Under Your Skin: Nick and Charlie fanfic

Training

Writer note: all written in Charlie's perspective.

Arriving at work, I start getting ready to begin my shift. I have been working at the Royal Crown pub in Rochester for about six years now, since I turned eighteen.

This is a good few years longer than everyone else who now currently works here, apart from the owner, who isn't around much. I have taken on the role of unofficial manager, I work most days and I like things to run smoothly, be done a certain way.

Maybe it's my OCD, but being here and making sure everyone is doing as they should, helps to keep my mind busy. Tom, the owner, seems to appreciate it and often tells me how everything falls apart when I'm not here. I like feeling needed, it gives me a sense of importance, maybe more than it should.

"What can I get you?" I ask with a smile when a customer approaches me at the bar.
"Can I get the sea bass, steak shin pie and a bottle of pinot grigio please?"
"Yep, so that's the pan fried fillet of sea bass, the steak shin and bishops finger ale pie and a bottle of pinot grigio?" I ask, tapping on the screen in front of me.
"Yes please." The customer says.
"Is there anything else?"
"No thank you."
"Okay so that's, fifty seven ninety five please." I say, holding out the card reader.

The customer pays and I get the bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Sea bass and steak pie!" I call to the kitchen.

I give the customer their wine, I still haven't had a response from the kitchen, so I go back there to see if he's heard.
"Josh, sea bass and steak pie." I say, standing in the doorway.
"Yes, I heard you." He says, not looking up from the food he's preparing.
"I'm not a mind reader Josh." I say, walking away.

I have a bit of a crush on Josh, he's really hot and quite sexy. I'm pretty sure he's straight though, I've never asked and I get the impression he doesn't like me. He's worked here about a year less than I have, and he doesn't like it when I tell him what to do.

I get into the full swing of my shift, serving customers and organising the rest of the staff.
"Lily, tables need clearing." I say as I pour a customers beer.
"Yes Charlie." She says sarcastically.
"Little less attitude please." I sass back.

She goes to clear tables and I whizz around the bar. I'm fully aware that the way I am irritates people, but if they did their jobs without needing instructions, I wouldn't have to be this way.

At the end of my shift, I get my things together and notice that I have a message from Tom.

Tom
Hi Charlie, I need you to train someone tomorrow. He's coming in at eleven thirty.

Great, having to train people is easily the worst part of my job. They're nearly always incompetent, which distracts me from doing what I actually need to be doing and organising the rest of the staff.

Charlie
Yeah, that's fine

Tom
Thanks Charlie, I don't know what I'd do without you

I shove my phone in my coat pocket and start walking home. It's the middle of October, so the evenings are quite chilly now. I walk quickly to my car, I'm cold and it's also gone eleven at night, so I'm grateful when I finally climb into the driver's seat.

I don't live far from the pub, but I'd rather not walk home on my own at night. I can't help but feel a little nervous when it's dark, you just never know who you're doing to bump into.

****

The next morning, I roll over and check my phone, it's nine o'clock and I have a message from Tao.