to the moon & to saturn | cate blanchett

chapter 2

Elle started work the Monday following her dinner with Dylan; the restaurant really was eager to hire her, especially with her three years of experience working at her college's cafe on campus.

In the back room, Elle clocked in, gathered her pen and order pad, and went out onto the floor to survey her section. She unbuttoned the first two buttons of the uncomfortable white button up management forced the wait staff to wear so she could breathe.

Luckily, the woman's booth fell in her service area. Elle hoped that she was a creature of habit.

Three hours into her shift, there was no sight of the blonde woman, but Elle wasn't discouraged. She didn't expect to see her here so soon, given that she ate here just two nights prior.

It wasn't until around 7:30pm when the woman gracefully entered the restaurant, seating herself at the same booth as the other night. Tonight she was wearing a dark magenta suit.

Elle quickly finished waiting on a lovely couple celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary and scurried over to the woman.

The woman barely had a chance to settle into the booth before Elle ran up to her, almost out of breath.

No words were exchanged between the two at first, only a curious lift of the woman's eyebrow as she studied the young mess of a girl.

Elle meant to speak, really. She went over a greeting in her head. Say hello! Say welcome! Say something! Anything!

When the greeting didn't materialize, she tried to voice the night's specials that were floating around absently in her mind.

But none of that came to fruition, all because the woman was wearing a wedding ring.

A giant, freshly cleaned, and expensive diamond wedding ring.

Elle couldn't stop staring at it.

"Miss?" asked the woman, bringing Elle's attention back to the booth.

Elle cleared her throat, about to list off the specials, but that wasn't what escaped from her mouth.

"Wedding ring!" blurted Elle.

She immediately clasped her hand to her mouth.

"Excuse me?"

Elle froze in disbelief at what she said.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

"Uh—"

Elle tried to save her failed attempt at a conversation. "Sorry, I couldn't help but notice your wedding ring. It's lovely."

"Oh," said the woman, eyeing her ring with a slight frown. "Yes, I suppose it is. Thank you."

Elle rambled off a greeting and the Monday night specials in a rapid fire style without giving the woman any time to process or ask questions. She wanted to get out of there and splash some cold water on her face. This was not how their first interaction was intended to go. Dylan would not be pleased with this.

"Is there a reason you are in a rush, dear? Perhaps you could transfer my table to one of your coworkers?"

The woman looked at Elle with dissatisfaction, causing Elle's heart to sink.

This is definitely not how the first interaction was meant to go.

Elle attempted to calm the anxiety in her chest with a drawn out sigh. This exchange was going nowhere fast, so Elle decided that the truth would be the best direction to take.

"I apologize, ma'am. Your wedding ring caught me off guard. I assure you that I will be able to adequately attend to your needs this evening. In fact, the service will be above and beyond your expectations."