𝐌𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 | 𝖩𝗈𝖻𝖾 𝖡𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗁𝖺𝗆

⁰⁴. 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄 𝗌𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖽𝗎𝗅𝖾?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━   𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖱𝖣 𝖯𝖤𝖱𝖲𝖮𝖭

THE SOUND OF the restaurant filled Alex's ears as she made her way to the kitchen, her iPad clutched in one hand. She had just clocked in, already feeling the familiar rhythm of the place pulling her in. The hum of conversation, the clinking of dishes, and the occasional shout from the kitchen all blended together, creating a comforting chaos.

Alex had to admit—though only to herself—that she'd been loving her job recently. It wasn't just the chance to meet celebrities, although she'd be lying if she said that wasn't a nice perk. What she enjoyed most, surprisingly, was the people. She liked talking to customers, hearing their stories, and being part of their day, even if just for a moment.

But Alex would never admit that. Definitely not. If anyone asked, she'd shrug and say it was just a job, nothing special. Letting people think she cared too much wasn't her style, not when it came to something like waitressing.

She tucked the iPad under her arm as she passed through the swinging kitchen doors, nodding at one of the cooks as she grabbed a glass of water. Today felt like a good day—busy enough to keep her on her toes, but not so hectic that she'd feel overwhelmed.

Still, as much as she enjoyed her job, there was always that lingering thought in the back of her mind. She hadn't seen Jobe since the first time he walked in, and she told herself it didn't matter. But every now and then, her eyes would flicker toward the door, just for a second, before she went back to her routine.

"So, how's work going?"

Alex turned around at the sound of the voice, spotting José scooping ice cream into a bowl behind the counter. His easygoing smile made her relax a little.

"Oh, hey, José," she said, slipping her iPad into her apron pocket and taking a sip of her water. "It's going great. How about you?"

José shrugged, balancing the bowl of ice cream as he grabbed a spoon. "Same old, same old. You know how it is—people think their dessert orders are life or death."

Alex chuckled, leaning against the counter. "That's because dessert is life or death."

He laughed, pointing the spoon at her. "See, this is why I like you, Alex. You get it."

She smirked, shaking her head. "What can I say? Priorities."

José glanced at her as he started garnishing the bowl with chocolate syrup. "You seem less stressed lately. Guess that means you're settling in."

Alex tilted her head, considering his words. "Yeah, I guess I am. It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Not bad?" José repeated, pretending to be offended. "This place is the finest establishment in town! Show some respect."