Rhett by Margaret McHeyzer

 

 

 

“Serena! Man, it’s good to see you. How are you?” I ask when I see Serena, Alec and Rhett walk into work. I look around, flustered at how short-staffed we are. “Do you wanna give us a hand tonight?” I ask half-jokingly.

“Nope. No way. We’re just here for dinner,” Serena says. She looks around and shakes her head. I’ve always liked Serena; she’d always cover shifts whenever someone couldn’t make it, and she’s just an amazing kind of person. “But I’ll make your life easier, and I’ll seat us if you want.”

“You’re a lifesaver. Thank you.” Rhett’s standing toward the back, and when I smile at him he’s watching me intently. Does it make me a bad person to be happy that Penelope isn’t here with him? I feel myself smiling as Serena grabs three menus and leads them to one of the unoccupied tables toward the back near the window.

As I’m taking an order from one of the front tables, I sense someone is trying to get my attention. I look around the floor, and when my eyes land on Serena’s table, Rhett’s still staring at me. My skin pebbles with excitement, and I drag my gaze away, only to look back moments later and find he can’t seem to take his eyes off me. Serena and Alec are in conversation with one another, but Rhett’s hard stare is solely on me. A smile tugs on the corner of my lips knowing he’s watching. Everyone melts away, and for a brief moment in time, only Rhett and I are in this space. My heart accelerates, and my face heats from the excitement of having him watch me.

“Excuse me,” the guy at the table I’m serving harshly snaps.

“I’m sorry.” I shake my head, trying to dislodge the intensity of Rhett’s keen scrutiny. “I just zoned out for a second,” I say and add in a chuckle trying to diffuse this guy’s agitation.

“Are we boring you?” he continues, obviously frustrated.

His wife, or girlfriend, places her hand on his and smiles at him. “I’d love a hamburger with a side of fries,” she says and offers me a smile.

“Same,” the guy says. “And put bacon on mine, too.”

“Sure thing.” I smile brightly, trying to compensate. “And would you like something to drink.”

“Soda,” the guy says bluntly as he hands me his menu.

“I’d like one too, please.” The girlfriend-slash-wife smiles apologetically to me.

“Thank you.” I take their menus and I hear the woman say, “She’s just a kid, leave her alone.” He grumbles something in response, but I don’t hear what. Nor do I want to know.

With only two of us on the floor, we’re being smashed by the constant stream of customers. Most are quite nice and understanding, but some have been snappy and rude. When I finally get over to Serena, Alec, and Rhett, I feel like I’m completely overwhelmed and on the brink of tears. But, I hold it together, because if I don’t I’m afraid once I start crying, I won’t be able to stop. Life is hard enough as it is, why do people have to be such assholes? “So, what would you like?” I ask as I take a deep centering breath.

Rhett mumbles something and Alec’s eyes widen as he shoots him a what the fuck look. Rhett smiles, then lifts his chin to notice Alec and me both staring at him. “What?” he says.

“Bro.” Alec shakes his head.

Rhett runs his strong hand through his thick dark hair, my stomach flutters in response. Hand porn. Yum. “Cheeseburger please, Dani,” Serena says making me drag my eyes away from perfectly shaped fingers. I’d love for him to use those fingers on me.

I mean, come on. It should be totally illegal to have nice hands and arms, and nice everything else, too. “Sure,” I croak. “Alec?”

“I’ll have the same please.”

“Rhett?” I look to Rhett whose dark eyes are fixated on me. I wish he’d stop doing that.

“I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger.”

“Hmm, my favorite,” I absentmindedly state. I type in Rhett’s burger on the tablet, and lift my gaze to find him smirking. “What?”

“I didn’t know bacon cheeseburgers are your favorite.”

“What?” I scrunch my nose. “Oh crap. I said that out loud, didn’t I?” I lightly slap my forehead. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad I know,” his voice is like dripping hot buttered sex. I love listening to him talk. I swear, he could read the menu and I’d be hot for him. “Can I get a side of fries, and two extra pickles.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll get fries too please, Dani,” Serena says.

“Me too,” Alec adds.

“And to drink?”

“Soda for me,” Alec says. Serena holds up two fingers. I wait for Rhett.

“I’m going to have a milkshake.”

“What flavor, Rhett?”

“Whatever your favorite is.” He picks all three menus up, and holds them out to me. As I reach, he skims his finger along mine. My eyes widen and I suck in a deep breath. Shit, does he like me? What about Penelope? Are they a couple? Aren’t they? I don’t know. I pull my hand back and give him a tight smile. I’m not that kind of girl, Rhett. I’m not going to step in on another woman’s guy.

I didn’t do it all those years ago when I first met them, and I’m certainly not going to do it now.

“I’ll be back soon with your drinks.” I take the menus and hightail it out of there as quickly as I can. I love how Rhett looks at me, but there’s no way I’ll ever go there. Not knowing he and Pen might be a thing.

If they are a couple, Rhett should be ashamed of himself, being so bold as to step out on someone as beautiful as Penelope. I’ll have to make sure, if I find myself somewhere Rhett is, I’ll back away and make myself unavailable.

I need to clear my head. But I can’t go anywhere until dinner service is over and done with. I need the money so badly. But I also can’t go back over to Rhett’s table. Nor can I look over there again. Why am I lusting over a guy who’s out of my reach?

Looking around the dining room, I don’t see Brittany anywhere. She must be in the kitchen. I head in there to find she’s grabbing her order. “Hey,” I say as I approach her.

She smiles. “We’re getting slammed.” She widens her eyes and shakes her head. “I wish someone else was here to help, eh?”

She’s not going to like this. “Can you do me a massive favor, and I’ll owe you?”

“What is it?”

“Table seven, Serena’s table, could you finish serving them please?”

“Serena’s here?” Brittany asks with a huge smile. She looks out and smiles even wider. “Sure thing. Her fiancé is fine, but the other one. Oh yeah.” She winks.

“Perve away my friend, perve away.”

“Yeah, sure. You’ve taken the order?” she checks. I nod. “Not a problem.”

“Thank you.” I grab the food order for one of the other tables, and get it out to them. Regardless of the fact that my skin prickles when I feel his eyes on me, I refuse to look over there. I just can’t. I need to put him out of my mind, and head out somewhere, even if it’s only for a few hours. I need to get out, dance, and maybe even have a drink. But for now, I don’t want to even look at him.