Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, it's probably not mine. I do own a few OC's shown here and the plot. But that's about it.

oO0Oo

Kurt grimaced as he tied the green apron around his waist, thinking that it severely clashed with today's outfit. Why couldn't the Jones' pick a different color to make the uniforms?

"Quit making that face," Mercedes laughed as she tied her own apron around her. Although they both knew that the shade of green didn't match either of their outfits, Mercedes knew better than to let it show. "The sooner we get out there the sooner we can take these things off."

"You're only saying that because your mom asked you to come in for a few hours," Kurt countered as the two teens left the kitchen area. "I have to stay until closing!"

It was just a little after noon so that meant that the lunch rush was going to be coming in soon. There were other restaurants in town but everyone knew that Mercedes' mom made the best apple pie. And that's what everyone came for at lunch time.

Mercedes shook her head with a smile and hugged her best friend before heading to one of the tables which needed to be cleaned. Kurt smiled at her even though she couldn't see it and headed to the closest to retrieve the mop and broom.

Nothing needed to be cleaned up just then but something always happened during lunch and one or the other would be needed. While Mercedes tended to the tables, Kurt went back into the kitchen to help the cooks prep for the meal.

"You can wash and cut the vegetables for the soup," Zack, a large, bald man in his forties, instructed and gestured with a giant knife. Although the man looked intimidating, everyone in town knew he wouldn't hurt a fly. A chicken on the other hand…

Zack cut the chicken up like an expert and tossed the pieces into the pot where the soup would be made. Kurt nodded and went to get the vegetables from the refrigerator. Aside from Mercedes, he was the only waiter that was allowed to cook anything back there. Not that the other waiters wanted anything to do with what goes on back in the kitchen.

Since he was little Kurt had loved cooking. It had always made his mother happy and after her passing it was one of the few things that could bring a smile to his father's face. But now it just made him happy to see the reaction of the people who ate his food.

Once he was done cutting up all the vegetables, Zack told him to go out and help Mercedes with the tables. "Lunch rush is here," he said and started on the days soup.

Kurt groaned at the thought of going out there dressed like this and headed to the door. Before he actually left the kitchen, he made sure to fix his hair. If he couldn't wear what he wanted then he would have fabulous hair.

"About time!" Mike shouted when Kurt finally emerged and threw his small pad of paper at him. "Mercedes had to go help her dad with something upstairs so we're one waiter short." The tall Asian boy grabbed another pencil before hurrying to one of his tables.

Kurt rolled his blue eyes and went to Mercedes' section. "What can I get for you Carole?" he asked his stepmother, pleased to see her.

"Hi, Kurt," she said with a smile and looked back at the kitchen. "What are they cooking back there?"

The brunet looked back briefly, "I think it's chicken noodle soup. Would you like a bowl?"

"Please," Carole replied, setting the menu down on the table and smiled up at her new stepson. "How's it been around here?"

Kurt gestured around them lightly, indicating the crowded dining area. "Oh, it's been very calm," he replied sarcastically but in good nature. Carole laughed and let Kurt go so he could do his job and watched him wait on another table.

She owed that boy so much and had no idea how to thank him. He had properly introduced her to his father Burt and then had given her a makeover. That makeover had given her so much confidence and had made her happy. Not to mention he'd welcomed her and Finn into the family so warmly.

If only there was something she could to for Kurt to show her thanks without really letting him know what she was doing. While she thought, the tables around her had become even more crowded and Kurt could barely say a word to her when he delivered her lunch.

Because so many people were showing up, she ate quickly and headed to the counter so she could pay. "Tell Kurt I said 'goodbye' Mercedes," she told the teen before slipping outside.

Although she had tried to be sneaky, Kurt had seen Carole leaving the B&B. He smiled fondly at the woman and was quickly reminded of where he was when his name was called out. With a silent sigh he went back to work. He couldn't wait until he was 18.

oO0Oo

Kurt was taking a five minute break when Mercedes burst into the kitchen area. Lunch had ended about an hour ago so he didn't know what she was looking so frantic. "There's a red car in the parking lot!" she exclaimed loudly, and pulled Kurt to his feet.

The two teens stuck their heads out the door just as a black haired woman walked into the building. "Isn't that Karen?" Mercedes asked as they watched her talk to the man at the front desk.

"I think so," Kurt replied quietly. Because they lived in a small town that meant that everyone knew everyone. Even the people that left and came back to visit. "Why is she checking in here?"

Everyone in town also knew that when Karen came to visit her sister, she always stayed at their place. So it didn't really make sense for her to spend money on a room when she could stay somewhere for free and come here for the food.

"Let's go ask," Mercedes said, walking into the main room, just out of Kurt's reach. The boy watched her walking away and hurried after her, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Hi, Karen!"

The woman turned around when she heard a familiar voice and smiled when she saw the two teens. "Hi, Kurt. Hey, Mercedes," she greeted, putting her wallet back into her purse after paying Stan. "How are you two?"

"We're great," Mercedes answered, smiling back. "But we want to know what you're paying Stan for a room. Did Roger finally kick you out?"

