Chapter Text
You were chatting with Elena at the hostess stand when he strode through the double doors, moving with effortless confidence. She shot you a brief glance before reaching for the menus beneath the stand, ready to seat the guy. As Elena stepped out from behind the hostess stand, he stopped short. He looked around the restaurant, seemingly scoping out the place, before landing on Elena.
“I’m not here to eat,” He said, his voice confident yet casual. “I heard you guys were hiring a busboy.”
Elena hesitated, her hazel eyes flicking to you before settling back on him. The guy, who couldn’t have been more than twenty-three, didn’t have the usual desperate look in his eyes like other applicants—there was something too self-assured and calculated in the way he stood, like he was acting. But he didn’t elaborate, just waited, hands tucked into the pockets of his worn-but-clean jeans.
“Oh,” Elena said finally as she put the menu back under the stand. You could tell she was a bit curious about him, probably just as much as you were. She tucked a piece of her curly brown hair behind her ear and straightened her slender figure. Oh, Elena definitely liked him, too. “You’ll have to talk to the manager about that. Just a sec’, ‘kay?”
She disappeared toward the back office to grab the manager, Nicky, leaving you alone with the guy. You played with your pen, eyes scanning over him once again. Upon closer inspection, you noticed the way he fiddled with the cuff of his sleeves and shifted his weight on his feet. A clear sign that he wasn’t as relaxed as he wanted to seem. He looked at you and offered a knowing smile.
“Is it hard to get hired around here?” He asked, clearly half-joking.
“Only if you’re, like, fresh outta Blackgate or Arkham,” you heard Amira tease.
You turned to see Amira draping herself over the hostess stand, clearly interested in the mysterious new guy. She swept her black braids out of her face, giving the guy a cheeky smile.
He gave her a once-over with his eyes. “Luckily, I haven’t been to either of those places.”
“Then you’ll fit in just fine,” She said playfully, leaning toward him.“What’s your name?”
“Jason,” he replied.
She nodded, finally looking at you, before introducing the two of you. You hadn’t expected to be suddenly thrust into the middle of the conversation again. Heat crept over your cheeks, and, instead of speaking, you gave a small nod. Jason seemed to notice your hesitance, and he smirked at it.
You heard Nicky before seeing him. Nicky was a tall, burly man with curly black hair and a mustache that was accompanied by a five o’clock shadow. He talked with a booming New Jersey accent that filled up any conversation, and he was a traditional kind of man. The kind of man who had a soft spot for women. So, when Nicky saw Jason standing there all cool and confident, he sneered. Elena whispered something to him before gliding behind the hostess stand again, nudging Amira out of the way.
Nicky turned to you and Amira, fingers drumming against a clipboard in his hand as he glanced back into the mostly empty dining room. “You girls and this damn hostess stand.”
“Will has all the tables right now,” Amira was quick to point out.
Nicky mumbled something under his breath as he switched his gaze from Amira to Jason. He gave him a once-over, clearly not impressed. “You’re here for the busboy job?”
Jason nodded, introducing himself briefly. After a second, he finally added, “Yeah, I heard you were hiring.”
That earned him another sneer from Nicky. It was clear your boss didn’t favor that answer at all, seemingly on the verge of kicking the guy out. Nicky puffed his chest. “Boy, have you ever worked in a restaurant?”
Jason ran his tongue over his teeth, eyes meeting yours briefly, before looking at Nicky again. “Once or twice.”
Amira, who could practically smell drama from a mile away, spoke up before Nicky could throw him out. Fluttering her lashes and pressing her breasts against the hostess stand, she pleaded, “C’mon, Nicky! Give ‘im a trial shift, see if he can cut it. You really wanna see me do a busser’s side work again?”
Nicky thinned his lips, staring down at her before letting out a long, tired sigh. He pointed the end of the clipboard toward Jason. “You come in tomorrow. Eight o’clock, sharp . Don’t be late.”
Jason smiled wickedly. “Won’t be, boss.”
Nicky snickered, turning to the three of you and barked, “You kids get back to fuckin’ work, and away from this damned hostess stand.” With that, he stalked towards the back.
As Jason turned to leave, his gaze flicked to you, holding just a fraction longer than necessary, like he was trying to size you up now. Then he was gone, disappearing through the same double doors he’d entered through, leaving you standing straighter and your heart beating like crazy.
“Oh, my God,” Elena said, pressing her hand over her heart. “He was fine .”
Amira giggled as she nudged you with her elbow. “What’re we thinking? Trouble, mysterious, or just a jackass?”
You attempted to laugh, but it died halfway up your throat. Jason was something .