Page 11 of Captain Santiago and the Sky Dome Waitress
Don’t piss off the customers, Lucie reminded herself whenever she saw the starfield from the corner of her eye.
But plenty of customers, many of them tourists, came to drink coffee and eat a pastry, while staring at the mesmerizing view.
This morning, Olivette had graduated her to the breakfast rush. “Lots of regulars, and good tippers,” Olivette told her. “You’ll be working with Edme.”
Edme was the longest serving waitress in the restaurant. “Just the two of us?” Lucie asked, terror swamping her.
“You’ll be fine,” Olivette said, heading for the kitchen. “Five a.m.!” she added through the serving slot.
Now Edme was disappearing for a mysterious ten minutes and all the tables were loaded.
Lucie traced out a path that took her to each table consecutively, including Edme’s, and in between deliveringplates and taking payments, she stopped by each occupied table to make sure everyone was doing okay.
Breakfast time was fast turnover time. People ate and ran. Except there were a few who lingered with a pot of coffee and their own thoughts. Lots of solo diners and established couples.
It was a different feel to the evening crowd, who dined in bigger groups, or romantic couples, and who lingered to enjoy the meal.
She got to the corner tucked in behind the entrance foyer, opposite the kitchen, and came to a halt, for Elijah Santiago sat at the last empty table, a pad in front of him, wearing a scowl.
And looking at her. His eyes under the thick brows were narrowed.
Lucie made herself move. She continued her circuit around the tables, making sure everyone was happy, and steeling herself. Her heart thumped unhappily as she stopped dutifully beside Santiago’s table. “What can I get you?”
“Are you following me?” he demanded.
Lucie stared at him. “Follow…?”
“You somehow found out this is my favourite restaurant, and now you’re going to make my life a misery for some reason that defies analysis?”
Lucie lowered the order pad. “I’ve been working here for two point…for three days. I haven’t seen you in here once.”
“I stayed away to avoidyou,” he ground out. “‘till you got on that damned ship and left the city.”
“Oh…” Lucie let her head fall back and looked up at the dome. “Oh, no…” Oh, this was a mess!
“Oh,what?” he demanded.
“It’s just…I’ve been trying to avoidyou. I didn’t want to use your ship and risk running into you again. I didn’t think that would be…fair.”
“So you decided to haunt my breakfast instead?”
“Ididn’t knowyou were a regular! You haven’t been here. How could I know?”
“Why are you even working, if you’re doing the Grand Tour?” he shot back.
“Because it costs more to change flight plans than it does to cancel, so I cancelledallmy flights, and I’m working to pay my cancellation fees. I have to stay in the city for thirty days, or I get fined a change fee, too!”
Santiago glared at her. He had brown eyes thatshouldhave appeared warm, but they were icy shards. “I’ll pay your damned fines,” he snapped. “If you get on the next ship out of here.”
Astonishment rippled through her. And indignation. Who the hell was he to tell her what to do? “The next ship out of here would be yours,” Lucie said with the sweetest tone she could muster. “So, no, I won’t take your money. The last thing I want is to step on your ship ever again.”
Lucie saw Edme from the corner of her eye, tying her apron. Lucie’s relief weakened her knees. “I’ll have Edme take your order. You won’t have to speak to me again.”
“Good,” Santiago snarled as she turned away, making her heart trip and hammer even harder.
Perhaps fury was a good thing, coming from him. It was better than the agony she had seen in his eyes, the day she had arrived. If he was angry, it would be much easier to avoid him.
?
