Meanwhile, Pietro had been busy causing trouble, unnoticed. He'd already "rearranged" several tables, drawn lude pictures in a few of the empty alcoves with a pen he'd "liberated" from one of the waiters, replaced the salt with sugar and vice versa in several places, and "spiced up" the meals of a few patrons who hadn't been paying close enough attention... among other things.
He slid under the table of a rather attractive couple in their twenties and began running his hand up the inside of the woman's leg.
"Ooh, Michael... You bad boy..."
"Huh?"
"Touching me like that in here..."
"Um... I'm not touching you, dear."
"OH MY GOD!"
Pietro escaped, unseen, before her heel could connect. "Heh heh heh," he chuckled evilly.
"Ahem." His eyes widened when he turned saw the brunette waitress standing there, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "I believe this is your cue to say 'curses, foiled again.'"
"Curses foiled again?" he said weakly.
"Back to your table, perv boy."
"Perv boy?!"
She just looked at him, trying not to laugh at his deeply insulted expression. She just motioned towards the room the others had all been sitting in. Lance and Remy were still glancing around wildly at all the areas that Pietro had struck (at least the ones they could see through the archway, anyway). Michael from the one table was getting an earful from his distressed date, while a number of other people were spitting out their food and drinks because of the mixed tastes. Just as they finally found Pietro being chided by Lilith, a shriek erupted from both the kitchen and the bathroom area.
Remy and Lance simultaneously put their heads in their hands. "Who said dis wasn' gon' be a big deal?"
"I can't remember."
"Good. Cuz' I'm gon' hurt whoever did."
Lilith had turned at the shriek which was closely followed by the sound of a small explosion and saw a sobbing woman with semi-charred clothes come running out of the ladies' room. Pietro nearly escaped but she caught him by the ear and towed him over to the seat.
"Owowowowowowowow!"
"Sit."
He sat. She gave him a warning look for good measure. He returned it with his most angelic face. She was not fooled. Courtney, looking irritated, came up a moment later with a shamefaced Todd shuffling in front of her. "I caught him in the coatroom going through the pockets of our guests' coats. Be happy I don't report him to the manager." Hands on her hips, she watched with narrowed eyes as Todd slumped into his seat.
Lilith sighed and looked at Lance, who once again had his head buried in his hands. "Can't you control them?"
"You think I haven't tried?!"
"You guys realize that you haven't even been here fifteen minutes and all this is happening?" Courtney gestured furiously to the havoc occurring everywhere.
"That'll teach you to get involved in matters that don't concern you!" A voice that couldn't belong to anyone but Tabitha shouted as another women left the bathroom in distress.
Courtney and Lilith looked at each other. "I'm not going in there," Courtney said quickly.
"What makes you think I am?"
"I'll go," Pietro suggested. Two very stern glares were the waitresses' responses. He slouched in his seat. "Just trying to be helpful, geez."
Rogue leaned against the sink in the very nicely decorated bathroom as Tabitha chased out any poor women who needed to powder up or relieve themselves. "It isn't that big a deal, Rogue. Couples fight all the time."
"But he knows what Ah'm lahk," Rogue said for the fifth time. 'Doesn't she freakin' get it?'
"Oh, he's just sulking. He's a guy. He'll get over it. Their attention spans aren't that long anyway."
Rogue sighed as she dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a paper towel. "It's different with him. With Remy... He makes me feel like any other teenage girl. An' when he pulls shit like this, it makes me wanna hit him so fuckin' bad..." She curled her hand into a fist and slowly pushed it into the marble counter of the sink.
"Rogue." She turned Rogue away from the mirror to look her straight in the eyes. "A guy is a guy is a guy. You gotta understand that common sense is the only thing keeping them from turning into complete idiots, and sometimes that even fails."
Rogue shrugged. "Ah guess."
"Just go out there and act like nothing happened. You will take your seat again and just put your hand on his and be like 'What're ya gonna order, sugah?' or whatever sappy sweet stuff you say to him."
The southerner hmphed slightly at the poor impersonation of her accent. "Why should Ah take yoah advice?"
