TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

16

Hani

I accepted the polyester apron Seungkwan gave me and tied it around my waist.

"Shirt looks good." Seungkwan said, giving my Lock's Glass v-neck an approving nod.

"Thanks." I said and tugged nervously at the hem. The shirt was tight and showed more cleavage than I was used to accentuating. But, per my research at the library, ladies that looked like this tended to make higher tips.

Lock's Glass was a big restaurant with red seat couches and black tables. It also accommodated a bar at the back. I loved this fancy retro vibe.

"This here's Yujin, and she'll be training you on the POS." Seungkwan said, plucking the lollipop out of his mouth. "It's also how you clock in and out and order your own meals. Here's your pin number." He handed over a sticky note with 7697 scrawled across it in sharpie.

"Hey." I said to Yujin. She had orange dyed hair and glitter on her cheekbones.

"Hiya." She greeted. "You ever sling drinks before?"

I shook my head. "I worked in HR until two days ago."

I gave her points for not rolling her eyes at me. I wouldn't want to train me either.

"But I learn fast." I assured her.

"Well you're gonna have to since we're short handed tonight. So unless you suck, I'll be pushing you out of the nest early."

"I'll do my best not to suck." I promised.

"You do that. We'll start with the drinks for my eight top."

"We've got two drafts of Bud." Yujin began, fingers flying over the screen. Her glittery nails hypnotised me with their speed.

I was nervous but highly motivated. My bank had told me it would take up to a week for me to receive my replacement debit and credit cards. And Mimi had already polished off the entire box of pop tarts. If I wanted to keep my niece in groceries, I was going to have to be the best damn server this town had ever seen.

"Then you hit send, and the printer at the bar spits out the order. Same for food, only it goes straight to the kitchen." Yujin explained.

"Got it."

"Great. Here's the next one. Your turn."

I only fumbled twice and earned a "good enough" nod from my trainer.

"Let's get those tips flowing. I hope your feet are prepared." Yujin said with a quick grin.

I blew out a breath and followed her into the crowd.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My feet hurt. I was hours behind on my water intake. And I was really tired of explaining that I wasn't Chae. Especially since that seemed to have earned me the nickname 'Not Chae.'

Kazuha, the head waitress, said something that I missed as I wearily unloaded glasses at the service bar.

"What??" I yelled over the music.

"Hanging in there?" She repeated louder this time.

"I think so?" Yujin had given me two tables of "understanding regulars" to handle on my own, and so far no one besides me was wearing beer or complaining about how long it took to get their brisket nachos, so I felt like I was doing an adequate job.

I felt like I'd walked ten miles just going between the bar and the kitchen and the tables. Most of the patrons seemed like regulars. They knew each other's names and drink orders and razed each other over sport rivalries.