama had lectured me about it but to be honest, I was thinking about the test I had that morning during her lecture. The clasps just don’t work until you can get them…aha! In the right place. I clamp one half of it, followed by the other with a little finagling.

The full-length dress is simple and easy to slide on. I quickly follow it with the apron I had before, tying it around my waist. I don’t have shoes, but we don’t typically need them regardless, and anyone coming here is bound to be aware of that. Thus, I unlock the door and march out, waving to Luke.

“Teresa, right?” he asks, looking a bit too low on my figure for comfort.

“Right,” I reply, “and I’m not quite that short.”

He blushes and offers an apology, but I snatch my notepad and ignore him. Mama has apparently done the work of finding the bottle for me, bless her, and I’m soon marching out with it. I notice she’s chosen the most expensive one, something from Canada. Cheeky.

I arrive at the table, and while there’s a little confusion, I introduce myself again, “My apologies for any delay, folks, I’m filling in for my cousin at the last minute. I’ve got the wine right here, (I check the label nervously) ‘Divinery Sauv Blanc’.”

“I see,” Mr. Fischer replies, “and you’ve tried this?”

“Nono, I’m not old enough to drink, sir,” I reply, “my Ma-Aunt, I mean, sorry, she likes it.”

"Quite expensive taste, yes," he says as he snorts.

“Dad, stop arguing with the waitress, I want some pizza,” Ottolina whispers to him, meeting my eyes in a stare as I look at her, then turning her head to the side quickly. He sighs as he nods in agreement with her.

“Well, young lady, I think we’re ready to order. We’ll take two pizza margheritas, and three all-meat pizzas,” he says, “all large.”

“I’ll get that right out for you all, sir,” I say, smiling my best customer service grin as I finish taking the orders down, “once I’m done pouring your waters.”.

I pick the three water vases off of my platter one by one, and pour water into one of the glasses set on the table already earlier, going around. Most of the group appears to be older people, a young couple is there as well. I opt to fill Lina’s glass last of all, in the hopes that she doesn’t pay too much attention to me.

The gambit doesn’t appear to pay off, she only stares at me more intensely. I notice a nervousness in her gait that wasn’t there before, almost as if something was going wrong, horribly wrong. I can only prepare myself as I lean over the table awkwardly next to her, trying not to bump into her. She averts her gaze from me as I pour the glass.

I notice Lina staring at me as I walk away, something intense in her eyes as I prance over the kitchen to place the order. Something about it makes me a little anxious, maybe she knows? Oh fuck.What if she knows who I am? I’m not exactly muscular now but she could totally kick my ass in a fight. Or maybe she’s guilty for causing me so much grief now that she knows I’m a girl? Fuck, pity from people like her is the worst. Best to just avoid her.

I enter the order in the kitchen with Mama. Things are really winding down in the dining room, and the other part-timers have already gone home, leaving just Luke and I. I’m still avoiding him after the incident earlier, and he seems content to do the same. Most tables are packing up, and Mama has sent Rob out to clean them up.

I attend to a few other tables, taking one other order for a cheese pizza from a clearly discontented mid-40’s married couple, who have both elected to look at the floor instead of each other. A lovely circumstance for a Valentine’s Day dinner, I’m sure. Ah well, they’ll probably one-up each other on the split check tip.

A few refilled sodas and wine glasses later, and the dining room is just about empty, barring the party of twelve. It’s rounding 8:15 when Mama yells from the kitchen, and I bring the pizzas out two or three at a time, setting them down in front of the tables. They’ve gone through the water vases on the side of the table Ottolina is sitting at, so as I deliver the pizzas to that side, at Mr. Fischer’s direction, I grab the vase from next to her, noticing her glass is empty. It must be hot in here, I’ll have to remind Mama to turn the heat down for tomorrow.

She thanks me and then looks as if she’s about to say something else, but then just turns to the person next to her, as if to make small talk. Lovely, she’s strategizing about how to talk to me now. I notice, once again, her eyes on the back of me as I walk away with the vase. I refill it and Rob’s sitting next to the counter.

“Hey, are you refilling that for the big party?” he asks.

“Does it look like anyone else is in here?” I reply snarkily.

“That wolf chick asked me to give this to my cousin when she got up to use the washroom, that must mean you, right?” he asks as he hands me a napkin that looks like it has scribblings on it.

I freeze. “Uh, I uh, thank you.”

“No prob. Everything okay?” he asks.

