You Can't Run From The Dark

{Part 7}

~Dessa~

"Coffee," The man in the leather gloves snapped at her, without even bothering to look away from the book in his hand. "Have Colette bring it to me. Not you."

Dessa practically stumbled back a step, as he took a drag off of his cigarette. This was, by far, the rudest a patron had been to her, and she hated that tears stung her eyes as she squeaked out another apology and went to go give his order to Colette. She shouldn't let the man hurt her feelings - he was probably just having a bad day, or maybe he had a thing for the buxom blonde. She sucked it up as she made her way down the hallway, determined not to be a crybaby today. If she made a habit of crying at work everyday, she would never make friends here. She waited in the kitchen for a moment until Colette waltzed in.

"Colette?"

The waitress turned to her with a sneer twisting her pretty face. "What?"

"A man at Table 9 would like you to bring him a coffee," Dessa told her, careful to keep her bloody emotions from leaking into her words.

"He asked for me?" Colette's entire demeanor shifted - she looked like a blushing schoolgirl all of a sudden, her snide attitude evaporating.

Dessa nodded curtly, and Colette rushed to bring the man what he asked for, basically dancing away.

"Order up," Hans grunted as he placed a platter of steamed vegetables and sauteed shrimp on the pass.

Dessa shook off the last of her fragile little feelings, and took the order to the appropriate table. When she delivered the food, she noticed Colette sitting with the man. They were speaking in hushed tones, and Dessa was taken aback when he blew smoke in her face with an arrogant smirk. Dessa wanted to scoff at the sight. It would seem that Colette didn't mind how rude the man was, she was enamored with him. Dessa thought he was strikingly attractive at first glance when she had tried to ask him if she knew him, but now that she had seen firsthand what a dick he was, she wished that thought had never formed. An hour or so after the incident, it was time for her break, and she chose to eat a few nibbles in the hallway, rather than sit at a table. She was too nauseous to eat much anyway, and put the rest in a box for later. For the rest of the night, she refused to even look in his direction, and took the long way around the parlor room to avoid passing too close to his table. By the time her shift was over, she was extra exhausted just from trying so hard to pretend that the man no longer existed. Unlike the day before, he refused to disappear.

She was so ready to get the heavy dress off when she reunited with Penny in the dressing room, that she didn't have a single qualm about letting Penny help her. Once the corset was removed, she took a deep, satisfying breath, and another, when Penny assisted her with extricating herself from the dress. Once she was standing in only a petticoat, she realized that she had successfully made it through the day without fainting, and she could have done a happy dance.

"Thank you again, Penny. You're a life saver!" Dessa said, as she handed her the petticoat and began to put her regular clothes back on.

Penny giggled and shook her head. "It's my job. You don't have to thank me, Dessa."

Dessa squinted at her playfully, "I will thank you, and you will like it!"

The lady-in-waiting snorted, and rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine - you're welcome."

Dessa nodded in approval, and they both said their goodbyes. When Dessa had all her clothes back on, she retrieved her phone and charger. She never went back to the dressing rooms on her break to get it, because she had been too bothered by that damn guy. With a huff, she went back through the parlor room to get her leftovers from the kitchen. She accidentally bumped right into Hans on her way through the door.