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The men gave me appreciative smiles.
They both had dark hair, cut short and neatly kept.
The taller one with brown eyes and the more charming smile put down the glass he was holding and held out his hand to me over the bar.“I’m Felix.It’s nice to meet you.”
I slid my hand in his.“It’s nice to meet you too,” I replied.It was a relief to meet someone with a friendly face.
He held my hand and nodded his head toward Eliana.“Don’t let her scare you off.”Then, he winked before letting my hand go.
Leo lifted his chin at me and smiled.He was farther away.“You’ll do good here, Fawn.”
That reassurance was more needed than I wanted to admit.I wasn’t one to ever get intimidated, but Eliana was managing to make me nervous.Here I had thought, I could handle catty females just fine.Perhaps my age was getting to me.
Ignoring the men, Eliana continued to walk toward the swinging wooden doors to the far right beside the bar.“The kitchen is back here,” she said to me, and I hurried to catch up.
Stopping the doors before they slammed in my face, I followed her inside.It was surprisingly quiet for a full, busy kitchen staff.I was used to the laughing, joking around, and shouting, which always went on in the kitchens of restaurants where I had waited tables in the past.These people didn’t even glance up from their tasks and said nothing to each other.It was also a much bigger space than I’d ever seen for a kitchen and so clean.It appeared as if no one had ever cooked in here, but they clearly did and were doing so at this very moment.
I listened as she began telling me how to place orders into the computer system and where to pick them up.Unlike the guys at the bar, she didn’t introduce me to anyone in the kitchen or speak to them herself.She acted like they were invisible.
When we were back in the main room, she walked to the bar, then stopped and looked back at me.“Blake will be here at seven, and Arya arrives at eight.Until then, it will only be me on the floor.We don’t have a heavy crowd at this time or ever in the Winchester.Those with privileges to enter this room are few.The other servers are in the Monte Cristo Lounge or the Cohiba Library.You won’t be placed in here after training.The members prefer that Arya, Blake, and I serve them.The other rooms are similar, just with less important clientele.”
I knew she was trying to speak down to me, but I was relieved that I wouldn’t be working with her in the future.She wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around.Hopefully, the servers in the other rooms were more friendly.
“You willing to place a wager on that, Eliana?”Leo asked, and I glanced over to see him drying a glass and smirking.
“I’ll happily take your money,” she replied.
He raised his eyebrows in response.“Your tip from the boss tonight,” he replied.
She let out a soft, amused laugh.“Done.”
Leo seemed pleased as he placed the glass on the bar, then gave me a head nod, as if we were in this together.I didn’t want him to lose money, and I had no idea who they were referring to.Silas wasn’t going to tip her, was he?I mean, why would he?I was confused and decided to stay that way.
“Remember, stay silent and don’t make eye contact,” she snapped at me under her breath as the door opened and two men walked inside the door.
Two hours later, I was finally relaxed.This wasn’t hard, and not one of the members we had served ignored me.I’d been spoken to, warmly welcomed, and even conversed with.
Eliana was the only negative part of the evening.The more the patrons spoke to me, the colder she got toward me.Blake, a gorgeous brunette who arrived at seven, just like Eliana had said, seemed to understand that Eliana was anti–new server and shot me annoyed glares when possible.
I ignored both of them and continued to smile.My being here was not something they liked at all, and honestly, I wasn’t sure why.There seemed to be a competitive streak among them.Even Blake and Eliana, although they seemed to be friends, had this need to be more desired by the patrons than the other.It was odd.
It was almost eight when I followed Eliana from the kitchen with an order, and Felix cleared his throat, causing Eliana to pause and look at him.Felix nodded his head to the back right corner—the only secluded area we hadn’t been yet.It seemed larger than the others and more private.I hadn’t seen much inside the closed-off space.
“Eagle has landed,” he said under his breath.
Eliana appeared pleased by this information and turned to me, shoving the tray into my hands.This was a first.She hadn’t let me carry any of the food or drinks yet.“Take this to the Hilton table.See if there is anything else you can do for them right now,” she said to me before turning and heading to the back right corner with more of a sway to her hips than before.Which was saying a lot.
I glanced over at Felix, who was grinning and shaking his head before I headed to deliver the food.Both men wanted another drink, and I handled that before leaving them.Eliana wasn’t in the main area, and I hadn’t been given permission to do anything else, so I walked to the bar, where Leo was setting two drinks on the counter.
“Take this to the back right corner.Eliana is in the back, placing an order, and we do not let the boss wait,” he said.
I looked at the drinks, then back at him.“Um, you sure that’s a good idea?”
He nodded.“Yes.These can’t sit here, letting the ice melt even a little.Not for him.”
Him who?The boss?
I reached to pick up a tray, then placed the drinks on it.
