Relentless

October 10th, 2012

Paramus, New Jersey

Throwing her blonde hair up into a ponytail, Gionna adjusted her glasses in the mirror. After giving herself a quick onceover, she was satisfied with how she looked and stepped out of the bathroom into the kitchen of Hooters. She made her way to her coworker Dani, who was busy refilling condiments. Gionna had taken the job right out of high school to help her family with bills and to save a bit of money—what little she could. With her mom working sixty hours a week as a waitress to feed a family of seven kids, Gionna was doing her part to help out.

"Busy night?" Gionna asked as she surveyed the dining area. Half the tables were full, and a few patrons sat at the bar.

Dani, a redhead with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, shook her head. "No busier than usual. Had a guy pinch my ass as I walked by a table."

Gionna shot her a surprised look. "Well, did you report him?"

Dani shook her head again. "Nope, because I was the waitress for them, and he left a more than generous tip. Besides, look at how we dress—it's bound to tempt men, even more so if they've been drinking."

Gionna knew she was right, but that didn't make it right. "I would've said something if it were me."

Dani smiled as she tightened the lid on the ketchup bottle. "And your tip would've been shit if you had. Look, G, these guys come in here just to have a good time. I don't mind a little pinch. I mean, we're being ogled all evening. If they cross the line, I'll slap the shit out of them. Majority of these guys are married, and their marriages are shit—they just want a little attention and to feel important. So I let them have a little fun, and I reap the reward."

"Still, though, Dani..." Gionna trailed off as she turned her attention to their coworker Kayla, who was at the hostess podium as a group of four young men walked into the restaurant. They looked somewhat tired and slightly disheveled, as if they'd been on the road for weeks. The leader, or so she assumed, was a guy who looked to be in his early twenties, with long, dark blonde hair that fell a few inches past his shoulders and eyes that were a piercing shade of blue—alive with a mischievous glint that hinted at both wisdom and wildness. The other men behind him weren't much to look at—one had full sleeve tattoos and shoulder-length brown hair, while the other two wore beanies and had beards to match. They could have been brothers, maybe even twins.

"Who do we have here?" Dani looked up from what she was doing and watched as Kayla guided them toward an empty table in the back.

"I'm gonna guess a band," Gionna said, crossing her arms.

"I guess you're right, but only one way to find out. Go talk to them, G!" Dani encouraged her, her eyes never leaving the guy with the long hair. "Get that guy's name for me—the one with the long hair."

Pulling out her notepad and pen, Gionna clicked it and tossed a glance over to Dani. "Alright, but if this ends up turning into a good night for you, you owe me."

"I gotcha, girl. Don't sweat it," Dani said, returning to her task.

Taking a deep breath she didn't know she was holding, Gionna put on her best smile as she made her way over to where the group of men had been seated. As she approached, they stifled their laughter and turned to look at her. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Hi, welcome to Hooters! My name's Gionna, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I get you guys anything to drink, or would you like to hear about our specials?"

The guy with the long hair gave her a mischievous smile that she was sure he'd used on countless other girls. He was good-looking, she'd give him that, and if he tried to flirt with her, she wouldn't be surprised. He leaned back in the booth and assumed a relaxed position, stretching his arms out on the top part of the seat. "Well, darlin', how about a round of anything that's strong and cold? And as for the specials…" He paused for a second, his smile widening. "Well, surprise us, why don't ya? I'm sure whatever you pick will be just right." His voice was cool and relaxed, almost as if he'd rehearsed this line a hundred times.

Gionna jotted it down. "Okay, so four pitchers of beer and twenty hot wings? Anything else?"

As if he'd been waiting for her to ask, he gave her another smile. "Your number?"

Gionna shook her head and noticed that his friends were intently watching, almost as if they were wondering if he'd pull it off. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. "As if," she said coldly before turning and walking back toward the kitchen. The table let out a collective round of gasps, and she heard his friends teasing him about getting rejected by the waitress.

As she made her way back to the kitchen, she stopped to talk to Dani for a second. Dani looked at her, then anxiously at the table. "So, what's his name?"

Gionna shrugged. "I'm working on it. He did ask for my number, though."

"You gonna give it to him?" Dani asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, you already had your eyes on him. I'm not gonna do you like that, girl." Gionna headed into the kitchen, passed the order on to the cooks, and gathered a tray with four empty pitchers. She filled them up with Budweiser beer, carefully picked it up, and walked back out into the dining area. More people had come in as the evening rolled on, but she managed not to bump into anyone as she made her way back to the table.

"Here are your pitchers of beer," she said, passing them around the table and clearing the tray. "The wings will be out shortly. Can I get you guys anything else?"

"Are the wings gonna be extra hot like you are?" he giggled, continuing his attempt to make her blush or smile. She wasn't expecting him to say that, and it was actually the first time she'd heard that line. Gionna felt her face flush and turn a light shade of pink as she smiled.

"There's that smile," he teased. "It looks good on you. In fact, that should be the special—serving up smiles, the Gionna way."

She shook her head at him. "Lucky you, I haven't heard that one yet. But I'm not interested in you; my friend Dani is." Gionna turned around and pointed to Dani, who was currently serving another table. "She asked me to get your name."

"Alex," he replied, glancing in the direction she pointed. "She's cute, but she's not my waitress." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands as he looked up at her. "You're my waitress."

