The clinking of dishes and frantic servers filled the kitchen as the dinner rush came in and novice servers panicked with the incoming crowd. But she was used to it, she had it down to a science and almost always awaited this time of day eagerly.
"Bella you re down!" the cook shouted over the noise, indicating that the her order was done and ready to be delivered to the awaiting customer. She hurriedly walked over to the kitchen area and grabbed the food and trayed it.
"Thanks Mike!" she surveyed the food before taking it out to the customer, "Oh Mike! I m missing some curly fries! the sentence was not even out of her mouth before the fries were placed on the kitchen counter, "Thanks Mike you re awesome! I knew you were my favorite cook for a reason."
Mike looked up his blue eyes smiling, "I bet you say that to all the cooks Bells!"
"Oh Mikey! You know you're the only cook for me you know I'm the only one who's true to you." She said in a high voice, winking when Mike laughed. she walked out of the kitchen area a smile plastered on her face.
Bella had been working at Hooters in Los Angeles for 4 years now; truth be told the only reason she was still around was because of the tips, they were what really helped her get by. She secretly started working there hoping to get back into school since hooters had a program that would pay for her college, but balancing bills and life were way too hard and as time passed school seemed farther and farther away and soon it became an unattainable goal. She remembered blushing furiously the first day of work, she had never worn anything as revealing as she did that day. Not only did she feel awkward in her attire but in her appearance as well. She was one of the only waitresses that had a bra size lower than a C and had stayed that way even though she was always being "encouraged" to get an augmentation. But having this job was fake enough, having something on her body that wasn't really hers would make her situation less tolerable. The whistles and random grabs were already almost too much to handle, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if she did get work done. She also never understood why they never fired her because she "didn't have the attitude" to work there. Which was code for "get a boob job or your fired" which some girls had experienced from the ass hole boss Eugene. Mike always told her it was because her lower body that made up for her top and her breasts were perky enough to pass with a push up bra. His exact words being "killer legs and tight ass." That did sound a bit chauvinistic but coming from a guy who came out of the closet 3 years ago it was just honesty.
She quickly delivered the food with a smile at her leering customers, something that wasn't foreign for her now. "Is there anything else I can get for you gentlemen?"
One of the men looked her up and down, "Maybe your number..."he squinted his beady eyes and looked at her name tag then at her breasts "Bella." he leaned closer to her his foul breath assaulting her nose. Why did it always have to be the zit-covered bad-breathed old geezers who thought they were studs? She tried not to gag but failed miserably but expertly forced herself to flirtatiously giggle acting flattered, a skill she had learned to master over the years.
"I would love to really but, she looked at the guy but I really do think my boyfriend would mind. He just got out of prison you see, murder in the second degree I think. He viciously killed a guy for looking at me the wrong way. Maybe you can ask him. I wouldn't want you to be unrecognizable because of me." she smiled her best sympathetic smile and the most twinkling and innocent look her brown eyes could master. She shrugged her shoulders, Sorry." and turned to walk away smiling to herself, her long golden locks bouncing behind her. She couldn t help but smile triumphantly as she walked away remembered their shocked faces. Ha! Oldest trick in the book. The detestable man sure had looked like a fish fresh out of water, his mouth opening and closing.
"I Taught you well." a bell-like voice sounded from behind her.
"Yeah you did Rose" she looked over at the smirking blonde who was the epitome of perfection and everything Bella thought would identify a Greek goddess. Rosalie was the only friend she had from work. Their friendship had quite a rough start when Bella misinterpreted her bitchy attitude but it developed into something more when Rosalie came to literally bump into Bella's past. "You just got in didn't you?" Bella smiled knowingly.
Rose put her hand to her heart and opened her big azure eyes looking mockingly innocent, "Bella! how could you say such a thing? I ve been here for thirty minutes already. Besides you think I just wake up, roll out of bed and look like this? It takes some effort to look as good as I do." she winked.
Bella rolled her eyes knowing full well Rose was a natural beauty and was always running late. "Oh yeah! I'm so sorry, how could I forget Rosie!" she replied in mock seriousness before they both started laughing, "Are you closing with me tonight?"
"Yeah, Lucky you." Rosalie bumped her shoulder playfully.
"Oh thank God! I don't think I could have survived closing with anyone else here tonight." she felt a little relieved now that Rose was here. They ended their playful banter and got back to work. Rosalie headed to the kitchen, Buffy went to check on her tables flirting here and there, a technique she had been taught by none other than Rosalie Hale. She passed through the break room taking a quick sip of her coke and hurried out to the kitchen again.
"Bella I ve been looking for you," Lauren's annoying voice pierced through the noise in the kitchen, her fried bleach blonde hair bouncing along with her words, "You re sat. It looks like a 6 top of just big hot guys in expensive designer suits. The one in Versace is scrumptious! They were talking about some lawsuit they won or something. Should be a great tip. Ugh! Why do you always get all the luck? I mean it feels like these," she screeched as she cupped her silicone enhanced breasts, "were a total waste of money and time."then stormed off pouting.
