I kept looking at the watch on my wrist. The seconds and minutes were going by like molasses until my shift was over and I could leave.
I waited tables at a small restaurant and bar and frankly, I hated my job. Being told what to do all day for the sake of tips was possibly the worst bargain ever. So far, after waiting close to twenty tables in five hours, I’d made about fifty dollars in tips. That plus my normal pay wasn’t anywhere close to what I’d have to make in order to cover this month’s rent.
But then again, thank God for grandparents.
I had another hour until nine o’clock, and then I could leave. I couldn’t wait.
I was taking a short break, sipping a glass of water, when the door opened. In walked four guys.
Let me rephrase this for you; in walked All Time Low. I’d known they were on tour but their show was sold out in my area. My eyes turned to dinner plates as the walked to the hostess, my friend Amanda. She was also obsessed with them. She has the biggest crush on Jack Barakat.
I watched as she led them to a table for four. She tripped over her feet as she walked, but she caught herself. The boys chuckled a bit and I saw her ears turn red. Something that happened frequently when she was embarrassed, which was also frequent too.
Jack did take the time to ask her if she was okay, and I swore she could have died right there. I laughed a bit, and then I went to check on another couple’s dinner. Then after collecting a bill, Amanda met me at the register.
“I’m going to die,” she said quietly. “I’m going to die. And when I die, you can pick over my closet. Oh my god, I’m going to die.”
I laughed a bit. “No you’re not. They’re people too,” I said, also trying to convince myself of that too. In reality, I was as star struck as Amanda was.
“Well, then have fun. Because they’re at table five.” She smirked.
“Shit,” I muttered. I had tables four and five that night.
“Don’t leave them waiting,” she said in a singsong voice as she made her way back to her podium. I took a deep breath and made my way to table five. I tried to walk over calmly and like I knew what I was doing. Even though I had my training mastered, all of it wiped clear from my mind.
“Tell them your name and then ask them what they want to drink,” I had to remind myself in my head. I exhaled slowly as I took my final last steps to the table.
I put on my best smile and said, “Hi, I’m Sarah. I’ll be waiting on you tonight. What would you guys like to drink?”
“So far so good…” I thought. “Too bad I sound like a badly programmed robot…”
“Water’s good,” Rian Dawson answered.
“Guinness,” Zack answered still reading his menu. Jack looked up at me and asked, “Do you have chocolate milk?” I laughed a bit.
“Yep,” I said. Then I turned to Alex Gaskarth, looking at him expectantly.
“What do you suggest?” he asked suavely. He couldn’t have seriously been asking me to talk. I’ve adored him since I first listened to All Time Low. And now he’s asking for my opinion on what to drink?
“I- I don’t know. It depends,” I stuttered. His eyes scanned me.
“I’ll also have a Guinness,” he finally said. I nodded and then walked away self-consciously.
I walked over to the bar to get their drinks. Amanda ran up to the bar and said, “So… What’d they order?” expectantly.
“Water, two Guinness’s, and one chocolate milk,” I filled her in. I heard her mutter, “Jack,” when I finished telling her the order.
“Wait, aren’t they under twenty-one?” she asked.
“Yea, but who am I to card All Time Low! Plus Paul isn’t here,” I whispered to her. Paul was our boss. Usually he left around seven because he had a family. He would leave Amanda, Mark, James the cook and me to lock up.
“You,” she stated. “Are so lucky. And Alex was totally into you.”
“Heh, except not. Alex is like so gorgeous. But he makes me so nervous,” I confided as I squatted down to open the fridge under the bar. I grabbed the chocolate syrup and milk.
“You know you’re lucky,” she said.
I smiled as I finished the last drink. “Yea, I know.”
I got back to their table and put the drinks down. Jack immediately started blowing bubbles in his milk, and I could almost feel Amanda swooning from behind me.
“Have you guys made a decision yet?” I asked.
“I think so,” Zack said. He looked at his band mates who all nodded. “Uh, I’ll have a cheeseburger.”
“How would you like it done?”
“That’s what she said,” I heard Rian say. I chuckled to myself and the boys broke into righteous laughter.
Jack laughed so hard milk came out of his nose. And like that Amanda appeared momentarily to offer more napkins. I gave her a warning look and she backed away slowly, smiling nervously.
Then Zack said, “Medium,” after finishing his fits of laughter.
“Same,” Rian said.
“Chicken sandwich,” Jack said.
Then I looked at Alex, “Cheeseburger, hold the cheese, and rare,” he said.
“All right.” I walked to the kitchen and dropped off the order to James. I had no other tables to wait on, seeing as no one normal would go out to eat at 8:15 PM. Mark was waiting of two tables. He turned to look at me and gave me a falsely angry look. I stuck my tongue out at him and smiled.
“I’m so bored,” Amanda complained. She kept opening and closing her phone.
“Who are you texting?” I asked.
“Maggie,” she answered.
“Oh, of course. Zack…” I concluded. Maggie was the third friend. She had an undying love for Zack Merrick, much like Amanda’s love for Jack.
And as much as it’s hard to admit, I’m close to their territory in my adoration for Alex.
“Did she make you send her a picture?” I asked.
“Yep,” Amanda said dreamily, as she gazed at Jack. I laughed. “What are you planning?” I asked.
“Buying our first home…” She sighed. I sighed along with her and looked longingly at Alex.
Even when he wasn’t singing, his voice was like velvet. The guys laughed and I watched, as Alex would smile crookedly and wildly.