Gionna rolled her eyes. She didn't want to give him an inch because she knew he'd take a mile. However, she'd be lying to herself if she said his charm wasn't working. "You're relentless, aren't you?"

"Well, what can I say? Once I have my eyes on something I want, I typically don't stop until I get it, and right now you know where my eyes are." His gaze lingered on her.

Gionna shook her head. "What if I told you I already had a boyfriend?"

"You don't," he said confidently. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have phrased it that way. Besides, I can tell you're flustered by your rapid eye movements and pink cheeks. But..." He dragged out the word, a grin spreading across his face. "I have but one night left in Jersey, and it'd really cap off my time here if you would come out with me after your shift. I'm not looking for a hookup or plotting to kill you and end up on Unsolved Mysteries or ID Discovery. I just want to have a good time, and if a beautiful girl like you were to accompany me in this uncharted area you call Paramus, it'd really make my trip here that much more meaningful. Besides, it's my birthday."

Gionna looked at his friends. "Is it really his birthday?" she asked them. They all nodded and confirmed, and Alex pulled out his driver's license and handed it to her. She examined it—a Florida driver's license, D.O.B.: 10/10/1990. So he was telling the truth.

"You guys in a band?" she asked as she handed Alex his license back. They all nodded. "Of course, you are. Well, Alex, I don't know about going out with you, but I can maybe ask the cook to put a birthday candle in one of the wings for you." She teased him.

"Well, if you do, I want you to sing happy birthday to me and help me blow out the candle so my wish can come true." He was really laying it on thick.

"I'll think about it. Now let me go see if your wings are ready." Gionna replied as she headed back toward the kitchen. As she entered, she saw Mike, one of the cooks, placing the last of the wings on the plate. It was then that she realized she never asked them if they wanted dipping sauce. Mentally kicking herself for the oversight, she grabbed the plate of wings and headed back out to the table. She set the wings down in the center of it. "My apologies—I just realized I never asked if you guys wanted dipping sauce."

The guy with the tattoos piped up. "It's alright. You would've gotten around to it if Alex wasn't trying to score with you tonight." At this, Alex shot him a look before turning his attention back to Gionna.

"By 'score,' I mean scoring a date," he corrected.

"Sure you did, Alex," Gionna teased. "What type of dipping sauce would you guys like?"

"Ranch," the guy with the tattoos answered.

"Ranch it is," Gionna said as she turned to go get the sauce.

As the evening rolled on, the once-crowded restaurant started to thin out as customers finished up and headed out. Gionna had been on the go since clocking in, and she was starting to feel tired. Glancing at the clock, she saw she had fifteen minutes left. Alex and his group were finishing up their meal of beer and wings. Dani had just set a pitcher of beer and a glass of water on a table when she made her way back to Gionna, who was loading up a tray with pitchers.

"You get his name yet, G?"

She nodded. "Alex. But I'm sorry to tell you, girl, it looks like your boy only has eyes for me. He's been flirting with me since he first laid eyes on me. It's kinda annoying, actually."

Dani didn't seem upset by this information. "Go for it, G. He's a good-looking guy," Dani tried to hype her friend up. "Besides, I saw you blushing when he was turning on the charm."

Gionna steadied the tray. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's our job to flirt with customers. Besides, it's how we get better tips—that's what you told me on my first day."

Dani grabbed the tray from her. "I got this. Go secure a date with him."

"Dani—" Gionna started but was cut off.

Dani shook her head. "G, when was the last time you had a night for yourself?"

She honestly couldn't remember. "I don't know."

"Exactly. Go get a date and have fun, then text me or call me and tell me everything!" Dani headed through the crowd of customers getting ready to leave.

Looking over at Alex's table, she noticed his friends were gone, probably either to the bathroom or outside for a smoke break. If there was ever a window of opportunity, this was it. Besides, she still had to get his bill. Walking over to the table, Alex turned to look at her, and his eyes lit up, almost as if he'd been waiting for this moment.

"You off work soon?" he asked, noticing the customers leaving.

"Shortly," she answered, not wanting to give him an exact time.

"I can wait."

Gionna let out a chuckle. "You really don't quit, do you?"

Alex shook his head with a genuine smile. "No," he chuckled, "not really."

Gionna glanced at the clock on the wall and then back at Alex. "I've got thirteen minutes left... I guess if you're still here by then... I will." She paused for a moment before deciding to take her friend's advice. "Go out with you. But before you get excited, I want to go to a karaoke bar. There's this place called P.J. Rufo's—it's a restaurant and bar, and they do karaoke. I'm guessing you're the lead singer of your band?"

He nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "I am. I'll sing for you, Gionna, if that's what you're asking."

"Good. You paying with cash or card?"

Alex pulled out his wallet and handed her his credit card. "Go wild."

"I'll be right back." Gionna headed to the computer and began processing his order. Within a minute, she had the receipt printed and walked back to the table, setting it in front of Alex. He signed it and left a tip.

Looking up at her as he handed it back, he grinned. "See you shortly."

"Where'd your friends go?"

"Oh, they're probably outside smoking or in the bathroom."

"Gotcha." Gionna adjusted her glasses. "Well, I guess I'll see you in a couple of minutes." Gionna made her way back toward the bar. Two feelings overcame her—the first was the excitement of having a date, even if it was just at a karaoke bar. The second was fear. She couldn't remember the last date she'd been on, but the last one was shitty, and she hoped this wouldn't be a repeat.