Bella looked over at Rosalie and both of them started laughing. Truth be told, Lauren seriously needed to get her money back for that sorry excuse for a boob job. They looked extremely fake, Pamela Anderson meets Dolly Parton fake, but apparently men didn't care. Bella looked after Lauren suppressing an eye roll. Seriously, Lauren could be such a slut sometimes. Bella knew for a fact she had slept with at least 3 of her regulars. Oh yeah luck? Is that what they re calling hell these days? Ugh! I hate big shot lawyers they think they deserve everything!'
She shrugged her shoulders and bravely walked out to face her doom. She plastered the signature fake smile on her face like the pro she had become. She stopped dead in her tracks her heart skipped a beat, a chill ran up her spine, the smile slowly melted from her face as she ran back into the kitchen her hand over her erratically beating heart. Her eyes were wide with fear and recognition. Okay, so hell had lit a few extra fires today. She had to find Rose, there was no way she could pull this one off. She had grown a skin throughout the years but it wasn't thick enough to take this.
She spotted her and the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease a bit, "Rose, I need you to take that table that just came in." she said her voice shaking as the words jumbled together.
Rose peeked out into the restaurant. Then looked at me confused. "Oh my god! Are you blind! Why Bells? That table is full of not only rich, but extremely hot and sexy guys! They seem like hot shot business men, they will give you a hard time but in the end the tip will make up for it. Go out there and flirt your little ass off like I taught you. Play your cards right and I promise you'll get fifty bucks minimum" she winked as she started to walk away hips swaying.
Bella grabbed Rosalie's arm frantically pleading with her not bothering to hide the desperation in her voice, "Rose, I cant do this!"
Rosalie laughed, "Come on Bella let go of my arm! You've done this before! More than once! Come on and I promise we can make fun of their pompous attitudes like we usually do when either of us gets a table like that."
Bella nodded her head no again and whispered, "Don't you recognize anyone from that table?"
Rose sighed in exasperation and squinted her eyes making a second attempt, "Um...no but that really muscular one in the corner could pass for Clark Kent. Look at those dimples and the black framed glasses!" she said sighing dramatically, "Come on Bells quit it, just go!"
"Think back to the pictures I've shown you Rose, think really hard."
She looked at Bella like she had grown a second head but seeing that Bella was not letting go of her arm she surveyed the table yet another time. Bella noticed the expression as soon as Rosalie remembered. She turned to Bella and raised a perfect eyebrow, "You mean that s him? The Edward Anthony Masen? The guy from your junior year in college? The one that was in graduate school? That guy?" she pointed at the table and Bella quickly grabbed her arm and dragged her further into the kitchen area.
"Gees Rosalie could you have been more obvious!" Bella hissed.
She looked at Bella, a mischievous glint in her eyes, " Sorry Bella no can do. I'm swamped." she began to walk away taking advantage of the fact that Bella had momentarily loosened her grip on her arm.
"Ro-ose!" Bella stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum. "You and I both know you aren't that busy! I can't do this!"
"Sure you can!" Rosalie exclaimed in an attitude a little to perky for herself, "and if you don t get them their drinks now they re going to be pretty upset and knowing hot shot businessmen the manager will be too." she said as she started to walk away to tend to her tables.
"Rosalie! I don t like you very much right now!" she yelled childishly then huffed and accepted that she was on her own. Rose wasn't going to bail her out. the blush that hadn't made an appearance in years suddenly decided to rear its ugly head. She felt her cheeks flame at the thought of him seeing her in so little to cover her she suddenly felt naked. It felt like her first day at work all over again. She took a deep breath mustering up all the courage she didn't have before heading over to the table giving herself a pep talk. Maybe he won t recognize me. God please don t let him recognize me! Bella plastered on her fake smile and enthusiasm though this time it took a little more effort than most.Just another table, just another table.
"Hi, I ll be your server for tonight can I start you off with something to drink?" She purposely left out her name since Edward hadn t looked up from his menu, but a man with almost translucent skin and jet black hair looked up meeting her gaze. His light blue eyes roamed her breasts his mouth practically watering and they lingered there before they moved to her name tag. She never understood how guys looked even though she didn t have much to display. Sure they were perky and she was wearing a push up bra but seriously!
"Bella?" Onion-skin's voice startled Bella out of her musings, "Is that short for something or just a name to aptly describe such a beauty?
Gee, thank you creature of the night for saying the one thing I was avoiding! she thought not even noticing the man's attempt at charming her. She winced as she saw Edward look up from his menu, his deep green eyes boring into her. He hadn t changed a bit. His eyes widened almost comically in recognition, making her heart flutter. Apparently the effect he had on her hadn't changed either.
"Bella?"
Shit! Isabella Marie Swan, think of something quick! I could always deny it s me! Okay, okay, pretend I didn't know he was sitting there!
She looked at him speculatively, as if trying to place him then with all the enthusiasm she could master, "Edward?!"
And the Oscar for best actress goes to...