“Nononono, it’s fine,” I reply, “I mean, yes, everything’s okay.”

“O..okay, Tess,” he replies.

“Tess?”

“I’m not going to be calling you by your full name when Mama gives us all nicknames, Tess,” he says as he ruffles my head fur.

I growl as he chuckles and walks away. It’s going to take me forever to fix this in the fucking mirror. I walk to the bathroom, nearly entering the men’s on the way (woops!) and pat the fur down, using a little water to help. While I’m there, I figure, I should open the napkin. At the top is a phone number, followed by a quickly scribbled note. The writing is messy, and it looks like it’s written in sharpie of all things, but I can make it out.

Text me after ur shift, Theresa. I’d like to ask u something. No pressure if answer is yes/no

-xoxo Lina

Oh. So, she probably knows. Great. At least she doesn’t seem bigoted or weird about it? Other than the whole, looking uncomfortable and averting her gaze thing. Okay, she’s a little weird about it. But, I can deal with a little weird and not wanting to beat me up. You know what, fuck it, I’ll just text her as she leaves so hopefully I can catch her and talk it out in person. And correct her on how my name is spelled.

I leave the bathroom, and finally refill the water glass. She looks a little less nervous, even now, but I notice her looking uncomfortably at my chest. I raise my eyebrow at her, because really, she should know better. She looks down and…is that red I see under her fur on her face? Oh God, I just embarrassed her. She whispers something to her father I can’t quite make out, and he glances over at me, then nods and smiles gently at her. Guess I’ll prepare for no tip.

Finally, the party finishes eating, after even the soon-to-be-divorcees at the other end of the corridor are done. It’s after nine, and I’m exhausted. Ready to just hear whatever it is she has to say, watch college ball, and sleep. I bring Mr. Fischer the check, and he quicks slides a few benjamins in there, a few more than are maybe necessary.

“Keep the change, yeah, young lady?” he says, smirking, as he leans in and whispers, “my daughter’s got something she’d like to ask you, but don’t feel any pressure, okay? Just hear her out, that’s all I ask.”

That’s…weird. What would her asking me something have to do with a request from me? But, obligingly, I nod and offer a sincere-looking grin as I walk off, running the extra upstairs to my room after I bring out the change from the register.

As I make it back down the stairs, she’s waiting in the lobby behind her family, who are walking out the door. I wave to her gently as I come to terms with just how massive she looks now. She’s…gorgeous, really, from this angle. I notice the urge to pant pop up, but I suppress it. Gotta keep myself classy, even around Ottolina.

“Hi, I’m Lina. I know my dad is a bit overbearing,” she says, “but, I really appreciate what you and your cousin did bringing that wine for me.”

“It’s no problem,” I reply, but internally wonder, when’s she going to give up the act of not knowing?

“So, um,” she says, rubbing her arm nervously, “I was just wondering…would you be my date to the Valentine’s Day formal?”

“W..what?” I sputter.

“It’s um, oh, you’re probably not from around here,” she says, laughing nervously, “basically, we have this dance, and I know I just met you and it was at work so please don’t feel obligated at all but God you’re just so fucking cute and I was hoping–”

“Yes,” I reply, surprising myself, “Lina, I’d love to. You’re not half-bad yourself.”

“Oh my god, thank you!” she barks, nearly jumping up, before calming herself, “gosh, you’re so thoughtful and sweet, you’re nothing like your cousin. Sorry, I know that’s weird to say about someone you’ve just met.”

Oh, so she doesn’t know. Well, this is extra weird. I walk up to her to hug her, in part to assure her nerves, in part because..some part of me wants to? It wasn’t great hearing she still thought of me as dirt, but, hey, maybe I can find some way out of this later? Maybe say other me had transferred for the last quarter? And then I could…do this again?

“Um, Theresa,” she says, “I have to go catch up to my family.”

“Alright, and by the way, it’s not spelled with an ‘h’!” I call, “and just call me Tess.”

“Alright, Tess,” she says as she walks out the door with the world’s biggest grin, “I’ll text you the details.”

“Dude, did you just get a date?” Rob calls from behind me.

“I guess so, man,” I reply, “I guess so.”

“Alright, Tess,” he replies, “you’re welcome, by the way, for the nickname.”

“Asshole,” I yell in reply as I walk upstairs, untying my apron.

Leviathan86

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to see what happens on their date a little early, access up to Chapter 10 is on Patreon right now for just $3/mo! Link here: https://www.patreon.com/Leviathan86