Karen laughed at the joke, all three of them knowing that Cindy would kick her sister out before he would. "Actually we're staying here for a little longer than normal," she answered and gestured to the still open door when they gave her questioning looks.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat when he caught a glimpse at the boy Karen had pointed to. Because he was so far away it was hard to make out exact details but there was just something about him that made Kurt gape at him openly. He hadn't done that since…

That thought derailed when the boy started to pull on the luggage and Kurt's eyes wandered from his broad shoulders down to his-

"Who's that?" Mercedes asked in interest, breaking Kurt's concentration. The brunet could feel his cheeks eat up but he turned to face the two women.

Karen laughed lightly and leaned against the front desk. "That is Blaine." She laughed a little more when the two teens gave her disbelieving looks.

Whenever she visited, she always brought pictures of her son to share with her family and only them. Blaine wasn't very comfortable with her showing off his picture. But even though no one had ever seen a picture of him, they all knew about him and the rest of the Anderson family.

"Could one of you go help him?" she asked when she noticed that he was having problems with the luggage. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to shove it all in the back…

Mercedes was already untying her apron. "It's about my time to quit anyways," she explained and handed the green apron out to Kurt who took it with a glare. He watched as she quickly hurried out the door, unbeknownst to Blaine.

"Kurt!" Zack called from the kitchen and held up a dirty plate. Only until he was 18…

Kurt said goodbye to Karen and hurried to the kitchen to wash the dishes Mercedes was supposed to have done before she left. As he headed back he caught a glimpse of his best friend smiling at Blaine and was a little mad that she'd done that.

But he didn't let it bother him as he tossed the apron on a chair and started to fill the sink with water. Washing the dishes was a mindless task so Kurt was able to think about things. Like what his plans were for the summer and even beyond that.

Senior year was coming up which also meant college was coming. Although it killed him to think about it, he knew that there wasn't a chance he'd get to go to college if he ever wanted to-

"Blaine plays guitar," Mercedes said happily, interrupting his thoughts as she entered the kitchen. She actually skipped over to him in excitement. "And he's got the prettiest hazel eyes."

Kurt chuckled lightly at her and continued to wash the dishes. "Is he as cute as he looks from a distance?" he asked, trying to get over his jealousy.

"Even better," Mercedes answered with a smile. She could tell that Kurt was trying his hardest to be polite but she knew he was peeved that she got to see the cutie before him. "But he's not my type. I'm like them a little taller."

Kurt arched an eyebrow when he looked over at her. "Weren't you going home?" he asked and finished washing the dishes.

Before Mercedes could answer, Zack spoke up. "If you ain't working, get out!"

The teen rolled her eyes and hugged Kurt, being careful to not let any of the dirty dish water to get on her clothes. "You coming over tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied and hugged her carefully.

Mercedes waved to her best friend and left the kitchen. Before she left the B&B she noticed that all of the Anderson's luggage had been removed and figured that they were settling upstairs. There was something that she 'forgotten' to mention to Kurt about Blaine. It was obvious that he played on the same team as Kurt.

But she knew he'd figure it out quickly.

With a pleased smile, she hopped onto her bike and made her way home so she could get the movie ready for later that night.

While Mercedes was biking home, happy with herself, Kurt had finished off the dishes and had been told to wait on the customers. Aside from the cooking, this was the only other good part about this job. When he was out taking orders (and it wasn't really busy) Kurt got to chat with the customers. That meant he got to hear the gossip around town first.

Kurt was writing down the florist's late lunch order when he heard someone running down the stairs with a laugh. Like the rest of the people in the room he looked over and couldn't help but smile when he saw Blaine give a small wave to everyone.

The black haired boy kept his eyes lowered as he took a seat at an empty table and Kurt lightly waved to Karen as she moved to join her son there. "He's a cutie," Sandy, the aged florist said when she saw who Kurt was looking at.

"I'll just go get your lunch," Kurt said instead of replying to her comment. Even though it was getting later in the day Zack still had a pot full of the soup. As Kurt got closer his stomach growled when he smelled the soup. It was about his lunch time anyways.

"Go get Karen's order," Zack instructed when Kurt tried to pour two bowls of soup. The whole town knew that the chef had a soft spot for Karen so Kurt didn't argue. Even though the man wasn't mean it didn't mean that he couldn't think of something to do to someone who ignored him.

Kurt sighed and picked up the bowl of soup for Sandy. "Here," he said with a smile and headed over to the table. He took a couple of deep, calming breaths before he reached them and pulled his pen out. "What would you like to drink?"

"Just a nice, big glass of ice tea please," Karen replied with a smile and handed the menu to her son. Kurt smiled back before quickly writing out her order and finally turned to look at Blaine.

"Can I get a…" Blaine started to say but his sentence trailed off when he looked up at Kurt.

Mercedes was right about his hazel eyes, they were the more beautiful color Kurt had ever seen. And now that the other boy was closer he could really appreciate how handsome he looked.

The two stared at each other for a moment until Karen cleared her throat. Kurt blushed deeply but calmly repeated his earlier question. "Just a coke, please," Blaine mumbled, turning his face to the side so Kurt couldn't look at his gorgeous eyes anymore.