I leaned on Amanda’s podium next to her. She was biting her lip and I was twisting my hair. We shared faraway expressions.
I watched Alex’s movements closely and decided that he was perfect. But what would he want with a waitress when he could have any girl. I’ve been to their concerts. Girls in the crowd scream and throw themselves at the band. Not to say I didn’t scream either, but seeing Alex two feet away from me, made me feel so much more.
“This is unhealthy,” I thought. But then the sound of James ringing the bell broke me out of my daydreams. “Sarah!” he called.
I stood up straight and walked over to the counter. I took the four dishes and walked them over to the band. I gave the plates to the correct guy, gave a small smile and then left again.
Amanda, Mark and I talked as I waited for them to finish.
“Aren’t they that band you two worship?” Mark asked.
Amanda and I shushed him at the same time. “Be quiet!” I hissed.
“What ever. Can I ask them a question though?” Mark asked us.
“Depends what it is…” I said suspiciously.
“Why do they wear their pants so tight?” he asked, giving a slightly grossed out look.
“Because!” Amanda stated as if it was the answer to why one and one made two. “They can pull it off! And you, my friend, cannot.”
“Just don’t expect them to be able to have kids with you,” he said, directed at Amanda.
“What?” she asked. Her face was white. She had always been talking about how one day she’d have three boys. She hated the thought of kids in her life currently, but she wanted them one day. And her fantasies usually included Jack as the father.
“Don’t tell her that!” I hissed at Mark. He smirked and walked away.
I gave Amanda a hug and patted her back. “It’ll be okay. You’ll have lots of little Jack juniors running around your home.”
When the color was brought back into Amanda’s face, the boys were done with their food. Jack was taking one of his French fries and scraping the remains of his chocolate milk with it. I didn’t know whither to think it was gross or possibly delicious. Amanda would be able to tell me tomorrow.
“All finished?” I asked. They all moaned the affirmative and I collected the plates.
When I came back to the table I asked, “Any room for dessert?” They all exchanged uneasy looks. Tempted, but afraid they could burst at any second.
“I don’t think we do,” Alex said. I nodded, smiled and handed them their check. Alex took the liberty of quickly pulling a credit card out and putting it on the tray.
I took it back to the register and looked it over. It said Hopeless Records on the front and then in black letters on the back, it said “EMERGENCYS ONLY”. I laughed a little and swiped the card.
I finished the transaction and brought the receipt back for Alex to sign. “Thanks for coming!” I told them cheerfully.
I left them alone to sign and went back to take a sip of water. They all got up and started to walk out. First Alex, Zack and then Rian out the door. Jack stopped where Amanda was. “Hi,” he said.
She looked like a deer in the headlights, and surprisingly, she quickly regained her composure. “Hi,” she replied.
“You’re really cute,” he told her.
She smiled a million miles wide and her ears turned a new shade of red. “Th-Thanks!” she stuttered.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealously. They talked quickly and Jack grabbed her phone and from what I could see, he was entering his number. Then Rian called for Jack and he gave her a kiss on the cheek and then left.
She was on cloud nine. And I had a hard feeling that anything was going to bring her down.
I was really jealous now. I felt like crying. Even though we both never seemed to get the guy, we’d always reassure each other that things would change. I should have seen it coming.
Things just seemed to change for her before they were going to change for me. I walked back to the table hoping that at least if tears did fall, no one would see.
I grabbed the restaurant copy and my tip, consisting of eight dollars. Not bad for this joint.
I was about to walk away when I noticed a gray beanie on the table. Alex’s gray beanie.
“Holy shit,” I said. I picked it up off the table and looked at it. Normally, I would consider selling it on Ebay, but I wasn’t feeling that angry. “I’ll be right back!” I called to anyone who was listening. I sprinted out and looked around for any sign of anyone from the band. And I did.
Alex was leaning on a parking meter, hands in his pockets as he smirked at me.
“You left this,” I said as I walked up to him.
“Yea, I know,” he said, as I handed it to him. He put it back on his head. “Thanks.”
“You left it behind on purpose?” I asked.
“Kind of,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking slightly embarrassed. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for messing with you. You’re probably sick of having people tell you want to do and hassling you. I wasn’t really helping.”
“Well, it’s not everyday you wait on your favorite band,” I said. Then I mentally cursed myself for sounding like an obsessed fan.
“You listen to us?” he asked. He looked surprised.
“Yea, I love your music. I’ve been to a few shows,” I replied. Then I looked around and I didn’t see anyone else around. “Speaking of which, where is the rest of the band?”
“They walked back to the hotel. It’s a few blocks away,” he answered.
“They ditched you?” I asked, slightly amused.
“Heh,” he laughed at him self a bit. “No. I asked them to.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked.
“So I can do this,” he said.
He took my face in his calloused hands. Then his lips met mine and I was absolutely shocked. But something felt right. I started to kiss him back and I loosened up.
When we parted, Alex was smiling. I was too.
“Wow,” was all I could say.
“Yea,” he answered still holding my face close to his. “I really like you, Sarah.”
“You do?” I asked.
“If you don’t feel the same way, I mean-“
“No, no. I do. I really like you too,” I told him and we both smiled more.
“I have the day off tomorrow,” he suggested, as he let go of my face and his right hand reached for my left one.
“And?” I played with him.
“And I was thinking that we could see each other,” he elaborated. Alex’s large brown eyes were addicting from behind his dirty blonde bangs.
“I have the day off too,” I said.
“So is that a yes?” he asked, hopefully.
“Yes.”