"Cause you're desperate and I'm your only hope."
"Oh, yeah." Then, after a moment, "Ah'm doomed."
"Relax. I'm the QUEEN of relationships, babe."
"Is that why Ah'm so scared?" Rogue rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror, subconsciously checking her appearance for the 3rd time. 'Great, he's got me so upset Ah'm turnin' vain.'
"Just go back out there. You're acting like a child all sulking in here."
Rogue whirled back around and glared at Tabitha. "A child?"
Tabitha stared at her with an unchanged expression. "You heard me."
"Ya realize Ah could kick yoah ass without breakin' a sweat."
Tabitha smiled and put a hand on Rogue's shoulder, gently steering her out of the restroom. "Now, Rogue, violence is such an unhealthy way to deal with anger. Breathe. Out with anger, in with love."
She growled loud enough for Tabitha to hear over the hum of gossiping people. Tabitha just looked at her innocently, expecting her to heed her advice. Rogue shook her head, and kept her glare forward. She caught sight of their table, the two waitresses still there. Another growl erupted from her throat. "Calm..." Tabitha soothed. They continued walking closer, not noticing the sudden rush toward the woman's restroom behind them and resulting cat-fight over who was first.
"You think you can manage to stay out of trouble for the five minutes it will take for the appetizers to get here?" they heard the brunette ask. Todd sunk deeper into his seat and Pietro opened his mouth. "That was rhetorical. For your sake I hope the word 'no' never even crossed your minds."
"Hey, isn't it against the rules to threaten the paying customers?" Pietro protested.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" She favored him with fake sugary smile. "Anyway, we heard that you're here because of that ritzy Xavier guy. He's the one paying, not you."
Remy smiled simply. "We'll be good. Go 'head an' get t' work before y' get in trouble."
Lilith returned the smile sincerely and walked away, Courtney trailing at her heels. She kept her face low as they walked by Rogue and Tabitha. The blond reached the table first and took her seat, while Rogue stood standing. She glanced to Tabitha, who raised her eyebrows towards her original seat.
"Lance, if ya don't mind, could Ah have mah seat back?"
"Umm," he glanced to Remy, who remained stone-faced. "Sure..."
"Thanks." She sat down and sipped her cappuccino, which was cooling quickly.
Fred broke the uncomfortable silence. "So what do you think the food's like?"
"Is that all you think about?" Todd rolled his eyes.
"No. I think about... stuff." Lance snorted. "Unlike Lance who has Kitty on the brain twenty-four-seven."
"Hey! Why are you bringing me into this?"
"See? He admits it!" Pietro snickered.
"I do not!"
"Oh, then you wouldn't care that she's sitting right over there," Fred said with a gesture through the arch.
"Where?!" Lance's head jerked as he excitedly scanned the other tables.
"Now, Freddy, that wasn't nice. You'll give him whiplash," Tabitha said in a disapproving tone, even as her mouth curled up at the corners. Lance slouched in his seat with a forlorn look on his face as he realized he'd been tricked.
Pietro sat, twiddling his thumbs from boredom. "Do you think she'll notice if I left the table?"
"Who?" Tabitha asked.
"That one waitress. She pulled on my ear!" He rubbed the aforementioned ear for dramatic effect.
"Ah don't suggest you get on her bad side. She doesn't look like she forgives easily."
"Like another goth I know," Remy muttered into his hand.
Rogue turned to glare at him, but didn't speak a word. She just looked back to her drink. She inwardly cringed. 'Ah'm actually takin' Tabby's advice an' not actin' like a child.' She glanced to the blonde. 'She better not get all high an' mighty on me now because Ah listened to her.' Tabitha, catching Rogue's eye, nodded and smiled encouragingly. Rogue sighed. Pietro was half-rising from his seat when the two waitresses and another waiter entered each carrying two large trays covered with plates of food.
"Iwasn'tgettingup,Iswear!Iwasjuststretchingmymuscles!" There was a storm of coughing around the table, all of it sounding remarkably similar to word "guilty."
