Why Don't We Imagines and Preferences *ON HIATUS*

Restaurant (Zach)

I groaned as I tied my blue apron around my neck and grabbed my black baseball cap off my bed. 

I work at a restaurant called Bill's Food-aria (creative right?) and the only reason I still work there is because I feel bad for Bill, the manager. He had always dreamed of opening a restaurant and he finally earned enough money to, a few years ago. No one ever really came there, besides his family and the other workers families. I don't know what happened, but a little while after Zach, one of my co-workers, got hired, customers started to show up. In fact, Bill's Food-aria is one of the most popular restaurants in town.

With a sigh, I walked up to my first table of the day. 

At the table, 4 kids that looked to be about 15 or 16, 3 girls and a boy, looked up from their menus/phones. "Hello, and welcome to Bill's. I'm y/n and I'll be your server today. Can I start you off with some drinks?" I said. One of the girls, this one with long, dark hair tied in a messy and large framed glasses, began. "Um, I'll have a coke." I nodded and turned to one of the others, this one a brunette wearing a red sweatshirt and two French braids down her back. "I'll take a lemonade." Another nod and then I looked to the boy. He had dirty blonde hair and had his arm around the other girl, a red head with bored look on her face. "Two chocolate milkshakes please." Then the red head turned to him. "Ugh, babe, you know I hate chocolate."

"Fine. One chocolate milkshake and a water. Please."

I nodded, trying to keep my sympathy for this poor kid out of my expression. "Ok. I'll be right out with those." 

I walked back behind the counter and smiled as I passed Zach. "Hey, you might want to tie your shoes. I don't want you falling for anyone else." Zach said, a cheeky smirk on his face. "Yeah? Well, here I am, what are your other two wishes?" I replied, returning his smirk with my own. "You're getting better! Last time we talked, you could barely keep a straight face." 

"Oh shut up." I said, ignoring the staring I got from the customers. They always seemed to enjoy my interactions with Zach. I still don't know why.

"I could do that, or I could keep messing with you."

"Only in your dreams, Herron." He smiled at me and I turned away, laughing. 

An older woman named Clarise (a frequent customer) wiggled her eyebrows at me from her place at the counter. "When will you two finally start going out? The entire restaurant is rooting for you!" I gave her a smile and handed her the Sprite she had ordered. "I'm sorry Clarise, but I'm afraid we're just friends." She groaned. "But why? There is undeniable chemistry there. You just need someone to point it out to you." She nodded, more to herself than to me. I shook my head with a chuckle and grabbed the drinks to take to the teenager's table. 

"Finally!" The dark haired girl exclaimed when I got to the table. I mentally rolled my eyes. I handed out the drinks one by one. "Here is the lemonade, the chocolate shake, the water, and the coke." 

"Um, I didn't order a coke. I'm pretty damn sure I ordered a Dr. Pepper." 

The boy across the table from her gave her a look. "No, Kirsten. (sorry if that's anyone's name, I just didn't want to type r/g/n every time someone else's name is mentioned.) You ordered a coke. "No, Jake. I wanted a Dr. Pepper." I felt my blood begin to boil. "I'm sorry miss, but the order said that you wanted a coke. I can get you another drink though."

"I don't think it's very fitting for a great restaurant like this to hire employees that so evidently need to get their hearing checked." The brunette girl chimed in, backing her friend. I was about to respond when I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard someone say, "I'm sorry that you got the wrong drink, but there is no need to take it out on her." Zach. The girl shut right up at his words. In fact, she twirled her hair around her finger and giggled. "Sorry. I hope you can forgive me, handsome." Zach scoffed. "I can grab your drink." I said, looking at the ground. As I walked away, I felt Zach's hand still around my arm. He sent me an encouraging smile and then let go. 

After I brought the bratty girl her stupid Dr. Pepper and rolled my eyes at the boy, Jake's pitying look, I found Bill, the manager. "Sir, can I come in?" I asked the older man, knocking on his "office" door. "Sure!" He responded, sounding as cheery as always. "How've you been y/n?" 

"Um, not so well. Lately, I've been having some trouble with customers not treating me the best. I understand that the customer is always right, but sometimes they really aren't and even though I try to be nice to them, They are still rude. I just don't know what to do."

He smiled a sad smile. "Sometimes people aren't the best. It hopefully will get better though. Besides, if you quit, they lose one half of their favorite show."

"What do you mean?"

"This restaurant wasn't very successful, and still isn't, no matter how many people come here. The only reason we are still in business is because people love to eat their food and watch you and Zach's flirting."

"Um, not to rain on your parade or anything, but I swear we aren't flirting." 

He chortled. "You say that now. But whatever! Just keep that in your mind. We are all rooting for you!" Ok, that's the second time someone has said that to me today and both times it was because the person thought that me and Zach had something between us. I gave my boss a strange look and left his office, still thinking about what he said. Was it true? Did people only come to Bill's Food-aria purely to watch me and Zach fool around with stupid pickup lines and cheesy crap? Also, why did they find it so entertaining? Whatever. It's stupid. 

But, apparently it wasn't as stupid as I'd said. For the rest of the afternoon, I couldn't get what Bill said off my mind. I even only responded to Zach's stupid jokes with a playful punch to his shoulder. 

As I fell asleep that night, I had the brown eyed boy's smiling face almost plastered to the back of my eyelids. Why was he suddenly affecting me so much!?

The next day, I went through the same process as I did almost everyday, of dragging myself out of bed, completing my morning routine and even heading to the gym followed by a Starbucks run. Iced coffee and a scone should really have helped to get stupid Zach off my mind. Nope. Instead I was half dreading and half eagerly anticipating going to work at 1. 

When I arrived, I was headed to clear off a table when I felt two arms wrap around my waist. I squealed before clapping my hand over my mouth. "Guess who?" Zach. Of course. Joke's on him though, I didn't need to guess. 

"Zach. People are watching you know."

"I know. I just wanted to ask you a quick question." He said.

"Ok. What?"

"Have you talked to Clarise lately? Cause she's got this idea that we would be cute together. And, to be honest, I don't particularly disagree with her."

I whipped my head around to look him in the eyes. I needed to know he wasn't kidding. "Really? Like, you're not screwing around with me?"

Oh no.

"I could be screwing around with you. You have to say yes first."

"I set myself up for that one I guess." I said with a small groan.

"Yep. Now, yes or no?" 

I paused. I had never really considered Zach as more than my co-worker and friend, but it wouldn't hurt to give him a shot. Besides, if it doesn't work out, we were friends first, so we have something to go back to. 

I could feel the rest of the restaurant holding their breath, awaiting my answer. "Alright, I guess...I'll go out with you."

Zach smiled and I returned it happily. He kissed me softly and the other customers all applauded, making my cheeks flush. Zach, on the other hand, turned to everyone and grinned, waving at Clarise, who was turning to anyone who would listen and saying, "I knew it!"