𝐌𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 | 𝖩𝗈𝖻𝖾 𝖡𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗁𝖺𝗆

⁰⁵. 𝗇𝖺𝗉𝗄𝗂𝗇

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖱𝖣 𝖯𝖤𝖱𝖲𝖮𝖭

ALEX HELD THE four drinks carefully in her hands, trying to steady her nerves as she made her way back to the table. Her mind kept replaying the moment Jobe asked about her work schedule. She couldn't believe he had asked her. Her stomach churned as she realized how flustered she had become in that instant.

She had convinced herself it was just her imagination—the teasing from Ethan, the hints of something more in Jobe's behavior—but now, with his question still ringing in her ears, she couldn't deny it. Her delusions weren't just her being naive. There was something real in the way he had looked at her, something that felt different from the usual casual interactions with customers.

When she arrived at the table, she put the drinks down with a soft smile, trying to mask the fluttering feeling inside. "Here you go," she said, her voice steady but her pulse quickening.

Jobe's eyes met hers for a brief moment, and she caught a flicker of something there—a hint of curiosity, maybe? She wasn't sure, but it made her heart beat faster.

"Would you guys like to order food now?" Alex asked, her gaze shifting between everyone at the table, hoping to steady the nerves swirling inside her.

"Thank you very much, Alex," Jude said with a teasing grin, his eyes still on the menu.

Alex smiled politely, though she could sense the playful undertone in his voice. "Of course. Take your time," she replied, clasping her hands in front of her as she waited.

Mark glanced up, nodding. "I think we're ready. Jude, stop stalling."

Jude chuckled, setting the menu down. "Alright, alright. I'll start." He rattled off his order quickly, clearly enjoying the moment.

Denise followed, offering Alex a kind smile as she gave her choice. Then Mark.

Finally, Alex turned to Jobe. He put his menu down, meeting her eyes briefly. "I'll have the same as him," he said, nodding toward his dad.

Alex jotted it down, feeling her heart skip a beat as his gaze lingered for just a moment longer than necessary. "Great, I'll get that started for you," she said, flashing a small smile before walking back toward the kitchen.

As soon as she was out of sight, Jude leaned over to Jobe, smirking. "You're really bad at this, you know that?"

Jobe rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Jude."

"Like I said... just ask for her number," Jude said, rolling his eyes dramatically. "She's definitely gonna give it to you. Do you seriously think she's gonna reject a football player with money?"

Jobe shot him an annoyed look, his jaw tightening. "It's not about the money," he muttered, leaning back in his chair.

Jude smirked, clearly not letting up. "Oh, so it's about your charm then? Bold of you to think that's what's working here."