Lilith narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I'm sure you were. That's why I asked the chef to hurry. Just in case you decided to 'stretch your muscles' again."
TBC...
He slid under the table of a rather attractive couple in their twenties and began running his hand up the inside of the woman's leg.
"Ooh, Michael... You bad boy..."
"Huh?"
"Touching me like that in here..."
"Um... I'm not touching you, dear."
"OH MY GOD!"
Pietro escaped, unseen, before her heel could connect. "Heh heh heh," he chuckled evilly.
"Ahem." His eyes widened when he turned saw the brunette waitress standing there, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "I believe this is your cue to say 'curses, foiled again.'"
"Curses foiled again?" he said weakly.
"Back to your table, perv boy."
"Perv boy?!"
She just looked at him, trying not to laugh at his deeply insulted expression. She just motioned towards the room the others had all been sitting in. Lance and Remy were still glancing around wildly at all the areas that Pietro had struck (at least the ones they could see through the archway, anyway). Michael from the one table was getting an earful from his distressed date, while a number of other people were spitting out their food and drinks because of the mixed tastes. Just as they finally found Pietro being chided by Lilith, a shriek erupted from both the kitchen and the bathroom area.
Remy and Lance simultaneously put their heads in their hands. "Who said dis wasn' gon' be a big deal?"
"I can't remember."
"Good. Cuz' I'm gon' hurt whoever did."
Lilith had turned at the shriek which was closely followed by the sound of a small explosion and saw a sobbing woman with semi-charred clothes come running out of the ladies' room. Pietro nearly escaped but she caught him by the ear and towed him over to the seat.
"Owowowowowowowow!"
"Sit."
He sat. She gave him a warning look for good measure. He returned it with his most angelic face. She was not fooled. Courtney, looking irritated, came up a moment later with a shamefaced Todd shuffling in front of her. "I caught him in the coatroom going through the pockets of our guests' coats. Be happy I don't report him to the manager." Hands on her hips, she watched with narrowed eyes as Todd slumped into his seat.
Lilith sighed and looked at Lance, who once again had his head buried in his hands. "Can't you control them?"
"You think I haven't tried?!"
"You guys realize that you haven't even been here fifteen minutes and all this is happening?" Courtney gestured furiously to the havoc occurring everywhere.
"That'll teach you to get involved in matters that don't concern you!" A voice that couldn't belong to anyone but Tabitha shouted as another women left the bathroom in distress.
Courtney and Lilith looked at each other. "I'm not going in there," Courtney said quickly.
"What makes you think I am?"
"I'll go," Pietro suggested. Two very stern glares were the waitresses' responses. He slouched in his seat. "Just trying to be helpful, geez."
Rogue leaned against the sink in the very nicely decorated bathroom as Tabitha chased out any poor women who needed to powder up or relieve themselves. "It isn't that big a deal, Rogue. Couples fight all the time."
"But he knows what Ah'm lahk," Rogue said for the fifth time. 'Doesn't she freakin' get it?'
"Oh, he's just sulking. He's a guy. He'll get over it. Their attention spans aren't that long anyway."
Rogue sighed as she dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a paper towel. "It's different with him. With Remy... He makes me feel like any other teenage girl. An' when he pulls shit like this, it makes me wanna hit him so fuckin' bad..." She curled her hand into a fist and slowly pushed it into the marble counter of the sink.
"Rogue." She turned Rogue away from the mirror to look her straight in the eyes. "A guy is a guy is a guy. You gotta understand that common sense is the only thing keeping them from turning into complete idiots, and sometimes that even fails."
Rogue shrugged. "Ah guess."
"Just go out there and act like nothing happened. You will take your seat again and just put your hand on his and be like 'What're ya gonna order, sugah?' or whatever sappy sweet stuff you say to him."
The southerner hmphed slightly at the poor impersonation of her accent. "Why should Ah take yoah advice?"
"Cause you're desperate and I'm your only hope."
"Oh, yeah." Then, after a moment, "Ah'm doomed."
