Chapter One
I stare at the glass of my Diet Coke watching the condensation roll off the glass and onto the table.
What am I even doing here? I think to myself.
I pull out my phone to check the time
I sigh.
I've been here for twenty minutes waiting for my blind date that my roommate -Johanna- set up for me. She told me that it was time I had some fun. For her that basically means it's time that you should get some. The only thing I care about getting is good grades for school. Dealing with romance or dating isn't my top priority.
The only reason I came here was to get her to shut up. I figured a few hours and a chance to wear my new sundress would be good enough. I didn't expect the guy not to show up.
I can't even call the guy because Johanna wouldn't give out our numbers. I don't know what he looks like either. The only way we can find each other is to tell the hostess about the reservation for 2 under Mason. Johanna made it under Mason easy enough to remember since it is her last name.
The only thing I know about the guy is that his name is Finnick and is also a senior at the college we attend.
I thought about leaving when the ten minute mark hit because he could have just gotten lost. This place is small and a little out of the way from campus.
I hear the door open and hope it is the guy. However, it is an elderly couple smiling and holding hands.
I sigh annoyed.
My eyes drift to the hostess stand. It's not very busy in here so some of the servers are crowded around it. I can tell a few of them have been looking my way. I am a waitress at a different restaurant and have a pretty good idea why they are watching me.
At my restaurant some of the servers like to place bets or at least watch to see how long someone will wait for the other party guest to show up. It is obvious I am dressed up for a date so they are probably guessing how long before I give up and decide they are not going to show.
It's been twenty minutes. I probably should leave, but in case this guy does show up I don't want to keep him waiting. I could tell the hostess when I leave that if the other guy in the party shows to tell him I got tired and left, but don't want to.
My stomach growls. The whole point of going out to eat is to eat. I haven't eaten for hours.
"Would you like to order anything or continue to wait?" The waitress asks nicely. Either that or she is a great actress. I don't like when people take bets.
I sigh.
"Sure." I say. I just order a piece of peanut butter pie.
When she brings back my piece I can tell she cut it larger than she should've.
"Thanks." I say.
She smiles and walks away.
I stupidly keep checking my phone while eating.
By the time I finish the pie he is forty-five minutes late.
"Can I get you anything else?" She asks.
"Just the check." I say.
"I'll get that right out for you." She says and walks away.
I hear the door open and look up. A good looking guy wearing khaki shorts and a navy t-shirt walks in. He has bronze hair and tan skin and a very confident walk.
This can't be the guy. I think to myself annoyed.
The hostess looks surprised and points in this direction.
This cannot be the guy.
"Here you are miss." The waitress says and drops off the check.
I take the pen and leave a twenty percent tip. The lowest I do is fifteen and that is when I think the service is bad. I work as a waitress and only get paid $3.50 an hour. I know tips are your real salary.
"Annie?" He says as I'm about to stand up.
I look down at my phone.
"Yeah." I say.
"I'm Johanna's friend Finnick-"
"Well, Finnick you're over an hour late." I say annoyed. At him and myself for even bothering to give him forty-five minutes.
He looks at me like I just spoke a different language.
"I know… something came up." He says and smirks. "I can't believe you are actually still here."
I roll my eyes.
Even more annoyed than I thought I could be. Yes it may seem pathetic that I waited over an hour for some guy, but he didn't need to say it. This would've been a bad date even if he did show up.
"Well, I can see meeting you would have been an equal amount of lost time then." I say and brush past him.
"Hey, I didn't mean you were pathetic or anything." Finnick says trying to keep up the pace with me.
"Whatever it doesn't matter." I say. I don't know him and don't really care to either.
"Hang on Annie." Finnick says.
"What?" I say annoyed.
"Since you waited here for me maybe we could try to go out again. I mean... Johanna set us up for a reason." He says with a smile.
I groan.
"Don't worry about it." I say.
"I feel kinda bad since you waited all this time." He says and smirks again.
I groan again.
"You can think I am pathetic all you want Finnick." I say and forcefully open the door. "I don't care because you and me don't need to see one another again." I say and push open the restaurant door and leave him behind.
"What did you do?" Johanna asks me as soon as I make it through the front door.
"What are you talking about Johanna?" I ask. She's getting ready for a night out. Her dark hair is put up and she is wearing a short skirt and sequined top.
"Finnick just texted me saying you blew him off." Johanna says.
"Did that text also say he was over an hour late?" I say annoyed.
"What?" Johanna says.
"Yes and I waited for him too."
"Oh god you were a pathetic diner girl."
"I did order food and ate when he wasn't there." I say.
"Did he say why he was late?" Johanna asks.
"He just said something came up and then said I can't believe you actually stayed." I say and shake my head. "I can't believe you chose him to set me up with."
"Finnick is a good guy, maybe if he had your number he would have-"
"He could've asked you for it." I say.
Johanna shrugs.
"I'm sure I can find you someone else. If we go out tonight-"
"I don't need a boyfriend Johanna or any type of friend." I say.
Johanna rolls her eyes.
"You're wound up too tightly you need a special friend." Johanna says.
I roll my eyes.
I pull on my work uniform and pull up my hair. I like working the lunch shift better than the dinner shift. It seems like the more friendly people come out during that time of day.
"Hey Annie?" The hostess says as I walk past her.
"Yeah?" I ask hurriedly. A group of ten just walked into my section.
"Someone requested to sit in your section personally." She says.
"What?" I ask confused.
"A cute boy, table ten." She says.
I walk over wondering who would personally request to have me for their server. This is after all not a fancy restaurant, it's just a pancake house.
You gotta be fucking kidding me. I think to myself when I see the bronze hair and gleaming green eyes.
Finnick smiles and waves at me before I make it to the table.
"What can I get for you today?" I say not bothering to put the fake customer service voice on.
"Good I thought Johanna might've been kidding when she said you worked here." Finnick says.
I sigh.
"Nope this is where I work." I say.
"You're still annoyed with me?" He says with a smile.
"Are you gonna order something or just take up one of my tables?" I say annoyed by his smugness.
"Don't worry I'm a paying customer but you may want to work on your friendliness if you want a good tip." He says.
I sigh and cross my arms.
"Listen I knew you would just ignore me if I tried to approach you in the street but-"
"Since I have to deal with customers-"
"You would have to talk to me. I'm just hoping you don't spit in my food." He says.
I sigh.
"Don't worry I won't." I say.
"Good your tip has already increased." He says with a smile. "I just wanted to explain myself."
"I'm not going out with you again." I say.
"You can't really say again when we didn't go out the first time." Finnick says.
"And whose fault was that?" I say.
"I take responsibility for arriving late and for maybe implying that you were desperate for waiting around the whole time-"
"Is this your first time apologizing to someone because you aren't doing a great job." I say.
He smiles.
"I can see why Johanna wanted me to meet you." He says.
"What the hell does that mean?" I say confused.
"Don't be offended I'm saying Johana picked out a nice girl." Finnick says. "You wouldn't want her possibly perfect match to not go out."
I sigh.
"Just give me another shot." He says with a smile.
"I get the feeling if I say no you're just going to keep requesting to sit in my section." I say.
He shrugs.
"Maybe. I don't give up easily." He says with a smile.
"Fine you got one more shot but if you are late even by a minute then it's a no go." I say.
"I'll make sure to pick you up personally then." He says with a smile.