Thalassic Love (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Three

     As Harrison and his posse of older men get comfortable in their chairs, the dining room suddenly awakens again. The initial shock has floated away, but not for me; I'm still as curious and nosy as ever. I can't seem to figure him out just from his aura alone.

Ali nudges my side in an attempt to grab my attention back. He whispers, "You're up."

Right. I start the table off.

You've got this, Vixen. It shouldn't be too bad.

With a gigantic breath of air, I make my way over to their table. Plastered on my face is the most disingenuous smile I've ever worn, and in my right hand is a basket full of fresh, assorted slices of bread.

Here goes nothing.

"Good evening," I slowly say, placing the basket in the middle of their table. "My name is Vixen, and I'll be your assistant waiter tonight. Ali will be your lead. Feel free to ask either of us for anything you may need throughout your visit. But, before we continue, let's begin with drinks."

Harrison watches me the entire time with a slight smirk hanging on his face. Does he find this amusing? I do not know what his issue is, but it's only making my hands shake a bit more. I cannot mess this up.

"You're new, aren't you?" he asks, completely ignoring my question. I almost choke on my next breath.

"What? What does that-" Then I glance at Ali, who harshly judges me from 5 feet away. Shit. "Yes, I am."

"I can tell."

I want to snap back at him. I want to slap that ridiculous smirk off of his face. But I can't fulfill any of those desires. I already cannot stand this man. Remember your hospitality, Vixen.

Harrison is no different from any other entitled guest. Just more pressure from your bosses not to fuck this up, that's all.

"What can I get you all to drink?" I continue onto my usual spiel.

"Your finest Sauvignon blanc for the table."

With a nod, I dismiss myself and head over to grab a bottle of our most expensive wine and four glasses. My brain is running rampant with ugly thoughts of this spoiled man. I've finally reached my objective of working aboard the most luxurious cruise line in the industry. Still, I keep forgetting it'll be filled with money-hungry, narcissistic bastards like Harrison.

I hurriedly walk back to their table as Ali tends to our other guests, ensuring they're satisfied with their visit. When I pour the wine into each of their glasses, I sense Harrison's stare again. It feels like a strategy of intimidation, but I can't be so sure that's his reason.
Either way, I can tell it comes from a place of arrogance.

"Ali will be right with you to take your course selections." I give them a false smile again before returning to our server station.

I can finally breathe.

My coworker arrives a couple of minutes later to put in their orders for the kitchen. As he rings it in, he asks, "Are you alright? You're as pale as a ghost."

"I don't like that man."

Ali nudges my side. "Now, do you believe me when I said this is a big deal?"

"Yeah, yeah," I sigh. "He's just... well... I don't know, but for starters, I'm fed up with his massive staring problem."

"What do you mean?" Ali turns to me after he finishes entering their orders into the system.

"You didn't feel that when you went to the table?"

"No? He barely glanced at me. I'm shocked he even heard what I said while I was there."