"Sure," he replied and jotted down his order. With one last smile at the woman, Kurt hurried back to the kitchen. Zack said something to him once he entered the back but he wasn't paying attention.

He jogged over to the refrigerator and stuck his whole head inside to calm his face down. It took a couple of minutes for Kurt to relax. When he realized that he must look mad, he quickly grabbed the glass bottle of coke and the pitcher of sun tea that Mercedes' mom had made earlier that morning.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked, walking over to the teenager. It was very unusual for Kurt to act the way he had before when he'd entered the kitchen. It didn't seem like he was upset, more…embarrassed?

Kurt nodded, almost sure that his cheeks weren't red anymore. "Fine, Zack," he replied, forcing a little smile. While he looked calm on the outside, inside he was screaming at himself for openly staring at the other boy.

The chef eyed him wearily but shrugged and went back to preparing dinner. This meal was going to be smaller because only a few of the townspeople actually ate there at night and there were only a couple of actual guests.

While he did that, Kurt carefully poured the iced tea and placed the pitcher back inside the cold refrigerator. The pad of paper was slipped in the pocket of the apron before Kurt picked up the two drinks and carried them back to the table.

As he got closer to the two of them, he noticed that they were whispering. When he was a few feet away he cleared his throat to get their attention. While Karen smiled broadly at him, Blaine kept his eyes on the table.

"Here you go Karen," Kurt said with a smile, placing the tea right in front of her and did the same with the bottle. "How long are you staying in town? You didn't mention it before."

Even though Kurt wasn't looking at Blaine, he'd seen him look at him when he said his mother's name. He purposely kept his eyes on the woman as he waited, not wanting to get caught in the Blaine's eyes again.

"We're going to be here all summer," she replied then took a sip of her tea. "Oh, that is wonderful. Tell Jackie that she makes the best tea anywhere."

"I will," Kurt said with a laugh and smile. He couldn't take it anymore, he looked at Blaine. The other boy actually looked shocked when he turned his way. "Hi, I'm Kurt. You must be Blaine. You're mother has told plenty of stories about you." In a gesture of friendship, he held out his hand and was relieved that Blaine shook it.

"What stories has she told you?" he asked hesitantly, lightly glaring at his mother.

Kurt shrugged and smiled again. "Everything."

"Oh, you liar!" Karen laughed and playfully pushed Kurt's arm from her seat. She looked past Kurt and waved. The two boys glanced back to see Zack waving at them and pointed to Kurt then the clock.

Kurt sighed and nodded before turning back. "It was nice meeting you, Blaine," he said with a smile and looked at Karen. "It's great seeing you again. Bye."

Karen waved to him as he hurried back to where Zack was. "You're making the salad tonight," the chef instructed and handed Kurt a couple of tomatoes. There were other waiters out there so it was all right that he was back there cooking.

The rest of Kurt's shift was spent in the kitchen, either making the salad or cleaning up after Zack's cooking mess. When it came time for him to be finished that night, Kurt was worn out. If only it wasn't too late for a coffee…

"Go on," Zack said snapping his fingers in front of Kurt's face. "If you don't start moving Mercedes will be calling here looking for you. And I really don't want to get in trouble with her."

Kurt chuckled, knowing that his best friend could get scary every once and a while. "Bye, Zack," Kurt said, finally untying his apron and throwing it where Mercedes' had been hours before.

The chef waved with his back to Kurt and continued on with his cleaning. The kitchen had officially closed ten minutes ago so all that was left was making sure it was clean for breakfast tomorrow.

Kurt grabbed his coat from the hook by the door and hurried to his car. Even though it was such a small town, Kurt had never liked walking around at night so he drove everywhere when the sun went down.

Mercedes only lived a few minutes' walk from the B&B so it was even quicker for Kurt to get there. It had been a tradition with the two best friends that Friday would be a movie night with them, no matter what.

By the time Kurt knocked on the door, Mercedes was already in her pajamas. "Here," she said with a smile, handing Kurt his own sleepwear. "Now hurry, I've been dying to see this movie."

Kurt simply shook his head and walked into the bathroom to get changed. The whole house was quiet so Kurt knew that her parents had already gone to bed. He quickly changed and folded his clothes before heading to his best friend's bedroom.

She was lounging on her large bed with the remote in her hand. Kurt took the spot right next to hear, making sure to move the pillows so he was leaning against them. "Wanna talk about him?" Mercedes asked before she pushed the play button.

Kurt knew that even though she really wanted to watch this movie she wanted even more to know about Blaine. "He really is gorgeous," Kurt admitted and couldn't help but smile as he remembered how cute he looked when he blushed.

He told her what had happened when he took their orders which only made her giddier. "Oh, he's got the hots for you!" she said excited and her fingers itched to call their other friend Rachel. Plans needed to be made!

"If only," Kurt replied with a longing sigh and leaned back against the pillows. "Have I mentioned his eyes?"

Mercedes only laughed and rested against her friend as the two started to watch the movie.

oO0Oo

Reviews make me happy~