NovelEnglishThe restaurant had only been open a short while, specializing in upscale exotic cuisine and had drummed up quite a buzz with a
members-only gimmick that drew in the well-heeled crowd.
Leaning in close, Carol whispered in his ear, "But between us, are their ingredients really all imported?"
Her breath tickled his ear, and he turned his head to avoid her, remaining silent.
Carol drew back, nonchalant.
"Guess not," she mused. "Must be from around the local bay, right?"
Felix rubbed his temples with a wry smile. "Ms. Miller, if we keep at this, I'm afraid I'll be job hunting soon."
Resting her chin in her palm, Carol's lips curved into a smile.
"So what if you are? It's not like waiting tables is hard to cby."
The words were out before she could stop them, and she instantly regretted them.
She noticed Felix purse his lips—a sign she was learning meant displeasure.
And her comment, unfiltered as it was, sounded downright insulting.
She quickly apologized, "Sorry, | didn't mean you specifically. I'm a waitress too, working at a barbecue restaurant. I've been at five
different places now. It's easy to find this kind of work in Greenfield; it's a big city, with lots of demand."
Felix chuckled softly, apparently not taking offense to her earlier remark.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEager to make amends, Carol reached for the serving fork and offered him ssteak.
"We're both in the sboat. It's not often we get to enjoy this kind of food. Even if it's from the local bay, it's not exactly cheap.
Have swith me."
"Sure."
With no further hesitation, the two strangers, having met just once before, began to dine in quiet companionship.
Carol watched Felix out of the corner of her eye. He ate with measured grace, the sound of his fork barely audible against the
plate. His manners were impeccable, not what one might expect from a waiter. In fact, he seemed to have been raised with more
decorum than sof the trust-fund brats she knew.
His fingers were attractive, especially when holding the silverware, almost alluring.
Propping her chin up, she couldn't help but keep her gaze on him—from his hands to the defined line of his throat, to the collar of
his shirt.
The more she looked, the more she liked; Felix seemed dressed just for her, hitting all the right notes of her aesthetics.
Feeling her stare, Felix put his utensils down, slightly uncomfortable.
"What's up?"
What else could it be but the handsboy before her eyes?
She had thought she was hungry, but now she was truly full.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Felix realized how late it had gotten.
"I need to start my shift."
"Go ahead, | won't keep you. I've got to head to work too. Hey, next tyou're at the barbecue place, lettreat you. They often
have lots of leftovers, which are pretty good. | snack on them all the time."
She was making it up as she went along—when had she ever dined on leftovers?
Felix raised an eyebrow, his smile returning. "Sure."
That smile seemed to bewitch Carol, making her cheeks flush with warmth.
She turned to look out the window, waving him off. "Off you go, then. The life of a worker bee, it can't be helped. | understand."
Pouring her a cup of warm tea, Felix finally left.
As the door closed behind him, Carol touched her burning cheeks, alarmed by their heat.
She fanned herself with a menu, feeling overheated.
Once outside, the cool breeze brought sclarity.
In the following days, Carol didn't see Felix, but thoughts of him, particularly the image of his hands holding the cutlery and the tie
around his neck, which she so wanted to tug loose, kept drifting into her mind.
When she saw him again, it was at the BlueSky Bar.
A bit tipsy, she noticed Odelia pouring vodka down his throat, pinching his chin, forcing the distilled spirit into him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThey weren't in a private room this time, but at the bar, with several bottles of distilled Vodka arrayed before Odelia, her face
alight with mirth.
"Remember what | told you last time? Your luck might take a turn. Look at this gof Truth or Dare, you've lost again, haven't
you?"
Carol stood at a distance, flushed with drink.
She observed them start another round, and this tanother male waiter, the one Felix had previously clashed with, sat beside
Odelia. Felix hadn't agreed to Odelia's advances, but this guy had, and lately, Odelia had been coming in to look after the business.
Having heard of the tension between him and Felix, she seemed to be stirring trouble on purpose.
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