Difference or Love

Chapter 4

Rafe finds himself walking along the beach when he sees a small ocean side restaurant up ahead. He sees Y/n working as a waitress, wearing her uniform which consists of an apron and a bikini. Rafe stops to watch her as she greets the customers, pouring their drinks and handing them menus. Rafe is watching Y/n interact with the customers, and he is impressed with her friendly and efficient attitude. He watches as she smiles and chats with an old couple, serving them with a smile and treating them like old friends. He notices that the customers are very fond of her, and he is starting to understand why the Pogues all feel so protective of her.

As Y/n walks away from the old couple to put in their order, she feels someone slap her ass. She is shocked and turn around to see a male customer grinning at her. Her face turns bright red with embarrassment, and she snaps at him.

"Excuse me, sir! Keep your hands to yourself!", she says in a no-nonsense tone. The male customer laughs at her, and she rolls her eyes at him before storming away. She walks over to the table where the old couple is sitting, and she puts in their order with a more serious expression on her face. Y/n quickly shakes off the embarrassing interaction with the male customer and puts on a smile for her other customers. She is used to dealing with inappropriate men, and she has learned to deal with them in a way that is professional and firm. She is now waiting on the couple at the table, looking at them with a pleasant and friendly smile.

As she greets the couple at the table, she notices Rafe continuing to watch her from outside. He has been watching the entire interaction and he is impressed by her ability to handle inappropriate customers. He also can't help but notice the smile on her face, and how endearing it looks. It is clear that she is a natural at waitressing, and he is growing more and more attracted to her. He starts thinking about what life would be like with her, if he was the one in the seat where the old couple is sitting.

The couple at the table looks over at Rafe, noticing that he has been watching their interactions with Y/n. They look at Rafe in confusion and ask him...

"Do you know that girl?" they ask. Rafe shakes his head, not wanting to give away the fact that he is secretly infatuated with Y/n.

The old couple at the table gives Rafe a knowing look, and Rafe realizes that they think he is Y/n's boyfriend. He is embarrassed by this, but he doesn't want to correct them. He decides to just nod in agreement and go along with their assumption about him and Y/n being a couple. The old couple nods at Rafe, and they say to him...

"You're a lucky man, you know that?" they say with a smile. Rafe doesn't know what to say to that, and he stays silent, his mind spinning with thoughts about Y/n.

The old couple continues to chatter away, saying things like...

"She's a keeper... I'd never let her go... treat her right, and you'll be happy for life."

They seem very fond of Y/n, and Rafe is starting to think that maybe he really is lucky to find her. He hasn't felt this way about a woman since high school, and it's a pleasant feeling. 

As Y/n is serving food and drinks from a tray to a family with kids, she notices that the children's faces light up when they see her. They find her to be beautiful, and they are attracted to her in a way that is so innocent and pure. Y/n smiles back at them, waving and nodding. Rafe watches the interactions between Y/n and the family, and he smiles at how good she seems to be with children. He thinks about how she would be like as a mother, and a warm feeling of happiness comes over him. As the family is leaving the restaurant, the little girl comes up to Y/n with a crayon drawing that she wants her to have. Y/n takes the crayon drawing from the little girl, smiling and nodding at her. She looks at the drawing, which features her and her dog playing on the beach. It's a sweet and innocent picture, and she is touched that the little girl wanted her to have it. Y/n thanks the little girl for her drawing, and she gives her a hug. She notices Rafe watching the entire interaction, and she smiles at him before returning to looking at the little girl.

As Y/n hugs the little girl and takes the crayon drawing from her, Rafe is once again impressed by her warmth and kindness. He wonders what it would be like to be the one giving Y/n a hug, and he starts to imagine himself doing it. The idea of being close to her and holding her close is extremely appealing to Rafe. He watches her return to work, a smile playing on her lips. He looks at her and he can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy at the thought of any other man getting to enjoy her company. When Y/n returns to work, she notices that Rafe has now sat down at the empty table where the old couple was sitting, so he can watch her work. She walks over to take his order, noticing how he is smiling at her. She also notices that he seems to be staring at her in a way that is much different than the customers. It's as though she is catching him looking at her with a deep interest and even a hint of desire.