"Relax. I'm the QUEEN of relationships, babe."
"Is that why Ah'm so scared?" Rogue rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror, subconsciously checking her appearance for the 3rd time. 'Great, he's got me so upset Ah'm turnin' vain.'
"Just go back out there. You're acting like a child all sulking in here."
Rogue whirled back around and glared at Tabitha. "A child?"
Tabitha stared at her with an unchanged expression. "You heard me."
"Ya realize Ah could kick yoah ass without breakin' a sweat."
Tabitha smiled and put a hand on Rogue's shoulder, gently steering her out of the restroom. "Now, Rogue, violence is such an unhealthy way to deal with anger. Breathe. Out with anger, in with love."
She growled loud enough for Tabitha to hear over the hum of gossiping people. Tabitha just looked at her innocently, expecting her to heed her advice. Rogue shook her head, and kept her glare forward. She caught sight of their table, the two waitresses still there. Another growl erupted from her throat. "Calm..." Tabitha soothed. They continued walking closer, not noticing the sudden rush toward the woman's restroom behind them and resulting cat-fight over who was first.
"You think you can manage to stay out of trouble for the five minutes it will take for the appetizers to get here?" they heard the brunette ask. Todd sunk deeper into his seat and Pietro opened his mouth. "That was rhetorical. For your sake I hope the word 'no' never even crossed your minds."
"Hey, isn't it against the rules to threaten the paying customers?" Pietro protested.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" She favored him with fake sugary smile. "Anyway, we heard that you're here because of that ritzy Xavier guy. He's the one paying, not you."
Remy smiled simply. "We'll be good. Go 'head an' get t' work before y' get in trouble."
Lilith returned the smile sincerely and walked away, Courtney trailing at her heels. She kept her face low as they walked by Rogue and Tabitha. The blond reached the table first and took her seat, while Rogue stood standing. She glanced to Tabitha, who raised her eyebrows towards her original seat.
"Lance, if ya don't mind, could Ah have mah seat back?"
"Umm," he glanced to Remy, who remained stone-faced. "Sure..."
"Thanks." She sat down and sipped her cappuccino, which was cooling quickly.
Fred broke the uncomfortable silence. "So what do you think the food's like?"
"Is that all you think about?" Todd rolled his eyes.
"No. I think about... stuff." Lance snorted. "Unlike Lance who has Kitty on the brain twenty-four-seven."
"Hey! Why are you bringing me into this?"
"See? He admits it!" Pietro snickered.
"I do not!"
"Oh, then you wouldn't care that she's sitting right over there," Fred said with a gesture through the arch.
"Where?!" Lance's head jerked as he excitedly scanned the other tables.
"Now, Freddy, that wasn't nice. You'll give him whiplash," Tabitha said in a disapproving tone, even as her mouth curled up at the corners. Lance slouched in his seat with a forlorn look on his face as he realized he'd been tricked.
Pietro sat, twiddling his thumbs from boredom. "Do you think she'll notice if I left the table?"
"Who?" Tabitha asked.
"That one waitress. She pulled on my ear!" He rubbed the aforementioned ear for dramatic effect.
"Ah don't suggest you get on her bad side. She doesn't look like she forgives easily."
"Like another goth I know," Remy muttered into his hand.
Rogue turned to glare at him, but didn't speak a word. She just looked back to her drink. She inwardly cringed. 'Ah'm actually takin' Tabby's advice an' not actin' like a child.' She glanced to the blonde. 'She better not get all high an' mighty on me now because Ah listened to her.' Tabitha, catching Rogue's eye, nodded and smiled encouragingly. Rogue sighed. Pietro was half-rising from his seat when the two waitresses and another waiter entered each carrying two large trays covered with plates of food.
"Iwasn'tgettingup,Iswear!Iwasjuststretchingmymuscles!" There was a storm of coughing around the table, all of it sounding remarkably similar to word "guilty."
Lilith narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I'm sure you were. That's why I asked the chef to hurry. Just in case you decided to 'stretch your muscles' again."
TBC...
