Chapter 4 | Your Friend is a Girl, Right?

A compilation of stories, inspired by true events
previous chapter Chapter 3 | By the End of Dinner 

One afternoon during the university exam period when energetic yet exhausted youths came with their laptops and one question in mind (do you have wifi?), Carl gave me a nudge.
"Girl on table 9 is hot stuff."
Without looking up from the till I asked if Chef Jon had put him up to this.
"Nah man, she hella cute. She's been here everyday I've worked this week."
Seated at table 9 was a girl in her early twenties, cropped mouse brown hair, black rimmed plastic glasses and earphones attached to her iPad.
I shrugged at Carl. "Oh yeah?"
"Do something for me man. Get her number for me?"
"Take my Saturday shift for me?" I countered.
And that's how I ended up approaching her to fill up her already-full glass of water.

"Thank you," she barely looked up, still attached to her earphones.
I waited for an awkward three seconds.
"Sorry to disturb you but my-"
"What?" She looked up at me, taking out one earphone.
"Um. Sorry to disturb you but my workmate would like to get your contact details." I must've flushed bright red.
"Sorry?"
"My friend would like to get your number," I repeated.
This is so awkward. I could feel Carl staring at me from Chef Jon's kitchen bench.
She opened her mouth and shut it again before slowly saying, "Sorry but I don't give that out to strangers."
Now what?
"But your friend could ask me for it. Then I might be interested."
"Really?" I sweated beneath my shirt.
She shrugged, "Yeah."
"Okay... Um can I get your name?"
"Lacey."
"Thanks um, Lacey. Sorry about that." I turned to duck back to the kitchen.
"Wait," she said, "Your friend is a girl right? Cos... you know, I'm..."

Carl locked us in the walk-in fridge because we were laughing too hard at his tough luck.


next chapter Chapter 5 | Inside Jokes