Her Hope

Chapter 7

My footsteps seemed to echo loudly in the nearly empty restaurant even though the rattling of a lot of plates could be heard from the kitchen that I still didn't set a foot in. I plastered a huge smile on my face and prepared the words that I will say to the customers, but before I could rerun my words again in my mind, I found myself standing in front of the couple's table.

"Hello, my name is Leila, and I'll be your waitress today. What can I get you both?" I said sweetly.

Maybe I am really natural at this waitressing thing, for that definitely sounded better than it did in my mind.

"Hi, I would like to order the special chocolate pancake stack along with a cup of your amazing hot chocolate." The girl ordered first and was followed by the boy who was with her.

"I want a croissant and a cup of black coffee please. Also, don't add any sugar to it."

"Of course, your order will be ready in fifteen minutes." I said and then turned around to give the order to Mr. Smith who asked the chef to prepare it.

There were no other customers yet, so after giving the order, I stood and just looked around the restaurant, for I never bothered with checking its decor. The restaurant had the typical grey walls, black and white floor tiles and finally the famous checkered table clothes. I guess the restaurant doesn't really suit Mr. Smith's personality, as it gave off happy vibes while its owner gave off the exact opposite since he is so cold, but I shouldn't be judging a book by its cover since I don't know what he has been through in his life.

I was suddenly drawn away from my thoughts when I heard the iconic bell that gave the signal that the couple's meals were ready to be served. So, I carried the plates with extreme carefulness because I didn't plan on shattering any plates on my first day, it would probably be acceptable in a few day, but surely not today. The walk towards their table felt like hours instead of just a few seconds making me more nervous, especially as I also felt everyone's eyes on me for some unknown reason. That's why I was tremendously relieved the moment I arrived at the table and served down their meal without causing any damage.

I could feel Mr. Smith's eyes burning into my back as I put down the last plate. It was as if he was waiting for the moment I'd screw things up so that he could fire me. I have no idea why he doesn't like me, but I made up my mind to change that fact. After all, Mr. Smith is the only person who turned my life upside down towards the better even if he doesn't know it yet.

I should probably inform him of my situation; however, I am truly afraid that he would take it as an opportunity to fire me with the excuse of not being able to hire a homeless girl in case it damages his beloved restaurant's reputation or something. Stop, I tell myself because I really need to stop judging Mr Smith, for he hired me in the end. I wouldn't want anyone judging me so I shouldn't judge anyone. So, I'll just wait a few more weeks when he softens up a little bit before telling him everything.

"Thank you so much for serving our food in such little amount of time." The girl thanked me while smiling a genuine smile which urged me to smile back at her.

"You're welcome, just call me if you need anything else or if you need your check."

I then turned around and walked towards the counter to just stand there until other customers come in. But, I think I jinxed it because the moment I arrived at the counter, I heard the sound of the door opening which was followed by a cold gush of air that confirmed the early arrival of winter. This was really bad in my case since I had no winter clothes at all, so I have to add buying at least one sweater and a jacket to my growing to-do-list after I get my first paycheck. However, I will have to buy a sweater from the thrift shop down the street this weekend as the winter is quickly approaching, and I wouldn't be able to survive three weeks in short-sleeved shirts.

I forced myself to clear my mind when I saw a group of girls, who looked no more than fifteen, settle down in one of the tables. Then, I approached them and repeated the whole 'hello, what can I get you?' dialogue. After giving their order at the counter, I was called by the couple to bring them their check. And, when they stood up and made their way out of the restaurant, I had to clear away the table and hand the money they paid to Mr. Smith who was still standing behind the till.

"Leila, don't leave before telling because I need to give you the tips that will be left for you by each customer." Mr. Smith blurted and then turned around quickly.

I stood there for a whole moment to digest what Mr. Smith said since it never crossed my mind that I will be taking tips as well as my salary. I just assumed that the tips will be going into the restaurant's account. This brightened my day even more because at this rate, I will be able to save much more money for college. This made me decide that I'll work here one year before asking for a student loan from the bank and I'll go to the local college while still working here at night. This plan makes me really hope that everything will work out as I planned, for I would be devastated if it doesn't.

With these thoughts clouding up my mind, I found the rest of the day passing by in the same routine of asking customers what they want, taking their orders to their tables and then collecting their check and cleaning their tables after they leave. But, instead of Lana coming to the restaurant in the afternoon as planned, she called in sick which made Mr. Smith ask me to stay overtime.

By six pm, I was collecting my tips from Mr. Smith before leaving the restaurant with a gigantic smile on my face for the second time in two days.